2012 News Release – Two Motown Missile Cars On Display in October

The first car is the 1971 MOTOWN MISSILE Dodge Challenger Pro Stock car that was driven by Don Carlton. It was recently restored in California and had been shown in the Peterson Museum on loan from the current owner – Arnie Klann.

The second car is Don Carlton’s 1975 MOPAR MISSILE Plymouth Duster Pro Stock “wire car”. This car was constructed by our team to be used as the first “A” engine Pro Stock car due to NHRA rule and regulation changes making the Hemi not feasible for further development. The most important item to note is that this car was NEVER run by our team. In late 1974, the program was cancelled. At that time the car was complete less paint. Don was either given the car or purchased it from Chrysler and in turn sold it to a local North Carolina drag racer. Arnie Klann purchased the car a few years ago and it is now in the final stages of a full restoration. The car will appear in MOPAR MISSILE livery as it was meant to be. This car utilized the most advanced methods of design and construction available in the 1974/5 timeframe. It made extensive use of lightweight materials – titanium and magnesium – with the chrome moly chassis tubing sizes and placement optimized using computer analysis. It was way over the top for it’s day!

Note: both cars are fully operational……Joe Pappas

The 1972 MOTOWN MISSILE BARRACUDA will be displayed at the 11th Annual East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame show by the CUDA restoration group, looking like it did on page 69 of the JAN 1972 HOT ROD MAGAZINE article as a “body in white”. Still in the early stage of restoration, it will appear fresh from the dip tank in raw steel, as the process to bring it back to it’s former glory begins.

The CUDA was one of the most significant PRO STOCK cars of all time, as a CHRYSLER CORPORATION sponsored engineering test vehicle the first to use on board computer analysis to improve performance, and advanced titanium components to reduce weight. Driven by the legendary DON CARLTON, the national PRO STOCK A record holder CUDA is arguably the most beautiful race car of it’s day, in classy gloss black, with gold anodized trim and gold leaf lettering.