There are many words you could use to describe this fabulous car.

‘Inconspicuous’ isn’t one them. Neither is ‘subtle’.

If you’re within 50 metres or so of this car you’ll find it occupies most of the horizon.

It’s long enough to be in two post codes at once, it’s a blindingly bright shade of ‘Hemi Orange’ and it makes a noise that will set off alarms at a range of a mile or so.

It couldn’t be more Good Ol’ Boy if it was smuggling moonshine over a State line, playing the banjo in a sinister way and looking left and right at the same time.

We’ve seen cavemen with a more sensitive, feminine side to them.

It retains its original matching numbers R-code engine and A833 manual gearbox, and was the subject of a meticulous rotisserie restoration around 14 years ago. It has covered very few miles since then.

The restoration was carried out in strict accordance with the exact original specification - as recorded on the car’s build sheet. The presence of the correct factory overspray in the engine bay and on the undercarriage is a testament to the quality, authenticity and detail of this restoration.

Amazingly, the build sheet (looking as dog-eared, dusty and ancient as a Dead Sea scroll) is still with the car. The sheet has been decoded to show all the factory options. These include the desirable Track Pak (A33) and a full stripe delete.

It also shows that the car was a military export as new.

Presumably, this mahoosive orange behemoth wasn’t shipped off to some secret, undercover unit.

The original fender tags are also present, including those carrying the all-important 'Hemi' designation.

The car was purchased from the Legendary Motor Car Ltd of Ontario, Canada and imported into the UK by air in 2017. The car subsequently had a new clutch fitted and was upgraded to electronic ignition in order to make it more usable.

Next, the car went to spend some time in Majorca, where it joined its then owner’s collection of other cars, including two MG Metro 6R4s and a Jeep ‘Golden Eagle’ – cars we imagine would be rather better suited to twisty Majorcan dirt tracks than a Dodge Challenger.

In July 2020 the car was sold to the current owner and was sent to a Mopar specialist for an inspection and tune. The inspection confirmed and commended the quality of restoration once again. The sump and rocker cover gaskets were replaced, the steering was tightened and straightened, and the ignition timing was reset.

All the factory stampings in the body and drivetrain are present and matching. The exception being the number on the radiator support bar, which is one of the most commonly replaced panels on E-body Mopars.

We’ve driven this fabulous car and can confirm that this is a properly screwed together example and one that has been the subject of a great deal of expert attention and work over the years. It starts up on the button and goes and stops just as you’d hope a 7-litre V8 Hemi-engined muscle car might.

The pistol grip gear lever is a joy to use, with each gear change slotting positively into place with the weight and smoothness of oiled granite.

Once it’s warmed up, had a stretch and cleared its throat, this car pulls away like an angry freight train and makes a noise full of Wagnerian fury and thunder. It’s really quite an experience.

But it’s not for the faint hearted.

You wouldn’t want to drive it over a mountain pass, that’s for sure. These cars were built for wide, straight American roads, not narrow lanes with lots of corners.

We think that the authentic Goodyear Polyglas tyres are probably responsible for some of the car’s skittishness and tendency to hunt and tramline - either by design or because they’re slightly under inflated. We’re not experts.

Just looking at this loud orange beast is like getting a slap round the face from the big lad in the Tango commercials.

Rest assured, people who see this coming will stop and stare.

And people who hear it at the last minute will dive headlong into the nearest hedge.

It is a glorious example of a very rare and truly iconic car.

1970 Dodge R/T 426 Hemi Challenger

Vehicle location

Video

About this auction

Viewings Welcome

Thinking of selling your Dodge