The 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A (Trans Am) was a special edition of the Challenger that was built to compete in the Sports Car Club of America’s Trans American Sedan Championship (hence the “T/A” in the car’s name). It was powered by a high-performance 340 cubic inch V8 engine that produced 290 horsepower, and it came equipped with a number of performance-enhancing features such as a close-ratio four-speed manual transmission, a dual exhaust system, and a special high-flow exhaust manifold.
The T/A also featured a distinctive “matador red” paint job with black hood stripes, and it came with a fiberglass shaker hood scoop that was designed to improve the car’s airflow and engine cooling. Overall, the 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A was a formidable muscle car that was capable of impressive performance on the track.
The HEMI version is the one that gets a lot more attention and the bigger bucks at public auctions. And that’s not only because it’s the most powerful Challenger at 425 horsepower. The HEMI is also a very rare bird. For instance, Dodge sold only 356 of them in 1970.
The 440-equipped cars are also hard to find. Yes, Dodge built 2,035 of them for the 1970 model year, but many got lost on the way and unrestored, unmolested examples are scarce and quite expensive. But there’s a third 1970 Challenger version that’s worth collecting and it’s just as rare as the 440.
The owner explains why the factory paint still looks gorgeous apart from a few chips and some patina and why the car is still original from bumper to bumper. Yup, this includes the 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) V8 and the four-speed manual gearbox. The latter, by the way, turns this T/A into a one-of-989 gem. The Challenger T/A failed to win any races in the 1970 Trans Am championship dominated by the Ford Mustang but scored three podiums. Dodge finished the season in the fourth position, behind Ford, AMC, and Chevrolet.