'79 Magnum GT. Images: eBay Motors

As everyone knows, high-performance cars and the late-‘70s aren’t often said in the same sentence together. After the EPA and CAFÉ regulations had their way with our beloved muscle cars in the early part of that decade, we were basically left with underpowered, overweight, image cars that merely handled and stopped slightly better than the ones we drove just ten years earlier. It was considered to be the Dark Ages to those of us who remembered the days where we could stroll into a new car dealership and order up a factory 13-second on the spot.

Most of the names that made a huge impact on the streets and on the track had either gone away completely, or were left as merely a shadow of their former selves.

Big blocks were replaced with big bumpers, and hood scoops and racing stripes gave way to opera windows and “rich Corinthian leather” interiors. A classic case in point is the Dodge Magnum XE of ’78-’79.

Being built as a replacement for the Charger (which it had initially shared much of its styling with), the Magnum was designed with a much more aerodynamic front end that utilized wrap-around corner lights, and retractable headlight covers – something that would go on to be a staple of ‘80s-car cosmetics.

These changes were intended to help the NASCAR boys win a few more races on Sunday so the Pentastar brand could move more metal on Monday.

The Magnum wasn’t a huge success in the showroom, but there happens to be quite a cult following for the cars today, as clubs and other organizations have sprouted up all over the world to prolong the B-body’s legacy.

They were only built for two model years, but were only available with V8 engines (ranging anywhere from a 318 2BBL to a 400 4BBL, depending on year), and could be had in hardtop, t-top, or sunroof body styles.

Our readers know how we love to browse the eBay auctions, so when we found this immaculate ’79 GT model we felt compelled to throw it your way.

Apart from the available leather interior, it’s apparently a fully-optioned example, sporting the Grand Touring package, as well as the power sunroof option, the top of the range for ’79 360 4BBL (195hp), and even the FM stereo/cassette/CB radio head unit.

The interesting thing about the radio found in this car is that unlike other cars of the era (such as the Camaro and Firebird) that were available with a CB radio, is the fact that the antenna used in the Magnum was indeed the same unit for both the CB and the stereo itself.

Reading about this particular car’s history reveals that it has only had three owners, and went under a repaint in 2001. Other than that, the Dodge remains factory correct and original and only sports just over 42k miles on the odometer, and with the GT package, it gives the new owner a unique and muscular-looking car to take to their local cruise night. It might not set the road on fire, but it will definitely get a lot of attention from people of all ages not exactly sure what they’re looking at.