Scalpers Who Paid $250,000 Over Sticker For A Dodge Demon 170 Are Now Upside Down After A Barely Driven One Sold For $129,000 Against A $124,046 Window Sticker

When the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 arrived in late 2023, some buyers did not care about its 1,025 horsepower. They cared about what it might be worth in a few years. Now the numbers are in, and many of them are underwater.

An orange and black muscle car parked in a field.

A delivery-mileage example recently sold for $129,000, barely above its original $124,046 window sticker. The numbers were laid out by CarBuzz.

Dealers Tagged $250,000 On Top Of A $96,666 Sticker Price

The Demon 170 was the perfect target for speculators. It showed up after the factory shutdowns and chip shortage, when dealer markups and tight supply were the norm.

It was a 1,025-horsepower muscle car on an iconic nameplate, and only 3,301 were planned. Dealers were selling it for supercar money, adding a $250,000 markup on top of a $96,666 MSRP.

Dodge tried to curb the behavior, but collectors were still willing to pay, convinced they were buying a piece of muscle car history that could only go up.

Scalping Is Not New, But This One Got Wild

Buyers and dealers have flipped limited-production cars for decades. In the 1980s, the highly limited Buick GNX drew big “market adjustments” from dealers, and the same went for the C4 Corvette at launch and for the F40 and the 959.

The early 2020s brought another boom. Pandemic factory shutdowns and chip shortages cut production, and demand outpaced supply. Buyers paid 35% over list for Ford Broncos, 45% extra for a Kia EV6 and 82% above MSRP for a Civic Type R.

The king of markups was the Challenger, which commanded around 300% above list in some extreme cases.

Ten At Auction, Over 20 Asking At Least $200,000

At Mecum’s 37th Spring Classic Auction in 2024, no fewer than 10 Demon 170s were offered for sale. Seven of them sold for roughly $60,000 to $80,000 above MSRP.

Private listings were wilder. In March 2024, three Demon 170s were listed at more than $300,000, and over 20 had prices north of $200,000.

At that snapshot in time, close to 1% of the entire production run was for sale at 200 to 300% of MSRP, within six months of the car reaching showrooms. A 501-mile example was even spotted at $399,999.

Too Many Sellers Chasing The Same Buyers

Some scalpers believed they had a smart plan. Wait for used supply to dry up, then sell into a tighter market.

It did not work. The bubble burst, and cars bought at huge markups are now worth far closer to their original sticker prices.

CarBuzz’s explanation is that so many people bought for the same reason. At one point in 2024, a single seller had five delivery-mileage examples listed at between $160,000 and $180,000. When a big share of the 3,301 cars are sitting with delivery miles, they are no longer special. They are run-of-the-mill.

The 8-Mile Demon That Sold For $129,000

The clearest example is an 8-mile Demon 170 that sold in May 2026 on Bring a Trailer. Its window sticker shows a total retail price of $124,046, and it sold for $129,000.

Once you factor in storage, servicing and inflation, the original owner lost money on the deal. The yellow scuff guards are still in place, and protective film still covers certain interior panels, which the outlet reads as signs of a speculative bet.

Two commenters noted that they also own examples they bought to keep “as new.” With the market down, those cars will sit in pristine condition awaiting their day to shine.

Can Automakers Stop Scalpers?

CarBuzz says automakers do not like this behavior. While it is tricky to stop completely, more measures are being put in place to make sure specialist models go to genuine enthusiasts rather than to people chasing a quick profit.

The outlet adds that such rules might put some buyers off, but with models this limited and desirable, automakers are unlikely to struggle to find another customer, which is why the practices are generally successful.

Three Choices For Owners Who Paid Too Much

CarBuzz sees three options for people holding upside-down Demons.

Keep it wrapped as delivered and wait to see whether the market flips back in their favor.
Sell and take a significant six-figure loss, but free up the cash.
Rip off the wrapper, fill it with premium and go embarrass a few lesser muscle cars on the drag strip.

The outlet’s advice is the third. Driving a heavily depreciated Demon 170 will be a lot more fun than looking at one in a garage year after year.

What Every Buyer Should Take From This

If you are thinking about paying far over sticker for a limited-edition car, remember that a rare car is only rare if few are being kept off the road. Ask yourself whether you would still be happy owning it if it never gained a dollar.

Check recent sold prices, not asking prices, and compare dealer markups with real auction results. The best protection against a bad deal is buying a car you want to drive.

For the scalpers who paid $250,000 over sticker, the Demon turned out to be a lesson. For anyone who simply loves a 1,025-horsepower muscle car, it may be the cheapest it has ever been.

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