The Mopar didn’t find a new owner after a high bid of $260,000. The listing now has a “bid goes on” status, meaning Mecum will continue negotiating with potential buyers, but this Challenger will likely appear at another event later this year.
What makes this Challenger special enough that $260,000 wasn’t sufficient? First, it has a 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI under the hood, the most iconic Chrysler engine from the golden era, found in only 356 Challengers in 1970, less than 0.5% of that year’s production.
Second, it includes the premium SE package, chosen by nearly 10,000 customers in 1970, but only 3,753 had the R/T trim. With the 426 HEMI, this drops to just 60 examples. Only 37 were equipped with the Torqueflite automatic gearbox like this one.
Its holy-grail status makes it unsurprising that $260,000 wasn’t enough. However, this doesn’t mean it should necessarily sell for much more. As of May 2024, the most expensive 1970 HEMI Challenger R/T SE sold for $379,500.
The second-most expensive example went for $187,000, but it had a 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) Six-Pack, less rare and desirable than the HEMI. This doesn’t mean a HEMI R/T SE is automatically worth over $300,000.
This Challenger isn’t the only HEMI gem that didn’t sell at Indy 2024. A bronze 1968 HEMI Charger with a four-speed manual (one of 211 made) reached $180,000. Two rarer 1970 HEMI Chargers with automatic gearboxes (only 56 produced) also failed to find buyers.
A yellow one got a high bid of $160,000, while a black one didn’t exceed $140,000. Both are restored with numbers-matching engines. On the flip side, a 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda Convertible with a 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) V8, one of only two finished in Sassy Grass, sold for an unexpected $352,000.
