One-of-a-kind 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat VIN0001 Raises $1.65 Million for Charity -- More Than Any Other Car in Barrett-Jackson History

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

• Special one-of-one 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat sells for $825,000 at Barrett-Jackson Auction in Las Vegas to Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and several Chrysler Group dealerships
• Engelstad Family Foundation matches auction price, bringing total raised for charity to $1.65 million
• 100 percent of sale price from auction of the fastest and most powerful muscle car ever benefits Las Vegas charity Opportunity Village
• Iconic one-of-one Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat features Viper-exclusive Stryker Red paint, special Hellcat badging, a custom VIN0001 build package in a HEMI® Orange painted engine case presentation box that documents the car's build and additional one-of-a-kind memorabilia

Dodge auctioned the first production 707-horsepower 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat VIN0001, the most powerful and fastest muscle car ever, for $825.000 at the Sept. 27 Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas 2014 auction benefitting Opportunity Village, a not-for-profit organization that serves people with significant intellectual disabilities in the Las Vegas area. The Engelstad Family Foundation of Las Vegas matched the auction price, bringing the grand total raised for Opportunity Village to $1.65 million. With their generous donation, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat raised more money for charity than any other car in Barrett-Jackson history.

Barrett-Jackson waved all bidding and consignment fees, so 100 percent of the sale price goes to the charity.

"The $1.65 million raised by auctioning this one-of-one Dodge Challenger Hellcat at this year's Barrett-Jackson auction means the most powerful muscle car ever will also have a very powerful impact on the people who benefit from the services of Opportunity Village," said Tim Kuniskis, President and CEO, Dodge and SRT Brands and Head of Fleet Operations, Chrysler Group LLC. "The VIN0001 muscle car was not only one of the hottest cars that rolled through the Barrett-Jackson auction lanes, it is also the ultimate collectible 2015 Dodge Challenger as Dodge is ensuring there will never be another one like it."

The one-of-one special edition 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, with a 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V-8 engine and 0001 vehicle identification number (VIN), has an NHRA-certified quarter-mile time of 10.8 seconds at 126 mph with drag radials, 707 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque on tap right from the assembly line. Adding to the exclusivity, the donated muscle car is the only Dodge Challenger to ever have a Viper-exclusive Stryker Red exterior - hand-painted at the Dodge Viper paint facility - and it includes special Hellcat badging on the instrument panel and supercharger, specific VIN documentation and one-of-a-kind memorabilia.

The 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat VIN0001 has a class-exclusive TorqueFlite eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission with rev-matching downshifts, 15.4-inch Brembo front disc brakes with two-piece rotors and six-piston calipers, the largest brakes ever offered by Chrysler Group and 20-by-9.5-inch lightweight matte black forged-aluminum wheels. It will have newly designed interior trimmed in premium Black Laguna leather on performance-oriented seats, a modern dash layout featuring the 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen and an authentic forged-aluminum supercharger plenum cover under the hood.

The auction package includes a 6.2-liter supercharger engine cover and a HEMI Orange painted base presentation box with a VIN0001 electronic vehicle build book and a video documentary on an iPad mini that shows the step-by-step build process of the car. The one-of-a-kind presentation box also includes still shots, vehicle footage, a customized key fob holder, an authentic Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat embossed Laguna Leather iPad sleeve, a SRT Hellcat lithograph and unique "birth certificate" for VIN0001. Additional information on the vehicle is available on the news feed page of www.driveSRT.com.

Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and several Chrysler Group dealerships, was the winning bidder at the auction.

The Engelstad Family Foundation was established in 2002 in honor of family patriarch Ralph Engelstad. Since then, the foundation has donated generously to the Las Vegas community.

"With 707 horsepower, the 2015 Dodge Hellcat is more than just the most powerful muscle car built by an American manufacturer," said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson Auction Company. "It is also the means to help countless people with severe intellectual and related disabilities reach their potential. We're honored that Dodge chose our 2014 Las Vegas auction to sell Hellcat VIN0001 to support Opportunity Village. Not only will the wonderful people at this organization benefit from the sale of this muscle car, but the winning bidder will own a truly amazing piece of American automotive history."

"We are so unbelievably thankful for the support of Dodge and Barrett-Jackson," Linda Smith, Associate Executive Director, Opportunity Village, stated. "We are touched by their amazing generosity and support of our mission here to support individuals with disabilities by giving them the chance to lead independent and fulfilling lives."

About the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company
Barrett-Jackson, The World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions™, was founded in Scottsdale, Ariz., in 1971. Its internationally renowned auctions are hosted in Scottsdale; Palm Beach, Fla.; Reno/Tahoe, Nev., and Las Vegas. The events feature hundreds of the world's most sought-after, unique and valuable vehicles where they cross the block in front of a global audience. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, and complete event information visit www.barrett-jackson.com or call (480) 421-6694. Barrett-Jackson can be found on Facebook or followed on Twitter @Barrett_Jackson.

About Opportunity Village
Opportunity Village (www.opportunityvillage.org)  is a not-for-profit organization that serves people within our community with significant intellectual disabilities, to improve their lives and the lives of their families. Opportunity Village was founded in 1954 by seven families who were determined to give their children with disabilities the best lives possible. Now, 60 years later, Opportunity Village is one of the most recognized and respected organizations of its type in the United States. Nevada's largest employer of people with disabilities, Opportunity Village serves nearly 3,000 individuals annually, providing vocational training, employment, habilitation and social recreation programs and services that make their lives more purposeful and interesting.

About Dodge
The Dodge brand is tearing into its centennial year as America's mainstream performance brand, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2014. With the purification of the brand and consolidation with SRT, Dodge is getting back to its performance roots with every single model it offers. The consolidated Dodge and SRT brands will offer a complete lineup of performance vehicles that stand out within their own segments. Dodge will be the "mainstream performance" brand within the Chrysler showroom. SRT will be positioned as the "ultimate performance" halo of the Dodge brand, together creating a complete and balanced performance brand with one vision and one voice.

From muscle cars to compact cars, minivans, crossovers and full-size SUVs, the Dodge brand's full lineup of 2015 models deliver best-in-class horsepower, class-exclusive technology, unmatched capability and a slew of cool features, such as LED headlamps, Dodge signature racetrack tail lamps, dual exhaust, 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment centers and 7-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) customizable gauge clusters, to name a few. For the 2015 model year, customers will be able to drive the new 2015 Dodge Charger and Challenger, as well as the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and Charger SRT Hellcat. The Dodge brand lineup also includes the 2015 Dodge Dart, Durango, Grand Caravan and Journey, including the new Crossroad model, and Dodge Viper.

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SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC