There have been some pretty rare factory-built drag cars constructed over the years, but not very many one-of-ones. But the car you see here, appearing as a typical run-of-the-mill 1965 Dodge Coronet on the surface, has a very unique story all its own, making it perhaps the rarest of all factory race cars — a fact that could lead it to fetching big bucks at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale classic car auction.

As some of you may recall, in 1965 the factories were barred from using aluminum to create the body panels on their race cars, so Chrysler went a different route and offered their lightweight cars with acid-dipped body panels that year to shed some poundage. However, the Chrysler folks went a step further in interpreting the written rules in their own way, taking into account that the NHRA they couldn’t use aluminum body panels, but never said a thing about fiberglass. 

The only problem was that in order to build and race a fiberglass-bodied car in A/FX, a road-going version would also have to be built and sold. Chrysler engineers got right to work on the new fiberglass program and had only just completed the cars before the NHRA ruled against the use of fiberglass and altered wheelbase chassis, forcing the manufacturer to effectively scrap the program. For a short period of time in ’65, however, the fiberglass body remained an option on the unaltered wheelbase, Hemi-powered race cars.

Interestingly, just one car was ever ordered with the fiberglass option.

JC Penney (yes, that JC Penney) was the original owner of the car, having purchased it originally to promote the stores’ line of automotive products. the car was campaigned in the F/X classes as the “Penney Pincher” with Keith Black horsepower under the hood. The car features fiberglass doors, fenders, decklid, bumpers, and dash, with plexiglass windows and aluminum door handles to further reduce the rolling weight. As it sits, the car has an NOM aluminum head Hemi for power, with the original magnesium cross ram intake, a 727 Torqueflite transmission, and a Dana rear end.

At some point in time, McDonald’s was brought onboard in what is considered their first-ever foray into motorsports, making this perhaps the first race car to ever be graced by the famous golden arches. McDonald’s joined forced with Coca-Cola to create the McDonald’s Coca-Cola Nostalgic Race Team, using the paint scheme that still adorns the car today.

Since it’s racing days, the valuable Coronet has traded owners on at least a couple of occasions, at one point part of baseball legend Reggie Jackson’s private and extensive collection. It has, for the last decade, been showcased exclusively in the World of Speed exhibit room at Wayne Lensing’s Historic Auto Attractions Museum in Roscoe, Illinois.

This one will certainly be intriguing to watch cross the block in Scottsdale later this month. Race cars tend to bring less money than their road-going counterparts, but considering the originality and unparalleled rarity of this one, all bets are off.

Photo credit: Barrett-Jackson