Newer Challengers are already collectible. This 2009 R/T with 24,000 original miles was for sale at the 2017 Jefferson, Wis., swap meet for $22,000.
The Dodge Challenger bowed 50 years ago, and though it has come and gone, it came back and is still with us today. The Gen I Challenger lasted only through the 1974 model year, but it still became one of the most famous muscle car nameplates in history. Collectors have sold some of the rarer Challenger models for six-figure prices. This article takes a close look at the 1970 Challenger and the desirable first-year models.
The Challenger shared Chrysler’s short-rear-deck, long-hood platform and “E” body with the third-generation Plymouth Barracuda, but the two had differences, too. The Dodge Challenger’s wheelbase was two-inches longer and it had more interior room.
The Dodge Challenger was originally offered as a two-door hardtop or convertible, in base, SE (Special Edition), R/T (Road/Track) and T/A (Trans-Am) trim. We are going to talk about some of the hotter model-options Dodge offered below. The full line up of 1970 engine options looked like this:
- 225-cid I6; 145 hp
- 318-cid V8; 230 hp
- 340-cid V8; 275 hp (290 hp in the T/A)
- 383-cid V8; 290 hp
- 383-cid V8; 330 hp
- 383-cid V8; 335 hp
- 426-cid HEMI V8; 425 hp
- 440-cid V8; 375 hp
- 440-cid V8; 390 hp
Driveline choices for various engines included Chrysler’s TorqueFlite automatic transmission and a three- or four-speed manual gearbox, which could be equipped with a Hurst “pistol-grip” shifter. Challengers with 383-440 or Hemi V8s could be ordered with a heavy-duty Dana 60 differential that included limited-slip.
To a large degree, the Challenger is the “pony car” that came to the party late (five years after Ford’s Mustang) so it was aimed primarily at the enthusiast buyer who was interested in how well the car performed. Even some of the Mopar paint colours said “performance.” They included Plum Crazy metallic purple and HEMI Orange, with “bumblebee” tail stripes that came up the rear fenders and over the deck lid. Challenger buyers could add twin-scooped hoods, “shaker” hoods and rear deck spoilers.
Last of the first-gen Challengers was the 1974 model seen here.
To promote the Challenger’s awesome options, it was seen at many road racing courses and drag strips. A limited-edition T/A version was released to the public in order to homologate that model and make it “legal” for Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Trans-Am racing. The T/A was one of the first production vehicles to offer different size tires in the front and back; size E60 x 15-in. front and G60 x 15-in at the rear.
Race driver Sam Posey piloted a ’70 Challenger backed by Ray Caldwell’s Autodynamics Race Shop. While he didn’t take any flags with the No. 77 car, Posey finished fourth overall in Trans-Am series points. Dick Landy and Ted Spehar drag-raced Challengers in the National Hot Rod Association’s (NHRA) new Pro Stock class. In 1970, the HEMI Challengers (along with their ‘Cuda cousins) just about ruled that class.
For the 1970 model year, just over 83,000 Dodge Challengers were sold. As promised, here are some detailed rundowns on three of the hottest Challengers:
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1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440
In writing about the ’70 Challenger R/T, Car Life magazine posed the unusual question, “What do you call a car with a 440 Six-Pack, four-on-the-floor, purple metallic paint and an urge to challenge the world? Genghis Grape?
The new-for-1970 Challenger was an answer to the Mustang, Camaro, Cougar, Firebird, Javelin and Barracuda. The sports compact came in three body styles: two-door hardtop, formal coupe and convertible. All featured a low, wide look with a full-width. The body sides had the familiar “Coke bottle” profile with raised rear fenders tapering at the tail end. Two large, rectangular tail lamps nearly filled the entire rear beauty panel.
For high-performance buffs, Dodge offered all three body styles in the Challenger R/T format. The terminology suggested “road and track” use of the car. The R/T package included everything on the base Challenger’s equipment list, plus a 383-cid V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, an electric clock, a Rallye gauge cluster for the instrument panel, front and rear Rallye suspension hardware with a sway bar, heavy-duty front and rear drum brakes, F70-14 fibreglass-belted black sidewall tires with raised white letters, longitudinal tape stripes or bumblebee stripes and special R/T exterior ornamentation.
The 440-cid Magnum V8 was an option for the R/T. The standard version of this overhead-valve V8 was a $250 option. A dual exhaust system with reverse-flow mufflers was standard. A 375-hp version of the 440-cid V8 with a hotter cam was $113 additional. There was also a “Six-Pack” version with three Holley two-barrel carburetors.
The taillamps ran almost fully across the rear of the 1970 Challenger.
Dodge built a total of 14,889 Challenger R/T two-door hardtops, which had a base price of $3,266. The formal hardtop listed for $3,498 and 3,979 were built. Naturally, the convertible was rarer. It had a $3,535 window sticker and a mere 1,070 were made.
The Challenger convertible with the 440-cid 375-hp V8 could move from 0-to-60 mph in 7.1 seconds according to Muscle Car Field Guide. The quarter mile got covered in 14.64 seconds with a terminal speed of 97.82 mph. The Hemi-powered version of the hardtop was even faster. It did the quarter mile in 14 seconds at 104 mph.
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1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger R/T
Car and Driver magazine once described the muscular Challenger as “Lavish execution with little or no thought towards practical application.” That really summed up the Hemi Challenger. Nobody needed such a car to get to work or run out for a pack of cigarettes. In the winter (maybe even in summer) you could burn out a set of rear tires without moving an inch. The Hemi Challenger was a race car. It was really fast! It didn’t even have to look pretty – but it did. That made it special in the muscle car market niche.
The Challenger was the last pony car to arrive. By the time it showed up, all pony cars had a big advantage over the early ones – there was space for a big-block V8. Challenger buyers could add a 375-hp 440-cid Magnum V8 to the R/T model for just $130.55 or they could get a 390-hp version for only $249.55 more. For those who wanted maximum performance, the Street Hemi was also available for $778.75 extra.
Hemi production included 287 hardtops (137 with four-speeds), 60 SE hardtops (23 with four-speeds) and nine convertibles (five with four-speeds). All Hemi Challengers were R/Ts. They could do the quarter mile in 14 seconds at 104 mph. And during the week, you could get to work on time or make a very fast run to pick up eggs and milk!
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1970 Dodge Challenger T/A
The 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A was a kissing cousin to the Plymouth AAR Barracuda. Unfortunately, the “fish car” usually sees more of the limelight than its Dodge counterpart. The Challenger T/A was a fast machine that got up to 60 mph in six seconds.
“Wild and woolly” describes the ‘70 Challenger T/A Sport Coupe. Chrysler let Dodge make 2,500 of them. The idea was to build enough to meet the requirements for racing the new Dodge pony car in SCCA’s Trans-American Sedan Championship series.
The Trans-Am was a competitive venue for small-block-V8-powered two-door hardtops and two-door sedans (coupes). Chrysler’s Pete Hutchinson used a de-stroked 340-cid V8 block as the basis for a competition coupe that ran a small 305-cid V8, but cranked out 440 hp. Ray Caldwell—who worked for Autodynamics—built the aforementioned Challenger T/A that Sam Posey drove to fourth place in the SCCA standings.
Street-ready T/As had the same snorkel-type hood scoop, side-exit exhausts and lock-pin-secured flat-black hood as all-out racing cars, but if you raised the hood you could see differences in the engine bay. The street version carried special underhood goodies including a 340-cid “Six-Pack” V8 with three two-barrel carburetors. Buyers had a choice of TorqueFlite automatic transmission or a four-speed manual gearbox.
’70 Challengers with TorqueFlite automatic had this shifter and console.
A ducktail deck lid spoiler was in the T/A package, along with heavy-duty underpinnings and a Sure-Grip differential. Performance axle ratios, semi-metallic front disc brakes, semi-metallic rear drum brakes, a specific black side stripe and mixed size tires were included. To get clearance for the dual exhaust system pipes with the fat rear tires, T/As were “jacked up” in the rear through the use of increased rear spring camber.
T/As were good for 0-60 mph in six seconds. They could do 100 mph in 14 sec. and the quarter mile in 14.5 sec. An eight-page ad in Hot Rod magazine’s October 1970 issue showed a yellow and black 1971 Challenger T/A. However, no production-type Challenger T/As were made by Dodge in 1971. The model was available only in 1970.
1970 DODGE CHALLENGER V-8s
Dodge Challenger base V8
Overhead valve. Cast iron block. Bore and stroke: 3.91 x 3.31 inches. Displacement: 318 cid. Compression ratio: 8.80:1. Brake hp: 230 at 4,400 rpm. Taxable hp: 48.90. Torque: 320 at 2,000 rpm. Five main bearings. Hydraulic valve lifters. Crankcase capacity: 4 qt. (Add 1 qt. for new filter). Cooling system capacity: 16 qt. (with heater). Carburetor: Carter BBD-4721-S two-barrel
Dodge Challenger optional V8
Overhead valve. Cast iron block. Displacement: 340 cid. Bore and stroke: 4.04 x 3.31 inches. Displacement: 340 cid. Compression ratio: 10.5:1. Brake hp: 275 at 5,000 rpm. (290 hp in the Challenger T/A). Taxable hp: 52.20. Torque: 340 at 3,200 rpm. Five main bearings. Hydraulic valve lifters. Crankcase capacity: 4 qt. (Add 1 qt. for new filter). Cooling system capacity: 16 qt. (with heater). Carburetor: Carter Thermo-Quad AVS-4933-S four-barrel.
Dodge Challenger optional V8
Overhead valve. Cast iron block. Displacement: 383 cid. Bore and stroke: 4.25 x 3.38 inches. Compression ratio: 8.70:1. Brake hp: 290 at 4400 rpm. Taxable hp: 57.80. Torque: 390 at 2,800 rpm. Five main bearings. Hydraulic valve lifters. Crankcase capacity: 4 qt. (Add 1 qt. for new filter). Cooling system capacity: 16 qt. (with heater). Carburetor: Carter BBD-4613-S two-barrel.
Dodge Challenger R/T optional V8
Overhead valve. Cast iron block. Displacement: 383 cid. Bore and stroke: 4.25 x 3.38 inches. Compression ratio: 9.50:1. Brake hp: 330 at 5000 rpm. Taxable hp: 57.80. Torque: 425 at 3,200 rpm. Five main bearings. Hydraulic valve lifters. Crankcase capacity: 4 qt. (Add 1 qt. for new filter). Cooling system capacity: 16 qt. (with heater). Carburetor: Carter AVS-4376-S four-barrel.
A Challenger with the air cleaner removed from the 440 Six-Pack V8.
Dodge Challenger optional high-performance V8
Overhead valve. Cast iron block. Displacement: 383 cid. Bore and stroke: 4.25 x 3.38 inches. Compression ratio: 9.50:1. Brake hp: 335 at 5,200 rpm. Taxable hp: 57.80. Torque: 425 at 3,400 rpm. Five main bearings. Hydraulic valve lifters. Crankcase capacity: 4 qt. (Add 1 qt. for new filter). Cooling system capacity: 16 qt. (with heater). Carburetor: Carter AVS-4376-S four-barrel.
Dodge Challenger R/T optional V8
Overhead valve. Cast iron block. Bore and stroke: 4.32 x 3.75 inches. Displacement: 440 cid. Compression ratio: 9.70:1. Brake hp: 375 at 4,600 rpm. Taxable hp: 59.70. Torque: 480 at 2,800 rpm. Five main bearings. Hydraulic valve lifters. Crankcase capacity: 4 qt. (Add 1 qt. for new filter). Cooling system capacity: 15.5 qt. (with heater). Carburetor: Carter AVS-4737-S four-barrel.
Dodge Challenger R/T optional “6-Pak” V8
Overhead valve. Cast iron block. Bore and stroke: 4.32 x 3.75 inches. Displacement: 440 cid. Compression ratio: 10.50:1. Brake hp: 390 at 4,700 rpm. Taxable hp: 59.70. Torque: 490 at 3,200 rpm. Five main bearings. Hydraulic valve lifters. Crankcase capacity: 4 qt. (Add 1 qt. for new filter). Cooling system capacity: 15.5 qt. (with heater). Carburetor: three Holley two-barrel.
Dodge Challenger R/T optional “Street Hemi” V8
Overhead valve with hemispherical segment combustion chambers. Cast iron block. Displacement: 426 cid. Bore and stroke: 4.25 x 3.75 inches. Compression ratio: 10.20:1. Brake hp: 425 at 5,000 rpm. Taxable hp: 57.80. Torque: 490 at 4,000 rpm. Five main bearings. Hydraulic valve lifters. Crankcase capacity: 6 qt. (Add 1 qt. for new filter). Cooling system capacity: 15.5 qt. (with heater). Carburetor: Two Carter AFB 3084-S four-barrel.
