Image via Barrett-Jackson
All eyes were on the legendary Cha Cha Nova when it crossed the auction block at Barrett-Jackson 2025 in Scottsdale. By the time the hammer fell, the winning bid was a whopping $803,000 proving the car is as iconic as many had anticipated. Since it’s a new build, this was its first market test.
A new museum exhibit honors Ken Block’s legacy.
The 1969 Chevy Nova lovingly called Cha Cha was built as a homage to Shirley Muldowney, a legendary female drag racer who also goes by Cha Cha and is often called the First Lady of Drag Racing.
To create a car worthy of the legend’s name, this was given a Chevrolet Performance ZZ632 big block V8 with 1,004-horsepower on tap. Added to that is a Hogan’s Racing custom intake manifold plus a Motion Raceworks ICON throttle body. On the fuel side, a Rick’s Tanks custom stainless fuel system has been added with dual pumps to feed the beast.
Handling all that power is a Tremec Magnum 6-speed manual transmission, which feeds into a 4-inch aluminum driveshaft.
Of course, with plenty of power needs to come even more control or it’s really good for nothing. That’s why this build includes a Speedtech Performance Extreme subframe. Added to that is an Extreme High Mount independent rear suspension plus Baer 14-inch 6-piston brakes.
Some of the body elements are custom-made carbon-fiber pieces. Muldowney’s own color palette with Switchblade Silver, Royal Amethyst, and Sparkling Berry provide a strong visual statement for the exterior.
Red River Customs did the custom interior using leather upholstery with pink and nickel stitching, plus laser etching of the names of the drag strips Muldowney won during her illustrious career. You’ll also note the steering wheel, which was made by Billet Specialties. In a modern twist, the two gauge clusters are digital screens, an interesting move for a Nova build.
All those attentions to detail in tribute to Muldowney turned into a bidding war and quite the final bid.
Images via Barrett-Jackson
