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| | View more photos Chassis Num: JS27U0B173027 |
The 1970 Dodge Challenger 440 R/T Convertible with black power top, black accent stripes, and sublime green colors was offered for sale at the 2006 Worldwide Group Auction held on Hilton Head Island. It was expected to sell between $250,000-$325,000. It was the fourteenth four-barrel convertible ever built and one of just 163 constructed. It is believed that only 44 exist in modern times. When new, it sold for $5,103.40 which included almost every option that could be ordered. It comes equipped with power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, power top, cruise control, deluxe trim pedals, door jams, luggage rack, bumper guards, and eight-track stereo. At the conclusion of the auction, this vehicle was sold at $159,500.
| | View more photos Chassis Num: #77 |
Driven By: Sam Posey
Built By: Ray Caldwells Autodynamics
Engine: 303 Cubic-inch 460 horsepower (Destroked 340)
Weight: 3200 lbs
Street Car Challenger T/A
1970 Best Finishes
- 3rd Lime Rock driven by Sam Posey
- 3rd Road America driven by Sam Posey
- 3rd Kent driven by Sam Posey
Finished fourth in points with Sam Posey as the driver in the 1970 Trans-Am Championship
In the Trans-Am Series, teams would 'acid dip' the race cars to etch away metal, thus making the car lighter. At Laguna Seca, the first race of the season, the challenger team was last in line for technical inspection. Since all the factories were participating in 1970 the first inspection of the year was highly detailed. After the Challenger had passed tech inspection and was accepted, the team offered John Taminus, the chief technical inspector, a beer. John rested his elbow on the roof of the car and it dimpled in (from too much time in the acid bath). When that happened he told them that they could not run the car until the roof was replaced. Within an hour of that incident, the Challenger team had received permission from Dodge and torched the roof of a Challenger that was sitting on a dealer's showroom floor in downtown Monterey.
| | View more photos R/T Series Hardtop |
In 1968 Dodge began creating prototypes for the Challenger. Designs had been created since 1965 and by the middle of 1969 Dodge was producing the Challenger, complete with nine engines to select. The base engine was the slant six with the top of the line engine being the 426 Hemi. Along with the engine choices, there were various body-styles, optional equipment, and interior/exterior colors. Dodge offered both a hardtop and convertible version. The platform had been borrowed from the Plymouth Barracuda and then stretched by a couple of inches to provide the passengers with extra interior room.
Dodge offered an SE package which included luxurious items, configuration, and amenities. The R/T, representing Road/Track, was the performance package. It came equipped with dual hood scoops, a heavy duty suspension and the 383 cubic-inch engine producing 335 horsepower. Other engines offered were the 440, 340 and 426 cubic-inch engines. The base engine was the 225 cubic-inch slant six that produced 145 horsepower. The three-carburetor 440 Six Pack produced 290 horsepower and 345 foot-pounds of torque. Power steering and disc brakes were offered as optional equipment.
During the introductory year in 1970, 53,337 examples were created with the base engine. A little over 13,800 units were created in the R/T configuration in both coupe and convertible form. Nearly 3,700 examples were built with the SE configuration.
The Dodge Challenger T/A series, meaning Trans AM, was Dodge's attempt to build a street worthy version of its race car. It was only offered in 1970 because the racing version did not perform well on the track and Dodge left the Trans Am racing at the end of the season. The street version was fitted with a 340 Six Pack created by the addition of an Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold and three two-barrel carburetors. The result was 350 horsepower. Disc brakes were standard as was a heavy duty Ralley suspension with wide tires in the rear and thinner tires in the front. Dodge offered a TorqueFlite automatic or a Hurst four-speed transmission. 2,142 examples of the T/A series were created. The quarter-mile was accomplished in just fourteen-and-a-half seconds and zero-to-sixty was around six seconds.
For 1971 Dodge discontinued the T/A package and the R/T was no longer offered in convertible form. A new grille was the most distinguishable change when compared with the 1970 Challenger.
Government safety and emission regulations, and increasing insurance premiums meant the horsepower rating and size for all manufacturers was on the decline. To comply with the new requirements, many of the engines were detuned. This was true for Dodge as well. The 383 cubic-inch engine was now producing 300 horsepower, a loss of 30 horsepower over the prior year. The 440 Six Pack was detuned by five horsepower. The base 440 was no longer offered. The good new was that the Hemi was still available and kept its 425 horsepower rating.
Sales for 1971 were devastating. There were just over 25,000 units of the six-cylinder Challenger sold in 1971. A sharp decline in interest for the vehicle in only its second years sent the dealers trying to unload their inventory. Fifty vehicles were offered as 'official pace cars' for the Indianapolis 500 race. These specialty series were painted in Hemi orange and had white interiors. All were convertibles.
The front of the Challenger was reworked for 1972 including the addition of a new grille. Dodge dropped the R/T package and the convertible option. A Rallye edition was added in place of the R/T. It was outfitted with a 318 cubic-inch 150 horsepower. This would be the only year the Rallye option would be offered. The horsepower rating was now measured in net SAE which meant all horsepower figures were decreased dramatically. Dodge did not offer the Hemi or the 440 for 1972. This left the 340 with a horsepower rating of 240. The zero-to-sixty run could be accomplished in 8.5 seconds and the quarter-mile took sixteen seconds. Sales were slow with less than 25,000 units being produced.
The big news for 1973 was the introduction of the 360 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine which appeared mid-way through the year. It produced 245 horsepower but it also increased the overall weight of the vehicle. Sales continued to be slow but they did increase over the prior year. For 1974 D0dge decided to cancel the Challenger series. Motivated by only 16,400 units sold, the decision was easy but sad, with only five years of production under its belt. Two engines were offered, the 318 cubic-inch and the 360 cubic-inch. Horsepower ranged from 150 though 245.
The Challenger had been introduced at the close of the muscle car era. It faced stiff competition from the pony cars, and the high-performance, economical, and light-weight machines. By offering both a luxury component and a performance package, the Challenger was a versatile machine. Its stylish designs and large Hemi engines are legendary.
Dodge offered an SE package which included luxurious items, configuration, and amenities. The R/T, representing Road/Track, was the performance package. It came equipped with dual hood scoops, a heavy duty suspension and the 383 cubic-inch engine producing 335 horsepower. Other engines offered were the 440, 340 and 426 cubic-inch engines. The base engine was the 225 cubic-inch slant six that produced 145 horsepower. The three-carburetor 440 Six Pack produced 290 horsepower and 345 foot-pounds of torque. Power steering and disc brakes were offered as optional equipment.
During the introductory year in 1970, 53,337 examples were created with the base engine. A little over 13,800 units were created in the R/T configuration in both coupe and convertible form. Nearly 3,700 examples were built with the SE configuration.
The Dodge Challenger T/A series, meaning Trans AM, was Dodge's attempt to build a street worthy version of its race car. It was only offered in 1970 because the racing version did not perform well on the track and Dodge left the Trans Am racing at the end of the season. The street version was fitted with a 340 Six Pack created by the addition of an Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold and three two-barrel carburetors. The result was 350 horsepower. Disc brakes were standard as was a heavy duty Ralley suspension with wide tires in the rear and thinner tires in the front. Dodge offered a TorqueFlite automatic or a Hurst four-speed transmission. 2,142 examples of the T/A series were created. The quarter-mile was accomplished in just fourteen-and-a-half seconds and zero-to-sixty was around six seconds.
For 1971 Dodge discontinued the T/A package and the R/T was no longer offered in convertible form. A new grille was the most distinguishable change when compared with the 1970 Challenger.
Government safety and emission regulations, and increasing insurance premiums meant the horsepower rating and size for all manufacturers was on the decline. To comply with the new requirements, many of the engines were detuned. This was true for Dodge as well. The 383 cubic-inch engine was now producing 300 horsepower, a loss of 30 horsepower over the prior year. The 440 Six Pack was detuned by five horsepower. The base 440 was no longer offered. The good new was that the Hemi was still available and kept its 425 horsepower rating.
Sales for 1971 were devastating. There were just over 25,000 units of the six-cylinder Challenger sold in 1971. A sharp decline in interest for the vehicle in only its second years sent the dealers trying to unload their inventory. Fifty vehicles were offered as 'official pace cars' for the Indianapolis 500 race. These specialty series were painted in Hemi orange and had white interiors. All were convertibles.
The front of the Challenger was reworked for 1972 including the addition of a new grille. Dodge dropped the R/T package and the convertible option. A Rallye edition was added in place of the R/T. It was outfitted with a 318 cubic-inch 150 horsepower. This would be the only year the Rallye option would be offered. The horsepower rating was now measured in net SAE which meant all horsepower figures were decreased dramatically. Dodge did not offer the Hemi or the 440 for 1972. This left the 340 with a horsepower rating of 240. The zero-to-sixty run could be accomplished in 8.5 seconds and the quarter-mile took sixteen seconds. Sales were slow with less than 25,000 units being produced.
The big news for 1973 was the introduction of the 360 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine which appeared mid-way through the year. It produced 245 horsepower but it also increased the overall weight of the vehicle. Sales continued to be slow but they did increase over the prior year. For 1974 D0dge decided to cancel the Challenger series. Motivated by only 16,400 units sold, the decision was easy but sad, with only five years of production under its belt. Two engines were offered, the 318 cubic-inch and the 360 cubic-inch. Horsepower ranged from 150 though 245.
The Challenger had been introduced at the close of the muscle car era. It faced stiff competition from the pony cars, and the high-performance, economical, and light-weight machines. By offering both a luxury component and a performance package, the Challenger was a versatile machine. Its stylish designs and large Hemi engines are legendary.
| Trans-Am SeriesThe 'Trans-American Sedan' pro series debuted on March 25th of 1966 as a four-hour prequel to the Sebring 12-hour enduro. It was a series intended for the pony cars such as the Mustang, Plymouth Barracuda, and a slew of small-bore Eurosedan cars that were athletically inclined and could handle the rigors of left and right 'road' racing courses. The following year, in 1967, the competition between the ponycars escalated even further, with GM debuting their Camaro, and Pontiac their Firebird. A Mustang based Mercury Cougar and a new Plymouth Barracuda provided plenty of competition to a very full field. Most major automakers provided factory support and attracted some of the biggest names in racing; the number of races in the series rose from seven to twelve. By the 1969 season, the TransAm Series attracted over 224,000 spectators to 13 events. Factory support continued to increase and so did the competition. The sport prospered until the beginning of the 1970s, as new safety concerns, government regulations, an impending oil embargo, and expensive emissions were detrimental to the industry. The cost to build a competitive racer increased significantly. Most automakers backed out of competition, which meant a serious lack of resources and big name drivers. The glory years of the series were over, but much was still to come. Trans-Am Rules 1966-1972 The TRANS-AM Championship is now over 30 years old on the sixth major rules format. The latest format began in 1980 and continues without major revisions today. Rules for 1966-1972 are as follows: The series was born in 1966 with a two-class structure. Over and Under Two Liters. The 0-2 (305 cubic-inch) class was for American built 'pony cars' - while European sports sedans were in the U-2 class. O-2 cars had maximum wheelbase of 116 inches, a minimum weight of 2,800 pounds and a maximum wheel width of eight inches. Both classes were based on FIA Group 1 and 2. 1970 through 1972 The series had its first 'single class' format during these years. The small European sedans were split into their own series in 1980 leaving the American-built pony cars in a single class. The five-liter maximum (305 cubic-inch) displacement was retained while a 3,200 minimum weight was in effect. |
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Automobile information, history, and statistics from concept to production. | © 1998-2008 Conceptcarz.com
Automobile information, history, and statistics from concept to production. | © 1998-2008 Conceptcarz.com