Dodge Challenger from Mecum is One of the World’s Rarest
Dodge Challenger R/T is the only one built for 1970 with a Hemi and a sunroof.
If you were to ask a group of muscle car enthusiasts to list the most important models from the 1970s, the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi would almost be mentioned. While Dodge had a handful of Hemi-powered monsters in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the 1970 Challenger R/T is arguably the most famous of them all. This is the kind of car that muscle car fans dream of owning and right now, Mecum has one available for purchase on the company website.
More importantly, this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi has everything else that a collector wants, including a factory feature that makes it a true one-of-one. In addition to all of the high-performance options that could be added to a 1970 Hemi Challenger, this car was the only Hemi-powered Dodge E-body sold that year with a sunroof.
The 1970 Hemi Challenger
All 1970 Dodge Challengers are desirable collectibles, but with just 356 made, those units with the 426-cubic inch Hemi have always been the hottest option on the market. Whether buying a car from a private owner or an auction, the 426 Hemi adds a tremendous amount of value to a classic car, but the “elephant engine” also adds more wow-factor than any American V8. When you pop open the hood at a car show, you are sure to draw a crowd of folks who want to see those huge valve covers with the spark plugs poking up through the middle.
Of course, in addition to wowing the car show crowd, the 426-cubic inch Hemi was the most powerful engine option for any of the classic Dodge muscle cars. Laughably rated at 425 horsepower, these cars were nearly impossible to beat when they were new and today, they provide an awe-inspiring driving experience. That is especially true when the Hemi is mated to a manual transmission, which is one of the features of the Challenger R/T shown here.
In short, this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi is the pinnacle of classic Mopar muscle, with all of the features that you want to see in a car like this.
The Key Details
This 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi was the final restoration project by legendary Mopar collector Steve Juliano. It was restored from the ground up using original and new-old-stock components. All of the original sheet metal and all of the original drivetrain components were preserved, so this car is, of course, a numbers-matching machine. As you can see, it is finished in Hemi Orange with a black vinyl roof, white interior, and the ASC-installed factory sunroof option.
In addition to the 426-cubic inch Hemi and the 4-speed manual transmission, this Dodge Challenger R/T has a plethora of key options. On the outside, this Challenger R/T features a 4.10 Dana rear differential, power steering, power brakes, F60-15 Polyglass tires, Rallye wheels, chrome mirrors, chrome bumper guards and the locking flip-top fuel cap. It also has a trunk-mounted luggage rack with a unique piece of luggage, complete with a bunch of cool era-correct stickers.
On the inside, it showcases white leather bucket seats, a center console, the original dash, a rim-blow steering wheel, the pedal dress-up kit, an 8-track player and same floor mats that were laid in the car when it rolled off of the assembly line.
In short, whoever ordered this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi checked just about every box at the dealership. Some might prefer the automatic transmission, but other than that, this classic Mopar muscle car is completely loaded. As for the manual transmission, that just makes it more fun to drive.
This 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi is currently available for purchase from Mecum, but there is no pricing listed. We imagine that this is a case of “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it”, but for those of us window shopping right now, this is truly a dream car in better-than-new condition.
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