It took Dodge six years to develop a true pony car, and by 1970 the market was already dominated by Ford’s Mustang and Cougar, and GM’s Camaro and Firebird. But to many collectors, the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T will always be the ultimate American muscle car. Back in the day, Dodge sold the car by appealing to “special men who develop an almost spiritual attachment to their cars.” Nowadays, a tricked out Challenger can go for well into seven figures… apparently, the spiritual attachment abides.

The R/T stands for Road/Track, and was the performance model of the Challenger line. Two inches longer than its cousin, the Barracuda’s new E-body, the car included all standard Challenger features, with a few improvements. There were also dual Carter AFB carburetors, front and rear Rallye suspension with sway bar, a Rallye instrument cluster, the famed longitudinal “Bumblebee” stripes, and an electric clock. In such a crowded, cresting market, Dodge went to the mats to offer tons of options, including a choice of four engines. The underrated Street Hemi 426 V8 cost an extra $779. It’s hard to believe that there were only 287 of the 1970 Hemi coupes produced. History has weighed in on the Street Hemi, and it is now regarded as the most reliable, cool-sounding and valuable power plant of the Muscle Car Era.

When Jay first saw the Challenger R/T on the cover of “Car and Driver” when he was twenty years old, he knew he had to have it in the original Hemi Orange, even if it the gas gauge ticked down at the same rate as the electric clock. It’s loud, it’s noisy, it doesn’t stop or go around corners so good, build quality isn’t the greatest, but at the time of its debut, it was simply the fastest, coolest car on the road. Pure horsepower cures a lot of ills.

Although the Challenger was well received by the public, it was panned by the automotive press, and the looming gas crisis was already sending the pony car market into decline. Despite Challenger sales of 80,000 in its first year, the performance of post-1971 models declined, and production ceased in 1974. The good news? Due to a passionate response to a concept prototype, Dodge is reviving the Challenger after a 35-year hiatus. Pony up and get ready to roll in early 2008!.