1962 Dodge Polara 500 Hides Ultra-Rare Surprise Under the Hood

Introduced on street cars in 1966, the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) Hemi V8 was restricted to midsize vehicles. In 1965, Dodge returned the Polara to full-size duty, so customers couldn't order the car with the 425-horsepower dual-quad mill. But the Polara had already tasted high-horsepower action from 1962 to 1964.

As an intermediate vehicle, the second-gen Polara was among the very few Mopars that were available with the Max Wedge V8 engine. Essentially a spiritual predecessor to the Hemi, the Max Wedge was also born as a race-spec engine. And from 1962 to 1964, it found its way into a series of limited-edition factory dragsters that were also road legal.

The RB-block-based Max Wedge debuted in 1962 as a 413-cubic-inch (6.8-liter) powerplant. It was rated at 410 horsepower with 11.0:1 compression and 420 with 13.5:1 compression. In 1963, Chrysler increased displacement to 426 cubic inches (identical to the yet-to-be-born Hemi). 

The larger mill delivered slightly more oomph. The racing increased to 415 horsepower with 11.0:1 compression and 425 horsepower with 13.5:1 compression. The latter figure made the Max Wedge as potent as the Hemi. In 1964, output remained unchanged for the Max Wedge's final year on the market.

The jury is still out on exactly how many Dodges and Plymouths were equipped with these engines, but most experts agree that only a few hundred examples were produced each year. The 1962 Polara 500 you see here, for instance, is among the scarcest. That's because records show only 12 were fitted with the 413 Max Wedge V8.

That number drops even lower if we also factor in the compression ratio and gearbox. Specifically, the paperwork says it's one of only five equipped with the 410-horsepower version of the engine (11.0:1 compression) and the three-speed manual gearbox. I think that's low enough to call this Mopar an ultra-rare classic.

And that's not the only feat worth mentioning. According to the ad, this Polara 500 is also a low-mileage gem. The clock shows only 10,110 actual and "title verified" miles (16,270 km). This could mean that the car spent its early years at the drag strip, and it was then locked up in storage. But it could also be one of those vehicles that had been babied since it was new.

It's not an unrestored survivor, though. The Mopar was restored in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Both the paint and the two-tone (white and blue) interior are period correct, so it's safe to say the car was restored to original specifications. It still has a 413 Max Wedge V8 under the hood, but there's no info on whether it's numbers-matching.

But needless to say, it's a fine-looking classic and an unassuming sleeper. It's also a sleeper when it comes to pricing. While Hemi-powered Mopars fetch six-figure sums, this Max Wedge is for sale at $74,995. Is this a good deal for a low-mileage Polara from the golden muscle car era?