Dodge introduced the Challenger to the muscle car game for the 1970 model year as a direct response to the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. Dodge built a total of 83,032 Challengers in the 1970 model year, but only 19,938 of those were the R/T model.
There are plenty of Challenger fanatics in the collector car world and we’ve had the pleasure of driving a 1970 Challenger ourselves, although it was equipped with the 340 cubic inch V8, so we get the attraction. Here you can see what it’s like behind the wheel of a 1970 Dodge Challenger:
The Challenger R/T included all the standard features of the model, as well as an electric clock, a 383 cubic inch V8 as its base engine, a Rallye cluster instrument panel, front and rear Rallye suspension, and heavy-duty drum brakes.
Optional engines included two versions of the 440 cubic inch Magnum V8, the first producing 350 horsepower while the upgraded one produced 375 horsepower. The 440 “Six-Pack” was also available which put out 390 horsepower. The highest-end engine option was the 426 cubic inch “Street Hemi” V8 which pushed a shocking 425 horsepower to the rear wheels.
This specific 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T for sale at Mecum in Kansas City has a numbers-matching 440 Magnum V8 paired to an automatic transmission. It also features air conditioning and power windows, not to mention the wonderful Plum Crazy paint.
The thing that makes this specific Challenger stand out to us is the documentation. The car includes its original window sticker and original registration as well as a well-documented ownership history. It’s because of this documentation that we know this car cost, not included a destination charge, $5,063.20 and it appears to have been delivered in December of ’69.
What's this Challenger Worth?
If this car didn’t have all the documentation that you can find on Mecum’s listing, we’d estimate this to be worth $50,000, give or take. But considering how well documented the ownership history is, along with the original window sticker for car that’s nearly 52 years old, this may well pull in enough bids to land north of $55,000 on the block.