In 1970, the Big Three had several muscle cars in dealerships. Dodge, which was selling the Charger and the Super Bee, decided it needed a new rig to slot below between the B-body rigs and the Dart. The Challenger was born as the last vehicle to join the golden era.
The first-gen model remained in production through 1974, but only the first two model years are considered fully-fledged muscle cars. That’s because Chrysler discontinued all its high-compression V8 engines in 1971. Come 2024, 1970-1971 Challenger R/Ts, which came with big-block power under the hood, are among the most desirable vehicles of the muscle car era.
Dodge sold 23,404 R/T units, about 22.5% of the total production in 1970 and 1971. This figure also includes 1,078 Challengers equipped with the 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) V8, which became an option on the R/T in 1971. This leaves us with 22,326 big-block cars, a relatively high number for a classic car.
But even though Dodge rolled out more than 20K high-performance Challengers over two model years, you won’t see many of them on the road or at car shows today. While some were restored and show up at various events, most of these Mopars still await a second chance. The red example you see here is one of those Challengers that got lucky.
Now a stunning classic that looks flawless inside and out, this Challenger lived a somewhat rough life until the late 2010s. Rear-ended in 1978, the hardtop changed owners with improper repairs and spent a lot of time in storage. By the time the third and current owner bought it, the Challenger had only 37,500 miles (57,454 km) on the odometer but needed a lot of work.
Upon discovering that the V8 engine was numbers-matching, the new owner decided to take the car apart and give it a nut-and-bolt restoration. He saved most of the original parts, including the trim, several body panels, and the rear seat. The 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) also soldiered on with many original components still in place. Hence, the owner decided to rebuild the top and keep the bottom, which was still in good condition.
After more than two years, Bill put the car back together and refinished it in the original FE5 Bright Red paint. It’s not the most desirable 1970 Challenger hue out there, but it’s a color we don’t see on many E-body cars from the era.
The four-barrel 440 V8 under the hood makes this Challenger a relatively rare sight. Of the 18,512 R/Ts sold in 1970, only 3,840 were specified with the Magnum engine. This number includes 163 convertibles and 875 SE versions, leaving only 2,802 R/T hardtops. Of those, only 1,886 also got the automatic gearbox like this Challenger.
Granted, it’s not as scarce as the HEMI and 440-6 iterations of the same car, but this Mopar is a museum-grade gem that deserves your attention. Find out more about it in the video below.