HomeCar CultureCustom Dodge Challenger with 2,000 horsepower wins Barrett-Jackson Cup

Custom Dodge Challenger with 2,000 horsepower wins Barrett-Jackson Cup

The Australia-built coupe was chosen from among 50 contenders for the $10,000 prize

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A custom 1970 Dodge Challenger boasting 2,000 horsepower was crowned “Ultimate Best in Show” for the 2021 Barrett-Jackson Cup, the auction company’s custom car competition held during the recent Scottsdale, Arizona, auction.

Sponsored by eBay Motors, the Barrett-Jackson Cup hosted a field of 50 vehicles whose builders competed for a $10,000 top prize and a trophy. More than 25,000 fans cast votes for the five finalists, which were chosen by company chief executive Craig Jackson and president Steve Davis, along with auto-company representatives, with the top vote-getter winning the Ultimate Best of Show.

Besides the winning Challenger, the finalists were fully customized examples of a 1932 Ford Tudor, a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air, a 1963 Chevrolet Bel Air Wagon and a 1970 Ford F-100 pickup.

“Congratulations to every builder who was a part of this year’s Barrett-Jackson Cup,” Jackson said. “Each vehicle in this year’s elite competition raised the bar for custom automotive design and engineering.

“The ability for these craftsmen to shape their vision into reality and connect with so many enthusiasts is truly unprecedented. That popularity was evident by the record number of fans around the world who cast votes daily for their top choice.”

The Challenger arrived in Scottsdale all the way from Australia, where it was built by Rides by Kam and is owned by Robert Zahabi, both of Queensland.

“The Dodge Challenger is powered by a massive 572cid (9.4-liter) big-block Hemi engine fitted with an F-3R ProCharger capable of producing 2,000 horsepower,” according to a Barrett-Jackson news release. “All that power is routed through a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission.

“The all-steel body was completely custom-fabricated and finished in PPG Slanted Brown paint. The car sits on a Roadster Shop chassis and features a fully independent rear suspension.

“For stopping power, the Challenger uses a set of Baer brakes, and grips the road with 20×8-inch wheels up front and 20×15-inch out back. The car features a hand-built interior and has custom billet machined headlights, taillights and grille.”

The Barrett-Jackson Cup competition was held for three years during the now-discontinued Reno, Nevada, auction that ended in 2015.  It resumed this year, although originally was set to take place during the 50th annual Arizona auction in January, which was pushed back to this month because of pandemic restrictions.

Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen is a longtime automotive writer and editor, focusing on new vehicles, collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. He is the former automotive writer and editor for The Arizona Republic and SPEED.com, the website for the SPEED motorsports channel. He has written free-lance articles for a number of publications, including Autoweek, The New York Times and Barrett-Jackson auction catalogs. A collector car enthusiast with a wide range of knowledge about the old cars that we all love and desire, Bob enjoys tinkering with archaic machinery. His current obsession is a 1962 Porsche 356 Super coupe.

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