While it joined the compact car market right on time with the Dart, Dodge was a bit late to the pony car market and didn’t introduce the Challenger until late 1969. But the Challenger entered the market with a bang, selling almost 77,000 units in its first year on the market.
Come 2022, the 1970 Challenger is an easy-to-find classic overall, but some versions are rare and expensive. With only 356 units sold, the HEMI is arguably the rarest, followed by the 440 six-barrel version, produced in 2,035 examples. Next up, there was the T/A, a homologation special, built in 2,399 units.
But that’s not to say that all of the remaining variants are very common. While the numbers remain high when talking about engine options, they become much lower when certain features are taken into account. For instance, while the 383-powered Challenger may seem very common at 12,281 units built, only 2,522 of them came with the Special Edition package.
And we can narrow it down even more. Because while the majority of Challenger SE ponies left the factory with the two-barrel version of the 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) V8, rated at 290 horsepower, only 644 examples had the four-barrel carburetor, which increased output to 330 horses.
Not rare enough for you? Well, the Challenger SE you’re looking at is even rarer than that, simply because it was originally finished in Plum Crazy. How many cars were painted in this High Impact color, you ask?
Chrysler didn’t keep specific records, but since it offered quite a few hues in 1970, we’re probably looking at fewer than 50 examples.
But it’s not just the low production output that makes this Challenger SE stand out. It’s also a numbers-matching classic that still relies on its original 383-cubic-inch V8 and the 727 automatic gearbox. And even though it looks like it just came out of a barn, this Mopar still runs and drives.
Make no mistake, it’s still a project car that needs a lot of work to turn heads, but the fact that it still runs and drives makes it easier and more affordable to restore. On top of that, it still includes most of its original components and comes with “a ton of spare parts.”
The seller doesn’t provide info on the car’s past, but he does say that he purchased it in this condition to restore. He didn’t get to work on it, and now the warehouse he’s keeping it in is being sold, so the Mopar has to go (alongside seven other classic cars).
If you’re in the market for a rare and nice project car, this Challenger SE is being auctioned off by eBay seller “florida*usa*wholesale*cars.”
