Whereabouts of Dale Earnhardt’s Allegedly Illegal Yet $3 Million Worth Mopar Revealed by Rapper Vanilla Ice

Back in 1974, Dale Earnhardt Sr was almost ready to call it a day with racing when he got the chance to take a Chrysler factory-built kit car for a spin. This wasn’t just any car either. It was the Saturday Night Special prototype. That ride was a game-changer for him, steering him not just back to the track but on the road to becoming a racing legend.

To think that this car was valued between a mere $40,000 to 80,000 back in 2016. But fast forward to just seven years later, and the car’s value has skyrocketed to a whopping $3 million as stated by Vanilla Ice, an American rapper and TV host. Apparently, the combination of raw power and sleek design has sent its value through the roof.

Dale Earnhardt Sr’s car had an illegal cheat button which caused quite a lot of controversy

Aiming to strike the perfect balance between affordability for local racers and cutting-edge tech for the pros, the Mopar kit race car driven by Dale Earnhardt was initially rolled out by Petty Enterprises. This innovative concept sprang from Mopar’s deep roots in NASCAR and really took off when Chrysler Corporation took a step back from the sanctioning body in the early ’70s.

One of the masterminds behind this venture was Larry Rathgeb, who once held the reins as Chrysler’s Director of Race Programs. Rathgeb, along with his team of savvy engineers, zeroed in on a 1972 Dodge Challenger. The model wasn’t just about looks; it was a Trojan Horse, hiding some cutting-edge tech for its time under the hood.

The discussion recently came into being after the rapper Vanilla Ice managed to get his hands on the exclusive car. In fact, he shared how the car’s price has touched the skies with time. He said, “This is a very famous car. Dale Earnhardt Sr’s first race car, called the Saturday Night Special. There’s a million books, it’s been on the cover of every magazine, and stories all over the place about this car.”

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Further talking about a trick used by Dale Earnhardt, he added, “He had a little cheat button right here that he took a paper clip that he hid right down in his race suit and pulled it out and he’d stick in this little pinhole and it would advance the timing which was highly illegal. And they wrote a whole story on that. So there are stories about this car and interviews I do just about the car… This car’s worth $3 million.”

In fact, back in 2016, when it was set to hit the Mecum Auction in Kissimmee, Florida, on January 15th, estimates were a modest $40,000 to $80,000. Turns out, it’s a restored prototype – likely the only one left – and probably the very one Earnhardt tested back in ’74. It’s also the impressive specifications which could be responsible for its price surge.

The kit car’s specifications could be the main reason for the price hike up to $3 million

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In a 1974 press release, Larry Rathgeb shed light on the design philosophy behind their car. It was a blend of the best parts – an E-body front and, an A-body rear, with a whole lot of custom chassis work in between. Under the hood? The mighty W2-head, 355 cubic-inch, small-block Chrysler V-8 race engine, unleashes a hefty 650 horsepower – the same powerhouse one would get if they opted for a nearly complete or turn-key car. The price tag? Back then, it was a mere $2,800 for just the bones of the car to $10,000 for a road-ready machine.

The first prototype used a ’72 Challenger, and boy, did it make a difference. At least one of these prototypes, including the one Earnhardt test-drove, according to SuperbirdClub.com, sported a Dodge Challenger body. While there’s some confusion about E-body sheet metal being part of the production line, the ads and catalogs from that time mostly showcase Dodge Dart Swinger, Dodge Dart Sport, Plymouth Valiant Scamp, and Plymouth Duster body parts.

These appealing specs have most likely played a huge role in the skyrocketing value of these cars from 1972 to 2016 and seeing a further price jump of up to four times in just the last eight years.

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