Photo: Mecum Auctions
Introduced in 1970, the first-generation Dodge Challenger spent only a couple of years on the muscle car market. Sure, the nameplate remained in showrooms through 1974 but lost the high-compression V8 engines in 1971. Despite its short stint in the performance segment, the Challenger is now among the most desirable icons from the era.
What turned it into a legendary rig? Well, there are quite a few things worth mentioning. For starters, the Challenger was quite the looker. It was also available in Chrysler's scrumptious High-Impact color palette. And it was also sold with the company's most intimidating big-block V8 powerplants.
The lineup included both the 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB and the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI. The former came in four- or six-barrel carburetor setups, generating 375 and 390 horsepower, respectively. The range-topping HEMI hit the pavement with a whopping 425 horsepower. Scarcity is yet another factor.
Sure, the 1970 Challenger is not a rare classic vehicle overall. Dodge sold nearly 77,000 units that year. However, the most desirable V8 engines are also the rarest. The mighty 426 HEMI is the undisputed champion here, with only 356 examples built. This figure includes 287 hardtops, 60 cars also equipped with the Special Edition (SE) package, and just nine (!) convertibles.
However, the 1970 Challenger doesn't have to hide a HEMI under the hood to boast about three-digit production numbers. The drop-top version, for instance, is rare in almost any drivetrain configuration and the scarcest R/T out there.
Dodge sold only 3,884 convertibles that year, and just 963 were ordered in R/T trim. As I mentioned before, nine were fitted with the 426 HEMI. The 440-6 RB found its way into 99 examples, while the four-barrel 440 powered 163 convertibles. Finally, 692 buyers went with the standard (for the R/T trim) 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) V8. The orange drop-top you see here is one of those cars.
If 692 units aren't rare enough for you, this Challenger is actually scarcer because only 554 were equipped with the automatic transmission. That number should drop dramatically if we also factor in the HEMI Orange paint, white interior, and the trunk lid luggage rack, but such statistics remain a mystery outside a Galen V. Govier report. But that doesn't really matter because this Challenger is also a museum-grade gem.
A recent restoration with just 527 miles (848 km) on the odometer, the drop-top popped up for sale looking stunning inside and out and with a numbers-matching 383 V8 under the hood. There's no information on how original it actually is apart from the powerplant, but this HEMI Orange Mopar will turn heads at any classic car event.
If you want to see it up close and bid on it, it's scheduled to go under the hammer at Mecum's Florida Summer Special 2024 on July 13. Do you think it will fetch more than $100,000?
The lineup included both the 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB and the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI. The former came in four- or six-barrel carburetor setups, generating 375 and 390 horsepower, respectively. The range-topping HEMI hit the pavement with a whopping 425 horsepower. Scarcity is yet another factor.
Sure, the 1970 Challenger is not a rare classic vehicle overall. Dodge sold nearly 77,000 units that year. However, the most desirable V8 engines are also the rarest. The mighty 426 HEMI is the undisputed champion here, with only 356 examples built. This figure includes 287 hardtops, 60 cars also equipped with the Special Edition (SE) package, and just nine (!) convertibles.
However, the 1970 Challenger doesn't have to hide a HEMI under the hood to boast about three-digit production numbers. The drop-top version, for instance, is rare in almost any drivetrain configuration and the scarcest R/T out there.
Dodge sold only 3,884 convertibles that year, and just 963 were ordered in R/T trim. As I mentioned before, nine were fitted with the 426 HEMI. The 440-6 RB found its way into 99 examples, while the four-barrel 440 powered 163 convertibles. Finally, 692 buyers went with the standard (for the R/T trim) 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) V8. The orange drop-top you see here is one of those cars.
If 692 units aren't rare enough for you, this Challenger is actually scarcer because only 554 were equipped with the automatic transmission. That number should drop dramatically if we also factor in the HEMI Orange paint, white interior, and the trunk lid luggage rack, but such statistics remain a mystery outside a Galen V. Govier report. But that doesn't really matter because this Challenger is also a museum-grade gem.
A recent restoration with just 527 miles (848 km) on the odometer, the drop-top popped up for sale looking stunning inside and out and with a numbers-matching 383 V8 under the hood. There's no information on how original it actually is apart from the powerplant, but this HEMI Orange Mopar will turn heads at any classic car event.
If you want to see it up close and bid on it, it's scheduled to go under the hammer at Mecum's Florida Summer Special 2024 on July 13. Do you think it will fetch more than $100,000?
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