- Only 1,640 Dodge Challenger R/T models were built with the V-code 440 Six-Pack engine in 1970, making it one of the rarest muscle cars from the golden era.
- The 1970 Challenger R/T required a big-block V8 as standard equipment, with engine options ranging from the 383 to the legendary 426 Hemi.
- This matching-numbers 440 Six-Pack Challenger with Super Track Pack, Dana 60 rear axle, and just 20,236 miles is listed at $98,895.
Few nameplates in American automotive history carry the kind of weight that Dodge’s R/T does. Road/Track wasn’t a marketing flourish. It was a promise, and the badge arrived in 1967 strapped to the Coronet R/T with something serious under the hood. To earn those letters, a Dodge had to run a big-block. No exceptions. The 440 Magnum or the 426 Hemi were the only choices, and by 1968 the Charger had joined the club, locking in the R/T as Detroit’s ultimate performance statement.
The Challenger Steps In
When the Challenger launched on Chrysler’s new E-body platform for 1970, it inherited all of that R/T credibility. What it added was flexibility. Buyers could step down to a 383 four-barrel base engine, or work their way up to the 440 Magnum, the 440 Six-Pack, or the crown-jewel 426 Hemi. Manual or TorqueFlite automatic. The Challenger gave enthusiasts a way to build their perfect machine.
Worth A Look
Production Numbers and the 1970 Peak
Dodge R/T output climbed steadily through the late sixties. 10,181 units in 1967, 28,433 in 1968, 27,338 in 1969. Then 1970 hit, and 31,464 R/T vehicles rolled out of Hamtramck and Newark, with the Challenger accounting for more than half. Then the bottom fell out. Insurance rates and emissions rules strangled the market, and 1971 production collapsed to just 8,006 units before the badge went on hiatus. Breaking down that 1970 Challenger production: 19,475 total, split into 18,512 hardtops and 963 convertibles. The 383 powered most of them. Only 287 hardtops and 9 convertibles left the factory with the 426 Hemi.
The V-code 440 Six-Pack
Sitting between the standard 440 and the Hemi was the V-code 440 Six Pack, fed by three two-barrel Holley carbs and rated at 390 horsepower with 490 lb-ft of torque. Dodge built exactly 1,640 Challenger R/Ts with this engine in 1970. 847 came with a four-speed manual. Just 793 wore the TorqueFlite automatic. The automatic-equipped V-code is rare enough. Equip it with the A32 Super Track Pack, which added a Dana 60 rear end with 4.10 Sure Grip gears, heavy-duty suspension, power front discs, and maximum cooling, and you’re looking at a machine that historians estimate only a few hundred examples were ever produced.
The Car on Offer
A survivor matching that exact description has surfaced at West Port Auto Center in Fenton, Missouri. Painted deep red over its original Plum Crazy Metallic, wearing a black vinyl top, longitudinal stripes, and a rear spoiler, this Challenger R/T hardtop packs its original V-code 440 Six-Pack and heavy-duty TorqueFlite. The black interior houses factory buckets, a center console, and functional gauges with a working clock and tachometer. Most striking of all, the odometer reads 20,236 actual miles. The fender tag confirms VIN JS23V0B191455, a November 14, 1969 build date, and the full Super Track Pack option list including the Rallye Instrument Cluster, power brakes, hood pins, and performance hood treatment.
Where the Market Stands
The asking price is $98,895. Comparable numbers-matching V-code Six-Pack Challengers with documented mileage and the Dana 60 rear axle have been trading between $85,000 and $115,000 at Mecum, Barrett-Jackson, and Bring a Trailer. Top-tier survivors have already crossed the six-figure mark. For a Mopar collector tracking real-deal, investment-grade muscle from the peak of the pony car era, this Challenger represents exactly the kind of opportunity that doesn’t come around often.
