From the Moon to the Racetrack: the Motown Missile Challenger story returns with a new film and Complete Collector Edition

What does the Moon have to do with Pro Stock? The new Motown Missile campaign answers with sourced history rather than slogans. BUILT TO RACE. BUILT TO ADVANCE.

In the 1960s, Chrysler's Space Division developed and built the first stage of the Saturn IB rocket used on early Apollo missions.^[S]

That aerospace expertise also reached Chrysler's racing effort. Ron Killen, an aerospace electronics engineer from Huntsville, moved to Chrysler's Race Division to work on data analysis for NASCAR and Pro Stock.^[K]

The Motown Missile Challenger was part of that story. Period reporting in Hot Rod (January 1972) described it as an engineering test bed, with findings fed to other Chrysler team cars. It was a race car, a development car, and a place to test what came next.^[H]

The owner-supplied booklet describes a 426 dual-plug HEMI, specialized ignition and induction, an aluminum A-833 four-speed and a Dana 60, with a lightened body and chassis and aerodynamic development. These are historical descriptions attributable to the booklet, not a current inspection or authentication.^{[B pp.4–11]}

The campaign launches with Launch Control — The Vision Film, a 105-second narrated cinematic interpretation, and the 40-page Complete Collector Edition 2.0, readable online and as a PDF at motownmissile.com/collector-book, which includes the full 25-page owner booklet. A shorter 14-page Quick Campaign Edition remains available at motownmissile.com/flipbook?edition=quick. The astronaut, craft and space scenes in the film are fictional brand storytelling, not historical footage.

The car, a black Dodge Challenger Pro Stock car with broad yellow billboard lettering, is presented by its current custodian, Arnie Klann. It is being prepared for a private-auction presentation tentatively planned for Q1 2027. The auction partner and date are not yet confirmed. RACING HISTORY. YOUR NEXT CHAPTER.^[P]

Sources

[S] Stellantis corporate history

Stellantis blog, 22 July 2019: Chrysler's Space Division developed and built the Saturn IB first stage for early Apollo missions.

[K] Ron Killen seminar account

East13 Pro Stock Missile Seminar transcript: firsthand account of Killen's move from Huntsville aerospace electronics to Chrysler Race Division data analysis.

[H] Hot Rod, January 1972

Period reporting describing the Challenger as an engineering test bed whose findings went to other Chrysler team cars.

[B] Owner-supplied booklet (Proof 10)

Owner-supplied PROOF 10 — Motown Missile Booklet Design, 25 pages. Original file bytes are not held by this website; historical descriptions are attributable to the booklet and are not a current inspection.

[P] Project sale status

Live sale configuration on /auction-details, inspected 30 September 2026. Auction house, official date, lot and terms unconfirmed.

Media contact

About Motown Missile. Motown Missile is the digital archive and collector-engagement project for the black-and-yellow Dodge Pro Stock Challenger presented by current custodian Arnie Klann. Its purpose is to connect the car's history, available sources and next-custodian process. The project is seller-led; it is not an auction house or independent authentication service.

RECEIVE CONFIRMED AUCTION DETAILS WHEN AVAILABLE.

Private auction targeted for Q1 2027 — tentative. Auction partner to be announced; exact date to be confirmed. Leave your details and the team will reply personally. This is not a bid or an auction registration.