Dodge sold the Challenger in two long runs. The first lasted from 1970 to 1974, and the second ran from the late 2000s to the Last Call cars of 2023. Both eras made room for a Dodge Challenger Hemi, and both produced oddball trims that sold in tiny numbers. Some are luxury specials, while others are drag-strip tools with a license plate. So here are ten that show how far Dodge was willing to go.
1. 1970 Dodge Challenger SE
The SE was the formal Challenger. Instead of the standard rear glass, it used a plug fitted into the standard opening with a smaller window inside. Every SE also got a vinyl top to hide the installation of that plug.
Options could add an overhead console and Rallye gauges, Hagerty notes. Dodge built nearly 3,700 cars in SE configuration for 1970, according to Conceptcarz.
2. 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi Convertible
A 1970 R/T came standard with the 383 Magnum rated at 335 horsepower. However, the 426 Hemi option was rated at 425 horsepower and 490 lb-ft. Yet only 356 Challengers left the factory with it that year.
Just nine buyers ordered a Hemi in the R/T convertible, Street Muscle reports. Of those, four chose the TorqueFlite automatic, while five took the four-speed manual. In fact, one sold for a record $1,650,000 at Mecum’s 2016 Kissimmee auction, according to the same article.
3. 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi
The 1971 model year was the Hemi’s last in the Challenger. Buyers paid $892 for the option, and Dodge built only about 71 Hemi cars, Conceptcarz says. Still, the site’s own figures range from 70 to 72.
Overall, Dodge built 29,803 Challengers for 1971, and 4,630 of those were R/Ts. After that, the Hemi was gone from the line for good.
4. 1972 Dodge Challenger Rallye
For 1972 Dodge dropped both the R/T and the convertible. The Rallye took over as the sporty model for that single year. Its grille now reached below the front bumper. Motoring Research says the new face gave the car “a mildly unhappy appearance.”
Emissions rules and insurance pressure also meant the engines were reduced and detuned. Even so, Rallye buyers could still order a four-barrel 340 V8, Conceptcarz notes.
5. 1974 Dodge Challenger 360
The last first-generation year brought one more engine. A 245-horsepower 360 V8 replaced the 340 and cost $259 extra, while the base Challenger listed at $3,143. Dodge then canceled the car partway through the season, Hagerty’s valuation guide says.
Only 11,354 were sold that year. Over the whole 1970–1974 run, Dodge built more than 188,000 Challengers, according to Motoring Research.
6. 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 Inaugural Edition
The revived Challenger got serious with the 392-cubic-inch Hemi for 2011. Dodge rated it at 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft, and the car pulled .93g on the skidpad. Brampton Assembly in Ontario, Canada, built it, the October 2010 Dodge release says.
To launch it, Dodge planned 1,492 Inaugural Editions. Each one came in Deep Water Blue with Stone White stripes or Bright White with Viper Blue stripes. Each also carried a serialized “Inaugural Edition 392 HEMI” dash plaque.
7. 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye
The Redeye borrowed its engine from the Demon drag car. That supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi made 797 horsepower, according to Dodge’s 2020 Challenger fact sheet.
It also took the Demon’s Power Chiller, a torque reserve function and upgraded driveshafts, Motoring Research reports. Spotting one is easy, because the Redeye wears a hood with dual snorkels.
8. 2020 Dodge Challenger 50th Anniversary Limited Edition
For the Challenger’s 50th birthday, Dodge built a Limited Edition of just 70 numbered cars per model. The GT, R/T Shaker, R/T Scat Pack Shaker and Scat Pack Shaker Widebody all qualified. Colors included Go Mango, TorRed and F8 Green, according to Dodge’s fact sheet.
Each car carries a hand-painted Satin Black hood, Gold School badges and an “x out of 70” marker. Meanwhile, a working Shaker hood fed the 5.7-liter or 392 Hemi on R/T versions, Motoring Research notes.
9. 2020 Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock
Next, Dodge built the Super Stock for hard launches. Its supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi got a unique calibration for 807 horsepower. As a result, it ran 0-60 mph in 3.25 seconds, Dodge’s figures show. The quarter-mile took 10.5 seconds at 131 mph.
The car also rode on 18-by-11-inch wheels with Nitto NT05R tires at all four corners, according to the 2020 fact sheet. Dodge itself calls those tires street-legal drag radials.
10. 2023 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack Swinger
Dodge marked the Challenger’s final year with a series of Last Call special editions. The Scat Pack Swinger was one of them. At the same time, buyers could pick F8 Green, Sublime Green or White Knuckle paint.
Like the Inaugural Edition before it, the Swinger came with a hard production cap. Dodge limited it to just 1,000 examples, Motoring Research reports.
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