This Classic Dodge Challenger R/T Is More Valuable Than A New One

Oct. 11, 2020 7:30 PM ET by Aaron Brzozowski Auctions / 14 Comments

The classic car market is on fire.

The original Dodge Challenger was Chrysler's gift to the pony car-loving community, with sharp, chiseled looks, a choice of both coupe and convertible bodystyles, and an assortment of powerplant options including a range of different V8s. All the same, it was far from a best-seller in the segment when it launched for 1970s, moving just 77k units - not even half the number of Ford Mustangs sold that year.

That rarity relative to the other big pony cars of the day is part of what makes the first-generation Dodge Challenger such a highly collectible car - which brings us to this example, listed on collector car auction site Bring A Trailer, with a high bid in six-figure territory.

Granted, this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T is an especially well-kempt numbers-matching car, and represents one of just 287 hard-top 426 Hemi R/T models built for 1970. It wears a fetching Bright Blue Metallic paint job with matching blue wheels featuring "dog dish" hub caps, and from the paint to the exterior chrome accents, from the supple black vinyl interior to the engine bay, everything looks remarkably clean and intact - as it should, considering the car counts just 63k miles on the odometer. Even the undercarriage looks just about spotless.

As of this writing, the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T has a high bid of $100k even, with 3 days left on the auction.

$100k puts this classic American pony car just above the base MSRP of a brand new 2021 Porsche 911 Carrera, and a full $20k ahead of the 2020 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye - the 797-horsepower supercharged phenom that essentially splits the difference between the Hellcat and the limited-run 808-horsepower SRT Demon drag racer.

If you ask us, that's money well spent - assuming you have the means. After all, they're not exactly making new 1970 Dodge Challengers, and as cars grow increasingly bloated, insulated, and digitized with each passing year, the simple, analog experience achieved by cars like the first-generation Dodge Challenger becomes ever-more essential.