'The Intimidator' meets 'The Intimidator'
WC Scene
Newton, North Carolina (May 23, 1998)

When "The Intimidator" and "The Intimidator" got together, the situation was bound to be - what else? - intimidating.

Chevrolet has designed a show car it calls The Intimidator, which will be very similar to the production 1999 Monte Carlo model.  On May 18, Chevrolet officials dedicated the car to Dale Earnhardt, the man for whom it was named.

The dedication ceremony occurred at Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet in Newton, N.C., where the car was on display through May 21.

The show car has a plaque under the hood honoring Earnhardt and Louie Chevrolet, the founder of General Motors company.

"The development of this car is dedicated to Louis Chevrolet for the racing spirit that he gave to the Chevrolet brand and to Dale Earnhardt for continuing his winning tradition," the plaque reads.

"That's a heckuva honor," Earnhardt said in front of about 100 fans at his Chevrolet dealership.  "To have a car that is built and named after you, The Intimidator, is pretty intimidating."

The Intimidator show car is patterned after Chevrolet's racing Monte Carlo and includes such race trim as side exhaust pipes, a rear spoiler, safety role bars, a fire extinguisher and even Goodyear racing tires.

Earnhardt has been heavily involved in the marketing and promotion of the car and is credited with being a special consultant in its development.

He attended auto shows in Detroit, Chicago and other areas of the country to help promote the car.

"We went up and introduced it at the Detroit Auto Show and that was just awesome," Earnhardt said.  "...To have it brought down to Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet in Newton, N.C., and have it displayed is another pretty awesome feat, because this car has been some pretty notable places, like Detroit and New York and everywhere else.  To have it hear in our showroom is a pretty big honor."

The only problem with The Intimidator is that it is red and not black, like Earnhardt's No. 3 Winston Cup car.

"When we decided black wouldn't work, we had three about seconds to decide what the color would be and the only thing that comes forward at the time is the red bowtie, so we said let's make it red and call it "bowtie red."

In helping promote Chevrolet, and sell cars at his own dealership, Earnhardt did not waste an opportunity to take a shot at rival Ford.

"The cars Chevrolet builds to race is the car you can buy on this lot out here and drive around," he said.  "It's not a fictional car that is built from a four-door that you can rent at the airport."