• Last Call Hellcat lost value after a costly convertible conversion.
  • The owner paid $25,999 to remove the roof from the coupe.
  • The supercharged 6.2 liter V8 was left completely untouched.

Once a headline act among muscle cars, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Jailbreak has always carried a certain mythos. Big power, brash styling, and an unapologetic personality made it a modern icon. So when someone decides to slice the roof off a near-new example, it’s bound to get attention. Turns out, it also took a serious bite out of its resale value.

Read: A Topless Demon 170 Is Just Asking For Trouble

This particular 2023 model recently popped up on Bring a Trailer, showing just 2,800 miles (4,500 km) on the odometer. As one of Dodge’s Last Call editions, it was part of the farewell tour for the Challenger before the model was retired.

Originally delivered with a sticker price of $83,838, it rolled off the lot as a fully intact coupe, powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 producing 717 horsepower and 656 lb-ft of torque. Then someone thought it should become a convertible.

He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson

BaT

To make the transformation happen, the car was sent to DropTop Customs in High Springs, Florida, where the top was removed and replaced with a powered soft roof for a conversion fee of $25,999. That brings the total cost, including the donor car, to just under $110,000.

Oddly enough, the result doesn’t look half-baked. The Challenger’s long, flat silhouette lends itself surprisingly well to a convertible layout. Had Dodge ever built one from the factory, it probably wouldn’t have looked far off.

He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson

BaT

However, it doesn’t seem as though anyone was willing to pay anywhere near the amount that has been invested in this Challenger. In fact, it sold for just $73,000. This was also the seller’s second attempt to get a decent sum for the car, as it was also listed through BaT in November, but in that auction, bidding topped out at just $70,500 without meeting reserve.

While we do not doubt that the convertible version allows occupants to enjoy the sounds of the thumping 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 even more than the hardtop, there’s no telling how the conversion has negatively impacted the dynamics of the car, but it can’t have done it any favors.

He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson
He Spent $110K On A Convertible Challenger And Learned A Costly Lesson

BaT

To be fair, there’s no denying the entertainment value of that 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 when the roof is down. If anything, the sound is even more intoxicating in open air. But while it may enhance the auditory experience, there’s no telling how the conversion has negatively impacted the dynamics of the car, but it can’t have done it any favors.

Whatever the reality, the uncertainty alone seems to have turned off potential buyers. As the final minutes ticked down on the auction, the seller left a comment lamenting the low price, claiming the car “should be a lot closer to 100k!” The market, however, clearly had other ideas.