There's a rare Bengals-themed muscle car out there, but its owner is not a football fan. Here's the story.
There's a rare Bengals-themed muscle car out there, but its owner is not a football fan.
Clair Luttrell, a 70-year-old retired railroad conductor living in New Braunfels, Texas, told the Wall Street Journal that he was visiting his brother-in-law in Hazard, Kentucky, in 1993 when he learned of a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T for sale.
Per the Oct. 5 report, the muscle car was painted bright orange and featured the Bengals logo on both fenders. The car also featured stickers of football helmets.
"This car intrigued me because I had never seen anything like it," Luttrell told the international news site.
But where did the "Who Dey" mobile come from?
Luttrell said that when the Bengals team launched in 1968, they went to a dealership to buy 50 Chargers in the team's signature orange and black colors. Per a 1968 advertisement from The Enquirer, the limited-edition Chargers were made by the former Tom Kneer Dodge dealership, which was located in Cheviot at the time.
According to Luttrell, only 10 of the 50 custom cars were R/Ts, which are higher-performance versions of the original Dodge Charger model. Luttrell reportedly discovered the only model with white interior as well.
Despite not being much of a football fan, Luttrell purchased the Dodge Charger R/T.
"I have always had a priority of family first, hobby second. And cars are my hobby," he stated.
Once the vehicle was in his possession, Luttrell immediately began restoring the classic car. He reportedly spent 15 years finding real original parts, including a 440-cubic-inch R/T engine. He also spent four years on a waiting list for Roger Gibson Auto Restoration, which would help finish the project.
After the car was finally completed in 2024, Luttrell took it to two car shows in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and Chicago, where it won both times. But Luttrell said that his dream is to bring the car back to the Queen City.
"What I am really hoping to do is take this car to Cincinnati and have it photographed at the Bengals’ stadium. The car is essentially a Bengals mascot," Luttrell said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How a rare 1968 Bengals-themed Dodge Charger ended up in Texas
Category: Football
