Coming up for auction later this month in Scottsdale, Arizona is this 1971 Dodge Hemi Challenger R/T. With its "Coke-bottle" styling and famous Hemi V8 with 425hp, the Challenger has continued to be a favorite for muscle car enthusiasts. Even with the reborn model today, Dodge managed to successfully replicate the original's main styling traits into a modern package. But this particular 1971 Challenger is unique for a few reasons. For starters, it was only one of 71 Hemi Challenger R/T's built that year.
Additionally, it was one of just 12 R/T's that same year that was originally equipped with the legendary Code E-74 426 Hemi V8 and four-speed manual transmission along with the Code A34 "Super Track Pack" and "Shaker" hood options. Upon leaving the assembly plant, it was shipped to "Mr. Norm's" now legendary Grand-Spaulding Dodge dealership in Chicago, Illinois. This Chrysler dealership was known as one of the first high-performance new car dealers in the country and was even one of the first to set up a high-performance parts department.
The car's original owner, who was trading in a 1969 Super Bee, requested that Mr. Norm and his crew upgrade the Challenger with a Stage III dyno-tune, plus exhaust headers, aluminum wheels and a lightweight fiberglass lift-off hood. In a matter of months, not surprisingly, about 5,200 miles were accumulated. The next owner immediately recognized how special the car was when he bought it in late 1971. He then had the car coated in WD-40 and then proceeded to put it in storage for the next 35 years. Jumping ahead to 2006, it was purchased by a muscle car collector who only had to give it a simple cleaning and basic tune-up.
He only had to replace the tires, wheels, and R/T stripes to bring it back to its original state. Since then, the Challenger has made several classic car show appearances and appeared in multiple car publications. And now RM Auctions is offering it on January 20th and they estimate it will bring in between $300,000 - $475,000. It even comes with all of its original Chrysler and Grand-Spaulding Dodge paperwork. Without question, this is one of the most valuable and special classic Challenger R/T's still in existence. Photos courtsey of RM Auctions.