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U.S. Marine Postal Service, Detroit River, delivering mail, Detroit Publishing Co., circa 1911

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"Be empathetic or die"

-Bryan Dechart, 2018

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A Look at the Black Ghost Dodge Challenger and the Man Behind the Wheel

Back in the summer of 1970, the original American horsepower war was nearing its peak and the Detroit street racing scene was the center of

“Starting in the spring of 1970, this black HEMI engine-powered Challenger would show up at various racing spots around Metro Detroit – sometimes Woodward or Telegraph, sometimes one of the more out-of-the-way locations – and beat anyone who was willing to line up. After beating everyone who wanted to race, the menacing Dodge would disappear into the night for weeks or even months. No one in the racing scene knew who was driving this Dodge Challenger, so it was unclear why he would disappear for long periods of time, but everyone in the Detroit street scene knew that when that car showed up, there was a good chance that the quickest cars in attendance were going to take a loss.

Due to the way that this Dodge Challenger R/T would randomly show up then disappear for long periods of time, other local racers began calling the car “The Black Ghost”. The Black Ghost would continue this pattern of handing out losses around the Detroit street racing scene until the mid-1970s, when the car disappeared forever. No one knew what happened to the car or the incredible racer behind the wheel, but after 1975, the HEMI engine-powered Challenger known as The Black Ghost was never again seen in the Detroit racing scene.

(…)

Godfrey Qualls was drafted into the United States Army in 1964, serving as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division until he returned to the U.S. with a Purple Heart in the mid-1960s after being injured by a hand grenade.

On December 5, 1969, Qualls took delivery of his 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Special Edition, which was one of just 23 R/T SE models built with the 426 HEMI engine and the 4-speed manual transmission for that model year. The car also came equipped from the factory with the Super Track Pack which included a Dana 60 rear differential with 4.10 gears and Sure-Grip, a Hurst pistol grip shifter, houndstooth interior, hood pins, the white tail stripe and a black vinyl top. The car was mistakenly built with the gator skin pattern rather than the plain black vinyl, which Qualls didn’t love at the time, but it came to be one of the key recognizable traits of the legendary street racer.

In stock form, Qualls’ HEMI engine-powered Challenger would beat pretty much anything on the street, but as some added insurance, he made a few basic modifications. He removed the mufflers, allowing the 426 HEMI engine to breathe a bit easier, he installed an aftermarket ignition coil and replaced the standard rear street tires with a set of sticky drag slicks. He also added a small African flag decal to each front fender and an ignition key-kill system was added to the driver’s side front fender to keep the car secure around Detroit. With those few changes, Qualls’ Challenger hit the streets in the spring of 1970 and the legend of The Black Ghost began to take shape.

Meanwhile, also in 1970, Godfrey Qualls was hired by the Detroit Police to work as a motorcycle officer in the area of Traffic Enforcement. His passion for motorcycles led him to install a trailer hitch assembly on his Dodge Challenger R/T as well, which was a fairly rare upgrade for the top street brawlers of the era. His role on the police force likely played a role in the sporadic street racing appearance schedule of The Black Ghost Challenger. Had Qualls gotten caught street racing, he would have likely lost his job, so he would hit the streets, do some racing and then tuck the car away in the garage until police attention would die down. Being a police officer, Qualls would have been familiar with any targeted enforcement of the street racing scene, so he would know when it was safe for him to race and when it was best for him to stay away. This was also why he made sure that no one in the local scene knew who was driving that unbeatable Dodge Challenger in the early-to-mid 1970s.

Godfrey Qualls never got caught street racing and he retired from the Detroit Police Department in 2007 after 37 years of service.

Knowing who Godfrey Qualls was and what he did for a living answered the question of why The Black Ghost Dodge Challenger was such a mystery and why it would disappear for long periods of time, but what happened after 1975 that led to the car vanishing from the local street racing scene?

Well, in 1977, Qualls joined the Army National Guard, participating in Special Forces training and receiving his Green Beret in the late 1970s, serving with the National Guard through 2002. With Qualls rejoining the Army and still working as a Detroit police officer, he seemingly retired from dominating the local street racing scene and his legendary muscle car went into a long period of storage. According to Gregory Qualls, prior to him taking ownership, his father’s Challenger was last registered and insured for street use on March 19, 1976. The car then sat in his parents’ garage on jackstands from 1980 until 2016, at which point Gregory took the car out of storage to begin restoring it for show use.

(…)

Since emerging from decades of storage, the Qualls’ 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE has won a long list of awards, including the Spirit of Detroit Award at Concours d’Elegance of America in Plymouth, Michigan in 2021, The National Automotive Heritage Award at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals in 2018 and the Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals Celebrity Pick Award in 2017. The most prominent recognition came in 2020 when this Challenger was added to the National Historic Vehicle Registry, securing its place in automotive history.”

Legendary "Black Ghost" Challenger up for sale by original family - Hagerty Media

The Black Ghost, that mysterious street racer which prowled Detroit in the '70s, is set to cross the block at Mecum's Indy sale in May.

“A Hemi-powered 1970 Challenger R/T SE four-speed in #2 (Excellent) condition is currently valued at more than $350,000, although this car’s near-mythical status and history will certainly elevate it above its brethren.

How high, you may wonder? Hagerty valuation specialist John Wiley explains how the car’s unique history will come to play when the Black Ghost hits the auction block.

“Unrestored, culturally iconic muscle cars such as the 1968 Bullitt Mustang sell for well over seven figures, and it’s not unreasonable to expect the Black Ghost might do the same,” Wiley said.”

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FROM TORONTO I WAS BOUND TO VISIT #DETROT THE LARGEST TOWN OF MICHIGAN AND THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD CAPITAL. (presso Michigan Detroit) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAHvzeEhHoj/?igshid=14krturf3dkkl

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Awesome 👏🏽 #DETROT #detroitproud #detroitpride #thed #rebornbaby #rebirth #detroitlions #lions #build #redevelopment Repost from @___drewsky on Instagram: “@ronbno24 💪🏽 Goals” using @RepostRegramApp - @ronbno24 💪🏽 Goals https://www.instagram.com/p/BvehS93lmY4/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=5m30vym2xg8r

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49 yr old Woman Missing from Hospital near Outer Drive and Schafer

49 yr old Woman Missing from Hospital near Outer Drive and Schafer

DETROIT, MI – Andrea Bell was last seen on Tuesday, March 19th, 2019, between 1:30 – 2:00 p.m., in the area of Outer drive and Schafer at the hospital while with her caregiver.

The caregiver reports Andrea left the area while others were being treated and has not been seen since. Andrea was not being treated at the hospital, and has gone missing before in the past. They are concerned for her…

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