The Challenger T/A (short for Trans Am) was a one-year-only muscle car designed to compete against the Chevy Camaro Z/28 and Ford Mustang Boss 302. The cars differed from those on the track in SCCA racing in that a 340 cubic inch V8 was used for street versions – with three 2-barrel carburetors (“6-Pack”). Less than 2,400 were built and the seller says this car is one of them, still wearing its original paint.
Unlike the SCCA edition which used a 303 de-stroked variant of the 340 V8, Dodge went to the existing parts bin for the street T/A. Instead of a 4-barrel carburetor and 275 horsepower, the T/A wore a “6-Pack” set-up which only added a rated 15 extra horses (which was probably understated). The car was similar to the Plymouth ‘Cuda AAR which also joined the SCCA mix for one year. Air was forced into the multiple carbs through a rather larger air scoop built into the hood.
Besides wearing bolder graphics to tell street competitors what they were up against, the T/A used a low-restriction dual exhaust with the exit pipes mounted in front of the rear wheels. Also, the wheels and tires were bigger in the back than in the front – uncommon for factory cars of the day, but not so for modified hot rods. The T/A and Plymouth AAR didn’t find a lot of success on the rare track, and they disappeared as quickly as they came on the scene.
For such a rare and desirable car, the seller’s listing doesn’t seem to do it justice. While the paint and interior (no photos of that) are said to be original, it’s photographed in a rather dingy storage yard with other stuff in the background. And that may explain why the Dodge is still for sale after 10 weeks. It’s said to run great at 47,000 miles and the vehicle has changed hands at least three times over the years. Available here on Facebook Marketplace from Salt Lake City, Utah, the seller is firm on the $85,000 price and trades won’t be considered.
Nice.
Arrrggghhhh,,,you do realize, in 1970, there was another viable contender for the Trans Am series, Donohues Javelin. Oh, it’s okay, we’re used to being ignored, but the fact is, it was a very important time for AMC. Some say the Trans Am Javelin wasn’t very successful,,,on the track, however, it meant a sales bonanza for AMC, and showed the world, it could indeed compete with the Biggies. If auctions are any indicator, the 340s go for a fraction of what a hemi would go for, and I feel a car like this is far more useful than a hemi. Someone had a lick of sense when they ordered this car.
You forgot to add that Donohue won the championship that year. We were at the race in Sonoma when he clinched the title. Watching those cars race was some of the best we have ever seen.
AMC even called themselves “The Other Car Company”. It can be easy for people who have never looked up above their blue oval or bowtie to notice let alone remember. The Javelin/AMX were serious machines but their credibility is largely due to Donahue.
Don’t forget about the .64 Tempest “Gray Ghost” that raced in the 1971 TransAm series.
It did rather well against the huge factory backed teams.
You can buy it now: https://grayghostpontiac.com/
…a pretty decent car sitting amnonst a bunch of ugly junk….
Read his Facebook profile…..he knows it all.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in this color. Not bad. The upgraded 15 HP to the output rating was likely due to Chevrolet rating the 302 at 290 HP.
Terrible photography and lacking in details. I thought that these and the Cuda counterpart were pretty cool when they came out and I still have a good opinion of them. I’m not sure why, but I’m really not a fan of this color and to me, 85K is way too much for it, (although I will be the first to admit that I don’t know very much regarding the value of one of these)
Parnelli Jones won the 1970 Trans Am Championship for Ford driving a Boss 302. AMC lost the championship by one point and came in 2nd place.
I’m thinking you are right. Could be ’71?
It was 1971.
Steve R
Parnelli Jones died last summer with practically no fanfare whatsoever. He was Americas greatest driver.
Not a lot of fanfare but I seem to remember he got a couple mentions. Maybe it was Hemmings or Road & Track that gave a nice story/eulogy for him. Quite a versatile driver he was and a true champion.
Back in 71 a guy moved into our neighborhood and had a T/A. It was so much quicker than all the other cars around. I always wondered if he modified it beyond the headers. He would never talk about it. But no one who knew Louie would meet him at the stop light by the MickeyD’s.
The AAR and TA both had more than meets the eye, forged steel crank, windage tray, special high nickel blocks, and X head 2.02 int valve and 1.60 exhaust valve, manual adjustment rockers. High compression pistons. The 290 hp rating was actually closer to 350hp.
The Challenger and ‘Cuda race cars didn’t have a chance to be successful. Each “team” was only one car. The drivers were top rate, Sam Posey and Dan Gurney, respectively, but Mopar cut off the cash after one season, so we will never know what might been had the cars been properly sorted.
I can see his ask maybe if it were a conv in the same condition.
That is my old T/A. I was the third owner..
It’s now on its 6th, or 7th owner!
It did have two build sheets when I owned it and was all matching numbers, with rare blue vinyl & cloth interior. A 1of 1 known to exist like it. The paint is about 75% original. 1 Quarter was re-painted and rear panel. It drove great. I hope it finds a good home.. One I should’ve kept!
Mopar1: Thanks for commenting! How long ago did you sell it? Just curious how quickly a car like this turns over.