Dodge Diamante Challenger
Dodge was late to the pony car segment with the 1970 Challenger. But it immediately showed that they were there to stay since it was a great muscle car with iconic styling and a lineup of powerful engines. However, Dodge wanted more to see if the Challenger could be transformed into a sports car that could rival the Corvette. That’s why the Diamante concept car was born. This example started as a highly optioned Hemi convertible, which was turned into a Yellow Jacket show car. Dodge took it back to the styling department and reimagined it as the Diamante.
The car received a new front and rear end, a two-seat interior, different turbine-style wheels, and an attractive Targa top (via Motor Trend). With a 426 Hemi under the hood, the Diamante was fast. And with its custom side pipes exhaust, it sounded fantastic too. Dodge abandoned the idea of a Corvette fighter but the Diamante did attract lots of attention. The main reason was that it looked like something Dodge could build with little investment in a short period. Lots of Mopar fans were disappointed when they realized the Diamante was just not going to happen.