All the hot-rodder fans know what importance Dragula holds. May 27, 1965, is a day no hot-rodder fan would ever forget. An episode of The Munsters was aired, and things were never the same. The performances of Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, and Al Lewis were amazing, but it was Dragula – the coffin-cum-rail car, that stole the limelight and made everyone’s imagination go wild.

The Episode

The stunning car was built by George Barris of Barris Kustom Industries, especially for the show, but no one expected it to get so much attention. In this particular episode, number 36 of the show, the car was built by Grandpa, played by Al Lewis, after Herman (Gwyne) loses the family car in a race. The Dragula was a way for Herman to win back his family car.

The Story of Dragula

This coffin-looking car was made of actual fiberglass. The radiator of the car was designed to give it a small brass coffin look. The oldest version of this car was first kept in Planet Hollywood in Atlantic City and was later moved to Volo Auto Museum in Volo, IL. Later, many versions of the original were made and are in different cities around the country. One of the best replicas is expected to be auctioned at Mecum’s Monetary 2022. It’s believed that just like the original model, the Mecum Dragula has a 350-hp 289 Ford Windsor small-block with a vintage Edelbrock X-F8 dual-quad intake. The valve covers, rear end, and exhaust pipes are all designed the same way as the original.

Barris Kustom Industries

Barris Kustom Industries have been in the business for a long time and is a known name when people talk about the Dragulas. They carefully designed the replicas and maintained the beauty and the exterior of the original. Mecum is the third replica made by Barris and was given away as a reward to an old lady in Florida on Halloween. After the giveaway, it eloped and returned one fine day at Montville. There are so many details of this replica that are finely designed and worth paying attention to.

Different Versions of the Dragula

The third replica may have been the talk of the town recently, but the others are worth mentioning too. Be it the Galpin Ford Dragula Replica, Comic-Con Dragula, or Alex and Dennis Taylor’s Dragula, all the replicas are one of their kind. Every design has been delicately and precisely made and is inspired by the original in one way or another.

When the Dodge Scat Pack debuted in 2015, the name Scat Pack was already ingrained in Mopar culture. Dodge coined the term “Scat Pack” in 1968 to refer to a group of high-performance automobiles capable of running the quarter-mile in less than 15 seconds—a remarkable feat for any muscle car of the era.

The Scat Pack History

These Mopar muscle cars were derived from a variety of Dodge product lines, including the tiny A-Body models such as the Dodge Dart GTS and Dodge Swinger 340, the mid-sized B-Body models such as the Coronet R/T, Super Bee, and Dodge Charger R/T, and the ponycar category with the Challenger R/T.

The second generation of Scat Packs debuted in 2015, together with the paradigm-shifting 707-hp Hellcat Hemi Challenger. The 392ci Hemi-equipped Dodge Scat Pack Challenger and Charger would be the successors to the SRT 392 Challenger (2011-2018) and Charger (2012-2018), which would fade quietly from view despite the SRT 392’s superior brake package, more aggressive tire footprint, and flatter high-speed handling.

According to many, the loss of the SRT 392 was compensated for by the introduction of SRT’s Hellcat-powered variants, but as we’ll see, the plain-Jane 392 SRTs have a growing used-car value.

The Dodge SRT 392, Scat Pack’s Precursor

Even though the 2011-2018 SRT 392 Challenger and Charger’s digital footprints have been mostly neglected by the internet, this evaluation of the Scat Pack 392’s predecessor is nonetheless informative. SRT was entrusted with creating the 470-horsepower 392ci “Apache” Hemi to replace the 425-horsepower 6.1-liter Hemi that was only available in SRT vehicles from 2008 to 2010. It’s widely agreed that the 2015-present Dodge Scat Pack’s most distinguishing feature is a 392ci Apache Hemi.

Known as Apache, Chrysler’s third-generation 392 Hemi V-8 engine offered larger displacement and improved flow cylinder heads, eventually spawning the workhorse 392 BGE Hemi (2014) and Hellcat Hemi V-8s specific to the Ram line of vehicles (2015). When the Apache 392 debuted in the Dodge Scat Pack Charger and Challenger in 2015, it produced 485 horsepower.

Price?

The price differential between the underachieving SRT 392 and the overachieving 392 Hemi-powered Dodge Scat Pack Charger and Challenger was a major factor in their appeal. To reduce the price of a Dodge SRT 392 Hemi equipped with Brembo six-piston calipers, Nappa leather interior, 900-watt Harman-Kardon sound system, and Bilstein adaptive dampers, it is necessary to remove these things. Scat Pack Charger’s MSRP was $40,990 in 2015, whereas the base price of the SRT 392 Charger was $48,380. This is a $7,390 price difference between the two models.