Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi 426
Plymouth had the Barracuda, the first pony car model introduced two weeks before the Ford Mustang. Yet its stablemate Dodge didn’t enter the segment until 1970. Some muscle car historians said Dodge was almost late to the party. But the Challenger was so good that it left its own mark and reserved a place in history. Mopar’s E-Body models, the Barracuda and Challenger, were brand-new for 1970. They featured new designs, better construction, and a wider, longer body (via Motor Trend).
There was no significant mechanical difference between the Barracuda and the Challenger, only the design. The two cars had some interchangeable bodywork parts as well. The Challenger immediately got the full firepower of Mopar’s engines as buyers could get a powerful 383 V8, a big 440, and the famous 426 Hemi.