Near-Original 1969 Dodge Daytona Pulled Out of Storage After 45 Years

Hidden since 1974, Ronnie Belletieri’s 1969 Dodge Daytona is set to undergo a full restoration.

John MachaqueiroAuthorDec 25, 2020

The accepted number of 1969 Dodge Daytonas produced in total is 503. No doubt, the 1969 Daytona ranks high on the desirability scale. The sole reason for the car's existence is due to NASCAR's homologation process in 1969. If it wanted to race its cars, Chrysler had to produce 500 road-going examples. In civilian trim, there were only two engines available: the 440 Magnum, rated at 375 horses, and the extra-cost 426 Hemi, which was rated at 425 horses. Both engines were available with either a 727 Torqueflite automatic transmission or an A833 four-speed manual gearbox.

Because these were extremely low-production vehicles with a single purpose, the final assembly of the Daytona was contracted to Michigan-based Creative Industries. Brand-new 1969 Dodge Charger R/Ts were loaded up and sent to Creative Industries to have the nose, rear wing, and rear window plug installed. A quick splash of paint was applied to blend the changes into the car's pre-existing color. That's where this Dodge Daytona was born. It wore Dark Green Poly paint, had a white interior with bucket seats, and a white rear stripe by the time it left the factory.

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