Dodge’s all-new answer to Ford, Mercury, Chevy and Pontiac Ponycars was the 1970 CHALLENGER: MAGNUM FORCE FROM MOPAR.
In many ways, 1970 was the storm before the calm. The war in Southeast Asia continued casting a pall over a much-divided country and thinning the ranks of young enthusiasts. Carmakers’ racing budgets were being drastically cut and engineering resources reassigned to prepare for restrictive emissions and safety legislation. And, Ponycar sales had been plummeting and would register new lows at the end of the model year.
Yet, Motown launched its most aggressive ever portfolio of power. With the industry working on two-to-three-year product development cycles, there was no stopping the performance products scheduled to go public. In some cases, like the new E-Body Challenger (and Barracuda), they had been in the works for more than two years. They represented huge tooling expenses and Chrysler’s only route to staying competitive in what had been a scalding hot market.
Dodge’s Challenger, like its Barracuda brother, was offered in two body styles, a two-door hardtop and convertible. The Challenger’s exterior design was done by Carl Cameron, who was also responsible for the exterior designs of the 1966 Dodge Charger.
Dodge and Plymouth beat Chevrolet and Pontiac (new Gen II Camaro & Firebird were delayed, often referred to as 1970 ½ models) to the marketplace with clean-sheet Challengers and Barracudas. An impressive menu of 318 and 340 small-blocks (including tri-power variants: Challenger T/A & AAR Cuda), three 383 and two 440 big-blocks and the 426 Street Hemi wowed enthusiasts. Buyers had a choice of close and wide-ratio four-speeds or excellent TorqueFlite automatic and 8 ¾-inch or 9 ¾-inch Dana Sure-Grip rears. Whatever your appetite for performance, a slick new Challenger (or Barracuda) coupe or convertible could be tailored to your taste.
Twins under the skin, they were built on new E-Body architecture utilizing A and B-Body components. But there were differences. The Barracuda was built on a 108-inch wheelbase platform, while the Challenger had a 110-inch wheelbase. Both offered the same powertrain choices and very similar performance, although the Challenger was a little more luxurious.
Everything you’ve always wanted to know about every new 1970 Challenger model can be found at OVER-DRIVE magazine, https://over-drive-magazine.com/2024/04/20/1970-dodge-challenger-fact-sheet/
All high-performance Challenger and Barracuda models are covered in DAY ONE @ https://www.amazon.com/Day-One-Automotive-Journalists-Muscle-Car/dp/0760352364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493561421&sr=1-1&keywords=Day+One+by+Martyn+L.+Schorr