SUMMARY

The beneficiary of a detailed, rotisserie restoration that was completed in 2011
Scored 994 out of 1,000 points to attain gold certification at the 2011 Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals
Featured in Mopar Collector's Guide / Sale includes a copy of the car's feature
Original 426 cubic inch Hemi V8 / Sale includes the car's original 4-barrel intake and custom fresh air hood
Correct A727 3-speed automatic transmission / Correct 8.75-inch rear axle
Mostly original sheetmetal / Correct Gold Metallic paint / Mostly original interior / Correct Black top
Correct power steering / Correct power drum brakes / 14-inch Magnum 500 wheels
Sale includes: An original Certicard / Restoration photos / Ownership history signed by the car's first owner
Sale includes: / DaimlerChrysler paperwork / Chrysler Registry paperwork / Galen Govier paperwork
Believed to be the first Hemi-equipped 1967 Belvedere GTX

Ever have one of those moments when you find a spectacular classic that seems too good to be true? The 'coolest of the cool' that's survived almost five decades of vehicle downsizing trends, fuel thirsty gearheads and stoplight fisticuffs? Well, you don't have to worry about getting pinched back to reality this time because this storied Plymouth Belvedere is a fully restored, fully documented classic that's believed to be the first 1967 Hemi GTX produced! But wait, there's more. Not only is this magazine-featured drop-top a national award-winning show queen that presents much nicer than when it rolled off the assembly line, it also features a great backstory. If you're looking for some tough, investment grade muscle that's fun to look at, a blast to drive and ready to hit the show circuit as soon as it rolls out of our showroom, congratulations, you've found your next classic!

HISTORY/CONDITION

Sergei Dennenbaum was a Russian immigrant who arrived in New York City in 1962. Mechanically inclined from a young age, he eventually found a Chrysler apprenticeship that lead to a year of employment endurance testing the company's latest and greatest products. Now, we all know endurance testing is the sophisticated cousin of drag racing, and it wasn't long until Sergei set in to building a 1963 Plymouth Max Wedge super stocker that would rise to fame as 'The Mad Russian'.

The Plymouth you see here, believed to be the first Hemi-equipped GTX produced for the 1967 model year, was originally purchased as a fun tow vehicle for The Mad Russian. Thanks to Sergei's contacts at Chrysler, the car was specifically optioned with a functional Belvedere I hood scoop and Holley 4-barrel carburetor. When the drop-top arrived at Manhattan Chrysler/Plymouth in the fall of 1966, it wore a flat Belvedere hood over one-off 4-barrel induction, and, as was common practice, its polished air cleaner and standard dual-quad setup had been loaded in to the trunk. Since the weather was bad, and the car was pretty unique, Sergei allowed the dealer to park it in the showroom for a few weeks of display. During that stint, requisite GTX scoops were bolted up along with showy "426 HEMI" emblems - emblems that, upon Sergei officially taking delivery of the car, were quickly swapped for diminutive 383 badges.

Fast forward to early 1967, when this GTX's custom fresh air hood arrived. Literally a bolt-on piece, the bonnet was coated in correct Gold Metallic pigment, capped with a matching scoop and featured an aluminum plate that funneled wind directly in to the aforementioned Holley. Cool, unique and sporting plenty of power, the car was ready for many seasons of towing The Mad Russian. That said, being a tried and true gearhead, Sergei wasn't about to leave well enough alone. So, he commenced a series of mild modifications that further enhanced the big Plymouth's performance.

Speaking of cool, here's where things go from cool to flat out awesome! At some point, Sergei's mom took a liking to the GTX and began to drive it on a daily basis. Unfortunately, that heavy usage resulted in a stuck throttle cable and front end damage from a subsequent collision. However, the damage wasn't severe and the car was quickly fixed and put back on the road. Perhaps needing a bit of vindication for the bang-up, Sergei's mom decided to start racing the GTX alongside her son's perennial super stocker. And we're not talking a few fun passes, we're talking consistent 13-second pulls at over 100 MPH! Unfortunately, sometime in late 1969, someone stole the Plymouth's big Holley carburetor while it sat in the pits at Atco Dragway. Disappointed and angry, Sergei installed the factory's dual-quad setup, retired the car to street duty and, in 1970, sold it to a New York City police officer for $1,800.

For the next twenty years, the GTX would remain an odd unicorn of New York folklore. In 1990, refusing to watch the Plymouth deteriorate, the officer's widow sold it to a well-known MoPar collector. While the original Holley was long gone, the car's original intake, hood and various 'go fast' parts had been preserved and were included with the sale. In 2003, after the collector had researched the car, gathered restoration parts and cleared a few pending projects, Galen Govier was contacted to confirm its status as the first known 1967 Hemi GTX. In 2009, the Plymouth was moved to Totally Auto in Feasterville, Pennsylvania. And in 2010, that shop began a detailed, rotisserie restoration that would return the car to a factory-correct appearance, all the way down to its correct bumper guards. In 2011, the GTX stormed the muscle car scene by debuting at the Muscle Cars at the Playboy Mansion show, and scoring 994 out of 1,000 points to earn gold certification at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals. And, in the years since, it's attended many top-tier shows and even spent a little time in the Wellborn Musclecar Museum.

ENGINE

Authenticated by a famous 2468330 casting number, this GTX's original, 426 cubic inch Hemi benefitted from an acute rebuild that occurred during the detailed restoration. As Plymouth's top option for power hungry gearheads, Chrysler's legendary elephant block utilized cast iron heads, an oversquare bore, a forged steel crank, forged steel rods, forged aluminum pistons and a hydraulic cam to twist stout 10.25 to 1 compression into a stated 425 horsepower and 490 lb./ft. of torque. All that high performance hardware spins in a familiar Hemi Orange block, which hangs requisite Organisol-coated valve covers over correct, low-restriction exhaust manifolds. Oxygen is supplied by a polished and decaled air cleaner, which rides correct Carter carburetors and a correct aluminum intake. Compression is sparked by Chrysler Electronic Suppression cables, which are snapped onto a correct points distributor. And a correct, 26-inch radiator utilizes pliable hoses and old school squeeze clamps to cool combustion. Thanks to less than 50 miles of road time, the body-matched engine bay is both spotless and accurate. Mechanically, the big mill cruises just as well as when it rolled out of the restoration shop. And naturally, a roster of correct ancillaries includes items like factory decals, a reproduction MoPar battery, a Chrysler washer reservoir and a monochromatic brake booster.

DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION

Park this pristine Plymouth on a lift and you'll find a fully sorted undercarriage that's been finished to the same exacting standards as the car's impressive engine bay. Glossy gold 2-stage protects solid, original floors that probably haven't seen much daylight since the car's restoration. Behind the stalwart engine, a correct A727 TorqueFlite twists power to a correct, 8.75-inch axle. That drivetrain rides a factory-spec suspension, which mixes factory power steering with correct power drum brakes. The car's fresh dual exhaust system centers an H-shaped crossover in front of factory replacement mufflers and polished stainless tips. And power scorches the pavement through polished Magnum 500s, which spin G70-14 Firestone Wide Oval Super Sport redlines around chrome hubcaps.

INTERIOR

Swing this drop-top's solid doors and you'll find a mostly original interior that's one of the coolest cockpits bolted behind a big block! Billed as the 'Gentleman's Muscle Car', and finished in correct Black vinyl, it brings a real sense of class to a platform with a solemn and brutish nature. Front and center, an original combination of bench and bucket seats hang correct, original headrests over a correct console that's topped by a correct tachometer. In front of those seats, a classy dash frames decidedly retro telemetry above an old school Plymouth Transaudio radio. At the sides of that dash, pliable door panels bridge the gap between fresh carpet and correct toppers. In front of the driver, a glossy steering wheel laps a chrome, Plymouth-branded horn ring. And behind the passengers, a fully restored trunk hangs a fresh mat and correct jack over a full-size spare tire.

PROVENANCE

In addition to significant historical documentation, this Plymouth's substantial provenance includes Galen Govier VIN, Fender Tag and Certicard decodes. Here's a detailed look at how the car left Chrysler's St. Louis assembly plant.

VIN: RS27J77115013

RS: Plymouth Belvedere GTX
27: Convertible
J: 426 cubic inch Hemi V8 that utilizes two 4-barrel carburetors to create 425 horsepower
7: 1967 model year
7: Produced at Chrysler's St. Louis assembly plant
115013: Sequential Production Number

FENDER TAG:

RS: Plymouth GTX
27: Convertible
73: 426 cubic inch Hemi V8 that utilizes two 4-barrel carburetors to create 425 horsepower
5: TorqueFlite automatic transmission
48: 7.75x14 red streak tires
5: Five tires included with car
921: Scheduled for production on Wednesday September 21st, 1966
02465: Plymouth Shipping Order Number
A4: 8.75-inch axle that's fitted with 3.23 gears
X8: Sure Grip differential
TP: Premium trim grade
R6: Vinyl bucket seats
MX: Black interior
PZ: Gold Metallic roof paint
NZ: Gold Metallic body paint
T1: Monotone paint style
UB: Black upper door frames
B: No buffed paint
S: No accent stripes
A1: 26-inch radiator
F5: Belvedere GTX Package
STD: Radio
R1: Music Master AM radio
T7: Tachometer
X2: Tinted windshield
Y1: Black convertible top
a6: Console
b4: Bucket seats
g0: Body belt moldings
j4: Body sill moldings
std: Chrome driver's mirror
17A: Inspector's stamp

CERTICARD:

RS: Plymouth Belvedere GTX
27: Convertible
J: 426 cubic inch Hemi V8 that utilizes two 4-barrel carburetors to create 425 horsepower
7: 1967 model year
7: Produced at Chrysler's St. Louis assembly plant
115013: Sequential Production Number
P: Premium trim grade
6: Vinyl bucket seats
X: Black interior
Z: Gold Metallic roof paint
Z: Gold Metallic body paint
1: Monotone paint
T5: TorqueFlite automatic transmission
SG: Sure Grip axle
0967: Delivered in September of 1967

OUR SALE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTATION AND ACCESSORIES

A business card from the car's original salesman
The car's original Certicard
An original registration
Vintage photos of the dragsters the car towed
A vintage photo of the car's unique fresh air 4-barrel setup
A history of events, including modifications, recounted and signed by the car's first owner
A partial ownership history
Restoration photos
A letter from DaimlerChrysler's Corporate Historical Collection
A Production Record from DaimlerChrysler's Corporate Historical Collection
A copy of the car's Build Card from DaimlerChrysler's Corporate Historical Collection
Chrysler Registry paperwork
The aforementioned Galen Govier VIN, Fender Tag and Certicard decodes
A copy of the car's feature in Mopar Collector's Guide
A vintage key chain that features the car's original plate number
The car's original 4-barrel intake
The car's custom fresh air hood

Every car has a story. But how often is that story so good that it seems ripped from the pages of an octane-fueled fairy tale? Think about it: this incredible convertible is a rare, highly authentic classic that, believed to be the first Hemi-powered 1967 GTX, was custom-ordered, owned and raced by a family of dyed-in-the-wool gearheads. If you're looking for an exceptionally documented investment that enjoys near limitless appeal, this top-notch Plymouth is the car you've been dreaming of!