Every time we think we’ve found the ultimate Hemi, another one turns up that just amazes and astounds us. A few weeks ago, it was that fully restored barn-find Charger that sold before we even listed it. Before that, it was a low mileage, matching-numbers ‘71 Hemi ‘Cuda. Well, here’s another one, and it might be the coolest one of all: a 1969 Hemi Charger from Mr. Norm’s with just 31,965 original miles (no, that’s not a misprint).

Mr. Norm, for those of you unfamiliar with Mopar history, is Norm Kraus, owner of Grand Spaulding Dodge in Chicago, where they specialized in turning impressive Dodge performance into legendary Dodge performance. Back in the ’60’s, when a new high performance Dodge was sold at Grand Spaulding, it was power tuned, the carburetor was re-jetted, the distributor was re-curved, and lightweight springs were installed with full advance at only 800 RPM. The Dodge was then run on a Clayton Dynamometer to simulate track conditions at 5000 RPM and the distributor was locked for peak performance. In addition, many cars were customized with aftermarket parts to meet each customer’s particular wants. Regardless, if you owned a Mr. Norm’s car, there was no question that you had a seriously fast piece of machinery.

This is most likely the finest unrestored Mr. Norm’s car in existence – that’s original paint, the original vinyl top, the original interior, and even the original never-seen-pavement spare tire is in there. And it is 100% numbers-matching. Finding any Hemi in this condition is a rare thing, but a Mr. Norm’s Hemi? No way, it just doesn’t happen. In fact, it’s so tight and clean that Mr. Norm himself spotted it at a show and declared it to be the nicest surviving Mr. Norm’s car he’d ever seen. He even unsuccessfully tried to acquire it, offering in trade his brand-new custom turbocharged Dodge Ram pickup. Today, his signature appears under the deck lid, authenticating this awesome piece of history.

Here are the fender tag and invoice highlights:

E74 426 2×4-barrel 425hp V8 HEMI
D32 727 TorqueFlite automatic transmission
R6 Red paintC6X Black vinyl bucket seats
914 Scheduled production date: September 14, 1968
A32 Super Performance axle package
B51 Power brakes
C16 Woodgrain console with floor shift
C31 Head restraints
C55 Front bucket seats
D58 4.10 axle ratio
G33 Outside left-hand remote chrome mirror
J25 3-speed wipers with electric washers
L31 Hood-mounted turn signals
R11 Music Master AM radio
R31 Rear seat speaker
S77 Power steering
S81 Sport steering wheel
V1X Black vinyl top
V8X Black transverse sport stripe

Additional items that were added by Mr. Norm’s include a small fiberglass hood scoop with a cut-out below it feeding fresh air to the engine compartment. The original Hemi air cleaner is still present, so this modification’s functionality is somewhat limited, but hey, that’s what the original buyer wanted and that same scoop has been spotted on a number of Mr. Norm’s cars. The original owner also specified a set of hood pins, which were apparently cribbed from a lift-off hood Six-Pack car and installed on this Charger. You’ll notice in the photos that many lightening holes have been cut into the front end of the car, but it is unlikely that this modification was done by Mr. Norm’s shop.

The car started its life in Texas where it spent several years drag racing in a stock class, but it appears that track time was extremely limited. The original owner sold the car to a Canadian racer in the 1980s, but due to financial problems, the car was never raced and instead sat in storage until it was seized by a bank. It was purchased from the bank by a collector who subsequently rebuilt the original Hemi motor, then parked it in a warehouse where it remained for years. It changed hands a few more times before arriving with its current owner, who purchased it in 2001.

Today the car is in 95% original condition. That’s original paint on original, virgin sheetmetal that has never been in an accident or replaced. It doesn’t shine like modern base coat/clear coat paint, and it’s not supposed to – it has an original 1969 glow to it that modern paint just can’t duplicate. Our own body shop buffed and polished it to bring out the vintage shine, and it looks better than any 40-year-old paint has a right to. There’s one small area at the base of the rear window that has been repainted at some point, but it was done so well and so long ago, that if I didn’t just tell you about it, you’d never even notice it. It’s also unlikely that any of the body panels have ever been off the car, so panel alignment is just like the factory did it – it’s not perfect, but it’s awfully damned nice.

Now let’s talk about the important part – that big, honkin’ Hemi. First, yes, this is a 100% numbers-matching car in every way, no questions asked. We have verified the numbers personally in our own shop, and there is a comprehensive Govier report on the car with verification of all the important VINs (actually, only 5 of the 6 could be verified, since one of the lightening holes removed the serial number in the radiator cradle, but it is still partially visible).

Engine cast date: 6/10/68
Engine stamped: 8/19/68
Transmission assembled: 8/28/68
Scheduled production date: 9/14/68
Engine information:
Casting number: 2468330-2
Casting date: 6/10/1968
Engine ID: E MN426 2570 1915 (August 10, 1968)

Transmission information:

Sequence number: PK 2892094L2588827 (August 28, 1968)
VIN on the transmission matches VIN on the dashboard.
Carburetor information:
Front: F4619 (June production)Rear: F4621 (June production)Intake: 2780544 casting number (early Hemi intake)

At some point, a previous owner discovered that the rebuilt Hemi was smoking and not running properly after sitting for so long, so it was torn down again and rebuilt to stock specifications, this time with a set of .030” oversize pistons. Today it runs flawlessly and sounds amazing with a reproduction Year One exhaust system. The TorqueFlite transmission and Dana 60 rear with 4.10 gears remain untouched and original and operate perfectly.

Inside, you’ll find an all-original black vinyl bucket seat interior, and it’s very, very nice. Owing to its low miles and consistent indoor storage, there’s no fading or cracking, and the vinyl is still supple. The woodgrain on the center console is still bright and clear, and the gauges look like they might have back in 1971- not perfect, but close to it. It has that unique smell that only an original car carries, and when you sit in the driver’s seat, you’re instantly taken back to a time when cars like this prowled the streets and everyone knew what Hemi meant. Everything works the way the factory intended, flaws and all, because these cars weren’t perfect from the start. But with this car, it’s all about history and provenance. That’s the entire point of this car – it’s only original once, and this one is so nice, and so rare, and so unique that it would be a crime to restore it.

The car came to us wearing 15-inch Magnum wheels, and while it looked dynamite with them, it wasn’t authentic, so four color-matched steel wheels with the proper F70-15 Firestone Wide Oval redline tires and dog-dish hubcaps “as original” were installed. Fortunately, we left the original untouched and unused spare tire alone in the trunk. Those Magnums come with the car, in addition to the original steel wheels on the car now.

And don’t forget documentation – this car has a binder full of it. In addition to the Galen Govier report, there’s the original invoice from Chrysler to Grand Spaulding Dodge, two separate customer invoices, including one that was revised, copies of Grand Spaulding Dodge customer reply cards, a copy of a payment receipt, and several articles on the Hemi Charger. In addition, there is a January, 2000 issue of “Mopar Collector’s Guide” with an in-depth article on this car.

Even if you’re a perfectionist like we are here, there’s just no way you could ever consider restoring this car. It is an incredible survivor from an era when cars like this weren’t meant to survive and were treated like third-class citizens the instant they left the showroom. Mr. Norm’s reputation speaks for itself, and with his signature on the trunk, you know this car is authentic – he himself recognized it and wanted to own it! It’s fully documented, and is certainly one of the rarest Hemis in the world. Best of all? You can drive it! It’s no trailer queen, and restoring it to perfection probably wouldn’t make it any more valuable. No, this car’s value is in its history and its incredible original condition. Take it to shows and you’ll have them lined up three deep to see it, and who knows, maybe Mr. Norm himself will stop by and make you an offer you just can’t refuse.