The first-generation Dodge Challenger arrived a bit late to the muscle car party, but it came through the door with a bang. Available in various High Impact colors and with an impressive range of powerful V8 engines, the Challenger had a solid maiden year on the market, moving almost 77,000 examples.
More than 50 years later and 1970-model-year Challengers are as desirable as classic muscle cars get. And while the base six-cylinder cars and the ones fitted with the 318-cubic-inch (5.2-liter) can still be had for decent prices, some trims are known to break the bank, especially in well-maintained, unrestored condition.
Challengers fitted with the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) Hemi V8 are arguably the most desirable and expensive. That's because not only the Hemi engine itself was powerful and rare, but also because Dodge also built just 356 Challengers with this mill in 1970.
Next in line in terms of rarity (but also power) is the Challenger equipped with the six-pack version of the 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) V8. Dodge built 2,035 of them. Then there's the Challenger T/A, produced only in hard-top form and in 2,399 examples. The Mopar you're about to see below is one of them, but it's actually one of 989 examples that rolled of the assembly line.
That's because the 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) V8 engine that was exclusive to this trim mates to a four-speed manual transmission. Of the 2,399 T/As built that year, only 989 were fitted with a manual. And unlike the Hemi and the R/T, the T/A was exclusive to the 1970 model year, so this production figure remains locked in place no matter how you look at it.
What makes the Challenger T/A special you ask? Well, it was designed as a homologation car for the Trans-Am series. That's why it was fitted with the 340 V8, the engine used by the race-spec Challenger. But while the race cars were equipped with destroked 340s, the street coupes, which weren't subject to Trans-Am restrictions, got a trio of two-barrel carburetors atop an aluminum intake manifold.
The six-pack version of the 340 was thus rated at 290 horsepower, giving Dodge a solid competitor for track-prepped rivals like the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 and Ford Mustang Boss 302.
A rare gem anyway you look at it, this Challenger T/A is perhaps one of the finest unrestored survivors out there. Yes, it may look like a top-notch restoration from a distance, but this Mopar still rocks its original factory paint. Take a closer look and you'll notice some chips and patina on the paint and some wear and tear inside the cabin, but it's a fantastic muscle car that likely spent many years indoors.
Speaking of which, it has only 63,000 miles (101,390 km) on the odo, a low figure for a car that's more than 50 years old. And on top of that, the numbers-matching 340 V8 runs like new and sounds incredible. Check it all 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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