Dodge

Trying to imagine a Dodge being worth over a million dollars can be a bit of a stretch, but this is no ordinary Dodge. This was the very first car to wear the iconic Charger nameplate, the first to hold the famous Hemi V8 engine, and stands as a one-of-a-kind concept car. And it's going up for auction.

Built in 1964, the Dodge Hemi Charger concept showcased the Detroit automaker's headline engine – all 600 race-bred horsepower of it – in a chopped-down speedster body that forecasted the production model that followed. The last time it went up for auction in 2007, it sold for $1.1 million. And with values for 60s muscle cars going up all the time, it's anyone's guess what it will trade for this time when RM Auctions brings it to the block at the Arizona Biltmore on January 20.

It's been a good run for the Dodge Viper. The all-American supercar gave Chrysler its reputation for putting its show-stopping show-cars into production back in 1992. Unfortunately those days are behind the troubled automaker, and that means the Viper is going the way of the do-do. But not before it's racked up some serious accomplishments, the most recent of which was claiming the fastest lap time at the venerable Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, one of the most challenging circuits in the world.

After setting a record 1 minute, 33 second lap time around Laguna Seca, Dodge announced it would create a special-edition American Club Racer, and that ultimate Viper just debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Dodge Viper ACR 1:33 Edition gets a special paint scheme, revised aerodynamics and revised gearing, making this a fitting tribute to the sportscar that put Dodge on the map. Unfortunately only 10 examples will be produced, all of which have undoubtedly been spoken for by now. But you can see more in the gallery below.

A mysterious pearl necklace that may have once belonged to Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, will be auctioned off by Bonhams in New York in December. Automotive billionaire Horace Elgin Dodge purchased the necklace from Cartier in Paris in 1920 for his wife Anna Thomson Dodge at the astonishing price of $825,000 - about $8 million in today's dollars.

The original Cartier invoice states that the "five row pearl necklace, consisting of 389 pearls weighing 4305 grains" was accompanied by an "enamel clasp representing Catherine, Empress of Russia" and "two diamond alternate clasps." Several newspaper accounts from the '20s suggested that the pearls did indeed once belong to Catherine; Anna Thomson Dodge's heirs maintain that Horace bought the pearls from Cartier on that basis.

Now reduced to three strands comprised of 224 pearls and two Cartier diamond clasps, the necklace (above) is estimated at $500,000- $700,000 - a hefty sum, to be sure, but far less than Horace originally paid. The reason for the depreciation has less to do with the reduction in strands than with changing fashion and an evolving jewelry marketplace.

In 1920, before the advent of cultured pearls, they were exceedingly rare and valuable, much more so than diamonds. Nowadays pearls have become more commonplace while diamonds are more precious, though a true connoisseur recognizes the value of the Dodge necklace, which is made of all natural pearls.

It's one thing to coordinate your belt with your shoes, but your car with your helicopter? Oh yeah.

In every great sports car there's the heart of a flying machine, and the owner of Northwest Helicopters certainly seems to think his Viper and Huey are kindred spirits. While looking for an eye-catching paint color for his helicopter for an upcoming show, he decided the best thing around was the "Viper Racing Yellow" on his new yellow Viper SRT/10 coupe. Throw some silver stripes in the mix and you've got one very pricey matched set, complete with aluminum wheels, satellite radio, and mounted M60-D cannon.

Now, what shoes to wear?