Of the 3,000 classic cars at Mecum’s 2023 Spring auction in Indy, the sale of the 1970 Plymouth Cuda Rapid Transit System (RTS) Show Car was the car that created the most excitement.  With a final price of $2,200,000, it sold for three times its pre-sale estimate.  Probably no one was more surprised than its builder, Chuck Miller who later said he was left speechless.  It was a long way from the first car he customized in 1961, a 1950 Ford Coupe when he was 18.  Even his prestigious win of the Ridler Cup in 1968 for the C-cab Ford Fire Truck may not have prepared him for the crowd’s reaction to the RTS Cuda sale.  What a thrill ride!

It’s a safe bet you’ve seen some of his other handy work but had no idea these customs were Chuck Miller originals.  Fortunately, we got a chance to talk to Chuck at the Mecum auction the day after the RTS Cuda sale.  In the below video, he tells us about how he helped shape the car-crazy ‘60s and ’70s, and what it meant to see the renewed interest in one of his favorites Builds.

The Rapid Transit Show Cars

1970

1970 RTS Cuda

1971

More Cars Built and Customized by Chuck Miller

1969 Hurst Olds

For more on the 2023 Mecum auction in Indy click here.

For more on Steven Juliano estate sale in which other Rapid Transit Cars were sold click here.

For more about the top custom award shows, including the Detroit Autorama, home of the Ridler, click here.