Dodge Challenger · 1970–1971

426 Hemi

The 426 Street Hemi in the Challenger, offered in 1970 and 1971, and the counts the sources give.

The story

In 1970 the Hemi was an option on the R/T. Dodge's catalog was almost offhand about it: «The Hemi is still offered. Optional, at extra cost of course.» For 1971 Over-Drive lists it for the R/T or any coupe, but not the convertible.1234

What it cost is disputed: $871 by Over-Drive, $1,227.50 by Consumer Guide. 1971 was the Hemi's last year.235sources disagree

Road Test magazine's Hemi car ran the quarter mile in 14 seconds at 104 mph and averaged 6.5 mpg in town, by Consumer Guide's account.5one source

Production by year

How many 426 Hemis were built each model year.

1970
355
1971
disputed, see the ruling
As a table, with notes
YearBuiltNote
197035556Our sum of Consumer Guide's installation table: 287 R/T hardtops (137 four-speed, 150 automatic), 9 R/T convertibles (5 and 4) and 59 R/T SE hardtops (22 and 37). Hagerty gives the same nine convertibles, five four-speeds and four automatics, and «well over 200» hardtops. The table's rows for the other models have two figures each and do not show which engine they belong to, so they are left out. Consumer Guide's installation table does not reconcile with its production rows (its R/T hardtop installations add to 13,333, our sum, against 12,747 built), so 355 is approximate.
1971disputed5one sourceConsumer Guide's 1971 row cannot be read reliably; see the ruling. Ruling

Engines

The letter is the engine code in the VIN.

YearsCodeEngineRated
1970–1971R426 cu in Hemi V8, two 4-barrels425 hp gross (1971: 350 net)2789

Where the sources disagree

Every conflict behind the figures on this page. All rulings.

Open

What the 426 Hemi cost in a 1970 Challenger

Our ruling: Unresolved: $1,227.50 or $871, and neither source says what the price includes. We give no Hemi price in the tables.

What each source says (2)

Open

How many 1971 Challengers had the Hemi

Our ruling: Unresolved. The archived page has lost the table's layout, so it does not show which engine heading has no figures, and we give no 1971 Hemi count.

What each source says (1)
  • A 1971 R/T row of six figures under four engine headings: 465, 1,985, 129, 121, 59, 125one source

Sources

  1. 1970 Dodge Challenger sales catalog Dodge Division, Chrysler Corporation · read 2026-10-11
  2. 1970 Dodge Challenger Fact Sheet Over-Drive Magazine · read 2026-10-11
  3. Dodge Challenger (1970) Wikipedia · read 2026-10-11
  4. 1971 Dodge Challenger Fact Sheet Over-Drive Magazine · read 2026-10-11
  5. 1970-1974 Dodge Challenger HowStuffWorks (Consumer Guide Automotive) · read 2026-10-11
  6. The 7 rarest Hemi muscle cars Hagerty · read 2026-10-11
  7. 1971 Dodge Challenger sales catalog (Canada) Dodge Division, Chrysler Corporation · read 2026-10-11
  8. 1970 Dodge Vehicle Identification Numbers The Plymouth Owners Club Registry (tpocr.com) · read 2026-10-11
  9. 1971 Dodge Vehicle Identification Numbers The Plymouth Owners Club Registry (tpocr.com) · read 2026-10-11

Year by year

The 426 Hemi in each model year.

1970Dodge ChallengerThe first Challenger: Dodge's E-body pony car, as a hardtop or convertible, with the R/T, the SE and the T/A, nine engines up to the 426 Hemi, and about 83,000 built.83,032 built (disputed)1971Dodge ChallengerThe second year: a split grille, a cheaper Coupe with fixed rear side glass, the R/T as a hardtop only, and sales down to 29,883.29,883 built (disputed)