Unbelievably, the rag top with a leaning tower of Mopar power beneath the hood is one of the rarest variations of the first-year Challenger. In a converted production total of less than three thousand units, the V8s sold almost seven to one more than the Sixes. It makes sense, in my opinion, given that the sleek E-body and the tiny, 30°-to-the-right inline six-piston engine weren’t exactly a match made in Detroit.
First, let’s clear the air about that confusing (and possibly infuriating) statement in the title: the car in this story is a HEMI – and the callouts on the shaker hood leave no room for error on the displacement argument. The engine under said air-grabbing air filter cover is the real deal hemispherical-heads 426 cubic-inch (7.0 liters) powerplant. But it’s not the dual quads that send gas to the dome-shaped combustion chambers; four throttle bodies have replaced the eight-Venturi fuel-and-air mixer.
However, the soft-top Dodge was born as a blue-collared Slant-Six, one of just 378 made in the Challenger’s inaugural year. But let’s call it what it is – you can’t sport a muscle-car-confronting nameplate like ‘Challenger’ and bring 225-cube (3.7-liter) six-pot to a big-block gunfight. Hence, a very limited production slot was allocated to the small, economical, cheap-to-maintain, and tough-as-nails leaning one-tire-fire engine.
All kidding aside, the 225 inline-six was a strong, dependable engine that outlasted the automobiles it was installed in with little need for maintenance. However, the name Challenger was too grandiose, and six pistons was insufficient. Ultimately, the E-body was purposefully engineered to endure any of Mother Mopar’s blocks, ranging from the 440 Magnum found in the Dodge Challenger to the 198 Slant-Six found in the Plymouth Barracuda.
A convertible HEMI would be among the rarest factory-built E-body Dodges in 1970, with nine units assembled at Hamtramck, Michigan, for the model year. The closest a car nut could get to that unicorn stud would be – without knocking at the front doors of Fort Knox – to build one. OK, excellent plan, but said gearhead would need a car to start building on. And, since the convertible Challengers are relatively low in numbers, it’s hard to believe someone would willingly sacrifice a V8 over an I6 to convert it into a HEMI.
The car in our story started as a 225 I6 with a three-on-the-floor manual. The engine currently residing between the front fenders is a date-correct Gen-II HEMI mated to the coveted four-speed manual transmission and a Dana 60 rear. True to the Mopar creed of ‘high-impact color for muscle power,’ the Light Green Metallic original paint has been veiled by the current shade of purple. Better known to gearheads as ‘Plum Crazy,’ the shade was available as an optional extra for the Dodge. In Plymouth’s catalogs, it was known as In-Violet.
This fuelie of a HEMI Challenger (pardon the expression, GM and Chrysler loyalists) also proceeded to roll Mother Earth under its wheels, wearing green vinyl bucket seats and a white power convertible top. During a conversion work, it respawned as the 426, with a black interior, black top, a Shaker hood scoop, power steering, and dual exhaust.
The half-breed Challenger did come from the factory with power brakes, but the fronts received discs instead of drums and a heavy-duty front sway bar. To fully honor the performance ranks of the Challengers of 1970, this tribute born from a humble Six was decorated with the Road/Track medals of distinction. Black longitudinal stripes, a center console sporting the Pistol Grip Hurst shifter, the Go-Wing-style rear spoiler, hood hold-down pins, high-torque starter, Flowmaster dual exhausts with cross pipe, and R/T exhaust tips.
The car was the highlight of three previous auctions, in 2016, 2018, and 2022, but it only sold for $84,700 at the Mecum Indy 2018. Not bad for a clone with a family secret about Slant-Six, is it? The woodgrain steering wheel is proudly positioned in front of an instruments cluster that includes an 8,000-RPM tachometer, an electric clock, a multifunction gauge, and a 150 mph speedometer—all of which are reportedly original to the car that was used as a body donor. This arrangement pays homage to the R/T emblem and its Scat Pack pledge of allegiance.
Below the radio are the aftermarket Stewart-Warner gauges for oil pressure, battery voltage, and water temperature. The odometer shows 43,614 miles (70,175 km) at this time, but the exact mileage is not known. The current owner has put about 700 miles (1,126 km) on the vehicle since it was purchased. The car’s lowered suspension allows it to sit slightly lower than a bone-stock Challenger in its typical posture, as seen in the photos and the accompanying video.