Have you ever heard a story and were mad you just found out about it? When I was at SEMA, I connected with my friend Demonology, who is a YouTube star and a Mopar Guru. He was adamant about introducing me to a gentleman named Gregory Qualls to learn a story about his father, Godfrey Qualls, and his 1970 Dodge Challenger nicknamed "The Black Ghost."
One thing about SEMA is that there are many people and many cars, but Demonology made a point to make sure I learned about this particular one. I finally met with Greg and had a great conversation about this dad and his car. Like any child, I saw his passion for this vehicle and his dad's memory. Still, the whirlwind of SEMA didn't allow my brain to register how different this car's history and story are.
Greg and I exchanged information, and he told me to watch a video Hagerty Insurance had done about this dad's story. Well, the day I got home from SEMA, I had the chance to watch the video. After watching this fantastic story, I texted Greg to tell him somebody had to be in my bedroom cutting onions because my eyes were flooded.
Godfrey Qualls story is about service, passion, family, sacrifice, racing, legacy & bond between a man and his car. And this car isn't just a run-of-the-mill vehicle; it's one of the most unique Dodges ever built, and its history shaped the landscape of Dodge's future vehicle offerings. This car is so important that Dodge created a tribute car and put it on display in their SEMA booth, but I knew nothing about it.
Ralph Gilles, Head of Design at Stellantis, once served as the President and CEO of Dodges SRT Brand stated in an interview with Hemmings:
"We auto enthusiasts don't talk about diversity enough, We didn't set out to solve any problems with these cars [...] we want to shed a light on the diversity in our history and open the doors to that conversation."
One thing I know for sure, I'm grateful to learn about this historic car and the family & friends behind it.
Without further ado, here is the Hagerty piece on Godfrey Qualls and The Black Ghost. To learn more, visit www.blackghost426.com or follow them on Instagram.