Introduced in 1969, the Dodge Challenger arrived a bit late to the muscle car party, spending only a couple of years with high-performance big-block mills under the hood. But that was enough to establish itself as a golden muscle car era classic.
Dodge sold 76,935 Challengers in the nameplate's first year in showrooms, making it relatively common. However, specific versions are hard to come by and change hands for six-figure sums at public auctions. The HEMI variant is arguably the rarest and most expensive, with only 356 made (including nine convertibles).
Cars equipped with the 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB are also difficult to find. Dodge delivered 3,840 units fitted with the four-barrel unit and 2,035 examples powered by the Six-Pack version. There's also the Challenger T/A, an SCCA homologation special that saw daylight in only 2,399 units.
But it's not just the drivetrain layout that makes a 1970 Challenger rare. Dodge also offered a couple of optional packages back in the day. One was the R/T bundle focused on performance, and the other was the SE package that included extra brightwork and a vinyl roof with a smaller rear window. The company sold 18,512 R/Ts and almost 10,000 cars equipped with the SE package, but only 3,753 were ordered with both simultaneously.
Not surprisingly, the HEMI R/T SE is the rarest at only 60 units, while 296 cars had the 440+6 V8. The list is rounded off by 875 examples with the 440 RB and 2,522 vehicles fitted with the 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) big-block. All of them are highly sought-after by Mopar collectors nowadays. The Medium Blue Metallic (EB7) rig you see here is one of those cars. And it's a trickster, too, thanks to an under-the-hood upgrade.
A wonderfully restored example, this Challenger left the factory with the 383 V8, but the entry-level R/T-spec engine is no longer spinning the rear wheels. It was replaced by the second-most powerful mill available at the time, the 440 Six-Pack. It was rated at 390 horsepower from the factory, exactly 55 more than the 383.
Topped by a trio of Holley carburetors and a TTI ceramic-coated header, the engine reportedly cranks out about 470 horsepower. Not only significantly more than the factory 440-6, but this V8 also packs more punch than the 426 HEMI, which came with 425 horsepower on tap. And needless to say, it sounds just as enticing.
But the engine is not the only upgrade worth mentioning. The Challenger also boasts a shaker hood and air cleaner, an Alcantara headliner, and an overhead console with warning lights for low fuel, seat belts, and doors. Other than that, it's all-original and impressively clean.
The V8 mates to a three-speed automatic transmission, which makes it one of 2,076 383 R/T SE cars fitted with such a gearbox. Too bad it's not an original 440-6 rig because it would be notably rarer at just 161 examples sold. But even so, it's a decidedly cool muscle car. And because it doesn't have a numbers-matching drivetrain, it's not as expensive as its all-original siblings. Specifically, this car is looking for a new owner in the Netherlands for €89,750 (about $98,610 as of July 2023).
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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