When it comes to 1970 Dodge Challengers, many say it doesn’t get better than a HEMI-powered R/T in pristine condition. Well, it can get much better if the Mopar in question is a low-mileage and unrestored time capsule. Like the HEMI Orange example you see here.
Shipped new to a dealer in Davenport, Iowa, this Challenger R/T has been with the same owner for a whopping 51 years. But get this: he didn’t drive it until 1972. That’s when the car was parked with minor damage to the front fascia and did not re-emerge until almost 50 years later.
And not only did it return into the light in stunning and highly original condition (except for left-side headlamps and front bumper, of course), but it also showed just 6,341 miles (10,205 km) on the odometer. Incredible doesn’t even begin to describe it!
It’s not your average 1970 Challenger R/T, either. This Mopar left the assembly line with the mighty 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI V8 under the hood. The first-year Challenger was quite popular, with nearly 77,000 units delivered, but the HEMI V8 wasn’t due to high insurance costs. Only 356 units were ordered with the range-topping mill, which accounts for less than 0.5% of the total production.
Of these, nine were convertibles, and 60 units also had the Special Edition (SE) package. This leaves us with 287 HEMI hardtops. If we also factor in the four-speed manual transmission, this Challenger is one of only 137 made. Naturally, both the 426 HEMI and the four-speed gearbox are numbers-matching.
The video below shows the R/T a couple of days after it came out of storage. Since it was parked in 1972 and spent 49 years off the road, simple math suggests it was uncovered in 2021. I have no idea why our host took three years to publish this video, but it’s an important part of the vehicle’s documentation. The Challenger has since been fixed with OEM parts that the first owner had from the 1970s.
It was also discovered that the fender tag included the “Y13” code, which means it was ordered new as a dealer demonstrator. The Challenger has many documents to prove its rare status, including the original window sticker, the broadcast sheet, and a report by Mopar expert Dave Wise.
The second owner attempted to sell the HEMI-powered Challenger in 2022. The muscle car crossed the block at Mecum’s Indy 2022 auction but failed to sell despite a $325,000 bid. The Challenger hit the auction block again in October 2022, changing hands for a whopping $502,000.
This figure makes it the second-most expensive 1970 Dodge Challenger ever auctioned. It’s second only to the legendary “Black Ghost” car, which went under the hammer for $975,000. Interestingly enough, this HEMI Orange hardtop fetched notably more bucks than convertibles and SE-equipped hardtops, which are rarer. I guess that’s proof collectors prefer low-mileage and unrestored rigs.