Legendary Sox & Martin Hemi Cuda Sells for Big Bucks

More Special

Few drag racing teams in history are as widely recognized and revered as Sox & Martin. But in terms of the many cars Ronnie Sox and Buddy Martin campaigned over the years, this particular 1970 Hemi Cuda that recently crossed the block at Mecum Auctions is a little more special than most.

Photos: Mecum Auctions

No Small Feat

The '70 Cuda is a legend in its own right, and this is the only factory-built drag car Hemi Cuda with a VIN that was produced for the Sox & Martin team. And given the rule changes that were taking place at the time, that's no small feat.

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Two Cars Into One

By 1970, the NHRA was forwarding acid-dipped bodies to its race teams for conversion. But at the same time, rules still dictated that cars had to have a certain amount of OEM trim intact. Thus, many teams also received a Street Hemi E-body to satisfy those rules.

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Test Bed

So how, you might ask, did this car manage to exist in the first place? Apparently, Sox & Martin rebuilt it into a test and clinic car, then used it to compete in AHRA’s GT-1 class and Super Stock class.

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One of One

It was there that Herb McCandless and Ronnie Sox drove the Cuda to several GT-1 PSS wins and ultimately, the AHRA World Championship. Today, it remains the only professional-level drag-racing E-body Hemi Cuda with a factory Hemi VIN tag.

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Rare Features

Under the hood, the 426 Hemi features a rare Chrysler prototype independent-runner tunnel ram topped with twin 4500-series Holley 4-barrel race carburetors. Other notable features include a solid-roller camshaft, 13.0:1 compression, Hooker headers, a rev-limiter, and a cool can.

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Power to Ground

To ensure all that power gets to the ground, this Cuda uses an A833 4-speed transmission, which is backed up by a 4.88-geared Dana 60 rear-end.

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Proper Livery

On the outside, this legendary dragster sports its original red, white, and blue Sox & Martin team livery. It also has the correct Keystone wheels and Firestone Drag 500 slicks in place.

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Little Differentiation

The black interior remains mostly original and contains bucket-seats, a Hurst shifter, a cable-driven tachometer, and period-installed gauging to differentiate it from a stock Cuda.

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Truly Special

Perfectly detailed and immaculately restored, it's no surprise that this rare piece of drag racing history hammered for $429,000. After all, it's the only car that can lay claim to being a production car-based Sox & Martin '70 Cuda, and that alone makes it truly special.

>>Join the conversation about this Sox & Martin Hemi Cuda right here in Dodge Forum.

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