- This flood-damaged Dodge Demon 170 is brand new with just 30 miles on the odometer.
- Repairing this car might not be worthwhile, though certain parts could still be salvaged.
- Fresh from the factory, the flagship Challenger could hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in 1.66 seconds.
The Dodge Challenger Demon 170 was the final, over-the-top sendoff for the legendary muscle car, packing hypercar levels of performance into a quintessentially Dodge package. With just 3,300 units built, it’s a rare machine, making this flood-damaged example an especially tragic sight. Unlike most wrecked performance cars, this one didn’t meet its end in a high-speed crash but instead fell victim to rising waters. To make matters worse, it was brand new. Now, it’s heading to auction.
Copart is offering the car out of its Spartanburg, South Carolina facility, though details about the flood itself are scarce. What’s clear is that bringing this Demon back to life won’t be cheap, if it’s even possible. Realistically, the buyer will likely be someone looking to salvage valuable parts rather than attempt a full restoration of the Demon.
Read: Dealers Wanted $400K For A Demon 170, Now Some Will Take Under $150K
Usually, flood-damaged cars to be auctioned off by salvage sites like Copart have an easily-identifiable watermark to show how high the water went. This Challenger doesn’t have one. Combined with the fact that the entire cabin is bathed in dirt and the instrument cluster is filled with condensation, it seems most of the car was underwater at some stage.
As the electronics are inevitably busted, there’s no way to see how many miles are on the car’s odometer. However, we ran a Carfax check and can confirm that this is brand new model with just 30 miles. The fact that it still has plastic covering the seats and even the steering wheel suggests it was practically fresh off the lot when it was swallowed by the flood.
Based on the timeline, the damage likely occurred in September 2024 during the catastrophic Hurricane Helen in North Carolina.
The engine bay also looks worse for wear. Like the cabin, it too is covered in dirt and if the entire area was flooded, there’s a good chance a lot of electronics are ruined. It may be possible to save the engine if it wasn’t turned on at the time of the flood, but it would need to be stripped down to see if any water found its way inside.
If you think you have the skills (and the budget) to take on this challenge, the Demon 170 is up for bidding over at Copart here. Good luck, you’ll need it.
