Legends of NASCAR

1964 Plymouth Belvedere Petty Blue #43

This is an exact replica of the car Petty Enterprises built and ran in the 1964 Winston Cup season. This period correct build was headed up by Richard Petty, his brother and engine builder Maurice Petty, and Dale Inman, 2nd cousin and crew chief. All three men are members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

They joined forces with Petty’s Garage to exactly replicate the #43 Plymouth that won the Grand National Championship in 1964, literally signing off on the authenticity by autographing the air cleaner of the 426 Hemi.

Richard Petty’s first of seven titles came behind the wheel of his 64 Belvedere, beating his closest competitor, Ned Jarrett, by more than 5000 points.

Having spent 6 years at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, it went to Petty’s Garage in Level Cross, NC to be tuned and prepped before coming to NATMUS for a stay in our Legends Gallery.

Listen to the 426 Hemi rumble as it gets loaded up in this video at Old Cars Weekly.

Owner: Boris Bonutti of Illinois

This Talladega is on an original Holman & Moody chassis that is believed to have run as the #115 Stropped Motorsports Fairlane in 1967. It won the Riverside 500 in 67 with International Motorsports Hall of Famer Parnelli Jones at the helm.

In ‘68, the chassis received a Ford Torino body, and driven by NASCAR Hall of Famer Benny Parsons, won ARCA titles in 1968 & 1969. In 1970, it was run by Wendel Scott in the Winston Cup until, in 1971, it was wrecked. Wendel Scott, also in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, was the first African-American ever to compete in NASCAR, beginning around 1953.

It has been reskinned displaying the #98 yellow paint that Benny Parsons ran.

Owner: Barry Miller of Indiana

Known as his “Last Race Car”, this was the final car built by NASCAR Hall of Famer, Cotton Owens, at his racing garage in Spartanburg, S.C. It’s powered by the 426 Hemi known as X2, the 2nd of 10 experimental engines produced by Chrysler. This engine powered the original car that Cotton built and raced in 1964.

It just completed a 3 year stay at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Owner: Hank Bonutti of Michigan

The very first of only 392 such aerodynamic models built to homologate the slickened Charger body for NASCAR, this car is in original, unrestored condition.  It was built for Chrysler Corp. with the intent of showcasing the new Charger 500 to the press, and for promotional purposes. As such, it is very well equipped with a Hemi engine, backed by the 4-speed transmission. 1 of 15 with the Hemi and 4-speed, and the only one that added C5X black cloth and vinyl interior, and power windows.

It originally appeared in Hot Rod magazine in February 1969 and Chrysler campaigned this Charger 500 on the show car circuit that year.

Owner: Manny Collection of Ontario, Canada.

Photos by Freeze Frame Image LLC via Al Rogers

Originally from Old Cars Weekly