Introduced for the 1970 model year, the original Dodge Challenger was short-lived, being retired at the end of 1974. However, four years were enough for it to become an iconic nameplate. More than 50 years later and the first-generation Challenger is also a sought-after collectible.
With total production at almost 77,000 units, the 1970 Challenger is far from rare overall. Still, some versions are tricky to find nowadays. The HEMI variant is arguably the rarest at 356 examples made, including 60 cars fitted with the Special Edition package and only nine convertibles. The latter is rare in 440 and 440+6 guises, too, with only 163 and 99 units sold, respectively.
Conversely, the non-R/T cars are far more accessible, with about 56,000 units built. Interestingly enough, the base six-cylinder version is rarer at a little more than 10,000 examples. This leaves the non-R/T V8 cars as the most common, at 45,367 units. The list includes Challengers fitted with 318-, 340-, and two-barrel 383-cubic-inch (5.2, 5.6, 6.3-liter) mills.
Unfortunately, there’s no production breakdown for each engine, so models fitted with them are usually considered mundane. But it’s not always like that because some of these cars came with options that turned out to be rare. Like the Dark Burnt Orange example you see here, which carries the A66 340 Performance Package.
Available with the four-barrel version of the 340-cubic-inch V8 (less potent than the 3×2-barrel offered in the Challenger T/A), the bundle came with goodies such as Rallye wheels, heavy-duty brakes and suspension, wheel lip molding delete, and an R/T Performance hood. It’s basically an R/T-like Challenger without a big-block engine.
So how rare are these A66-equipped Mopars? There are no specific figures to run by, but word has it only a few thousand units were ordered like this. But that’s not the only thing that makes this Challenger rare. It’s the fact that it’s a very early A66 Performance Package model, a piece of info determined by the “340 four-barrel” decal on the hood.
You see, Dodge changed the decal to a metal badge after a few months, and the guy who restored this car claims it’s a super-rare feature. Moreover, this Challenger was also fitted with a locking gas cap, yet another rare option from the 1970 model year. Too bad there are no records to determine how scarce this specific configuration is, but we’re looking at fewer than ten units if we also include the color.
Rare features aside, this Challenger is also one of the very few classic muscle cars that have been in the same family since new. And as you might have already guessed, it got a rotisserie restoration a few years back. But it’s still very original, down to numbers-matching body panels and drivetrain components. It’s also proof that a Mopar doesn’t necessarily need a 426 HEMI to stand out.