Launched for the 1970 model year, the first-generation Dodge Challenger arrived a bit late to the muscle car party. But the E-body Mopar was a big hit in its first year in showrooms, moving almost 77,000 units, about 12,000 more than its Plymouth twin, the Barracuda.
Come 2023, and the first-year Dodge Challenger is not considered a rare classic. However, this only applied to the nameplate as a whole. Some versions of the Challenger are downright hard to find nowadays, especially if you're hunting unrestored and unmolested examples.
What makes a 1970 Challenger rare? Well, the engine is one of the most critical factors. The 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI, for instance, was fitted in only 356 examples. The 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB is also rare, with 3,840 four-barrel units and 2,035 cars equipped with the "Six Pack" version. The T/A model, powered by a six-barrel 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) V8, saw daylight in only 2,399 examples.
Regarding body styles, the convertible is much rarer than the hardtop. Of the 76,935 cars sold on US soil in 1970, only 3,884 were specified as drop-tops. And just 963 were also ordered with the R/T package.
Speaking of packages, there's also the SE, which added a vinyl roof, a smaller rear window, leather and vinyl bucket seats, and an overhead cabin console. This bundle was ordered on only 3,753 R/T cars. The HEMI-powered R/T SE combo is arguably the most desirable at only 60 built. However, any Challenger featuring both packages is rare and sought after, especially if the car in question is an unrestored survivor. The blue-on-blue example you see here is one of those cars.
Spotted at a local Mopar meeting in Dubuque, Iowa, this 1970 Challenger R/T SE is not only 100% original and unrestored but also a car that spent a whopping 30 years in hiding. It recently came out of long-term storage, it has only 25,000 miles (40,234 km) on the clock, and everything but the tires are factory original. And don't let the fact that it's incomplete fool you: the engine, hood insulation, and carpets are all in storage, safe and sound.
There's no word whether the V8 mill, which is currently on a stand, is getting restored or not, but it's a numbers-matching powerplant and still mates to the correct four-speed manual. It's not one of those super-rare HEMIs, but it's the next best thing because this Challenger rocks a six-barrel version of the 440 RB. And it's pretty rare, too, as the "Six Pack" was ordered on only 296 R/T SE cars. Moreover, the four-speed manual setup makes it one of only 135 examples.
The blue-on-blue color combo is also quite scarce. I don't have specific numbers to run by, but you won't see too many like this nowadays. And if we factor in the drivetrain, the blue color, and the white top, we're probably looking at a survivor that's most likely a one-of-one. A classic that's probably worth more than a quarter million bucks with the drivetrain in place. Check it out in the video below.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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