So, Ken gave the seller a call and waited for a response. It took three weeks, but the owner, Phil, finally gave him a ring back. “In a nutshell he told me he has been in possession of the 3/8th scale car for thirty years. His wife worked at the University of Michigan back then, and one day they were cleaning up and getting rid of things. They found the ’71 Charger test car sitting in storage, and they were going to toss it in the dumpster. Phil’s wife intervened and asked if she could have it for her husband, who was heavily involved in the vintage car hobby. They agreed and so Phil went and picked it up at the University and then put it in his barn. It stayed there untouched for the next three decades,” continues Ken.

What Ken bought is interesting to say the least. “After some research I found out that this fiberglass ’71 Charger was one of three models built for the G-series NASCAR tests, the other two being a ’69 Daytona, which resides in a collection in California, and a ’71 Road Runner, owned by Petty Enterprises in the Carolinas.” Besides the quicky respray, it is in incredibly original condition, right down to the identification tags on all the tubes, which mark hollow orifices used to measure air pressure changes at specific locations on the Charger.

The car has a removable window which would show changes in aerodynamics when the driver window was down. Other interesting features include a mock-up K-member underneath as well as a rear pumpkin, transmission cooler, exhaust, gas tank, and a recreation of typical wheels and tires used on the track. There are adjustments for ride height to simulate suspension modifications which are key on the different racetracks that NASCAR would visit each season.

These original tests were conducted by Chrysler’s Research Office in January 1970 at a facility built specifically for 3/8th scale models. The tests were continued a few months later in March. Sadly, these tests were never put to proper use due to the new NASCAR rules that were levied by Bill France in the summer of ’70 which undermined the factory racing teams efforts at Ford and Chrysler. These rules would affect the upcoming ’71 racing season. As a result, the “aero wars” that Ford and Chrysler had been battling over the past few seasons would fizzle out as the new rules took effect.