A genuine 1970 Hemi ’Cuda is already one of the crown jewels of the muscle-car world, but the example now listed here on eBay takes things a step further. The seller describes it as one of just 284 built for 1970, making it rare even by Hemi E-Body standards. This one carries its original four-speed manual transmission with the factory Pistol Grip shifter, a Super Track Pack setup, a 4.10 Dana rear, and front disc brakes—all the ingredients that made these cars legends long before collectors began chasing them.
According to the listing, the car is extremely original. The seller notes that the paint was recently freshened, but the body reportedly came to them with its original finish intact, and it still retains factory paint inside the doors and under the hood. The Hemi engine itself was replaced under warranty when the car was new, so the numbers on the block are different, but the replacement was still performed in-period by Chrysler. The mileage shown—26,212—is stated as original.
The owner describes the body as “one of the most perfect” they’ve seen prior to paint work, and also says it was rust-free. It’s still finished today in its triple-black color combination, which only heightens its presence even among other premium muscle cars. The car is said to run and drive beautifully, and has been preserved for years in the seller’s museum at Doc’s Harley-Davidson in Wisconsin.
Hemi ’Cudas occupy a unique place in Mopar history. They represent the top tier of Chrysler performance in 1970, combining the most feared engine of the era with a short-wheelbase E-Body platform and factory gearing that made them brutally fast on the street. Many were raced, crashed, modified, or simply worn out, leaving a small number of surviving examples—especially those that remain close to as-delivered specification.
The listing sticks firmly to the facts, but even within those limits this car stands out. An original Hemi ’Cuda with a four-speed and an unmodified, rust-free body is an opportunity very few buyers ever see. With its museum stewardship, low mileage, and documented history—including the early warranty engine replacement—it checks several boxes for serious Mopar collectors.
If you had the means, would you keep this Hemi ’Cuda as a cherished museum piece, or would you be tempted to take it out and let that 426 breathe?
Original motor likely blown at the track 🏁 with this setup. Serious machine from the Mopar factory.
Hmm, Docs, you say? I’ll be dingalingered, never heard of it. Bonduel is west of Green Bay on Hy.29, a road I was on countless times,,AS A 2 LANE,,dangerous as heck then, now all 4 lane. I may have seen the place, but again, I just wasn’t into Harleys.
$150 GRAND,,,,there, I said it, 406 viewers. You know, with 20 million millionaires in this country alone, there never was in my mind a question whether people have money. It’s painfully obvious every week at the grocery store, and coming from a state where money flows like the Arkansas River, they clearly have enough to pixx away on a mere automobile.
“Hemi Cuda”,,,boy, doesn’t THAT have a ring to it amongst the rich and famous,,,”I have a HEMI CUDA”, ( I forget the price), “lot of sad folks thinkin’ that’s a mighty keen”, hey I liked John Denver,,,
By the way, Ritchie Rich, did you know a 440 6 pak Cuda was a tick faster? Nah, I didn’t think so,,,
Yes, the wedge cars were faster on the street and sometimes the dragstrip. Like any timed challenge even the magazine hot shoes could have trouble harnessing the horses of the Hemi. Of course, the track where the Hemi shined was the circle where the motor could run at sustained high rpm. That is the marque of the legend.
Completely stock, as delivered off the showroom floor the 6 pac 440’s were quicker 1/4 mile wise if you could get either of them to hook up , but finesse ’em both for the drag strip with slicks & the Hemi would just about barely beat that 440 every time.
The legend lives in the hearts and minds of muscle car fans. I was born late to the party, but in the late 80’s and early 90’s as a young teen there was a yellow ‘70 hemi’cuda tucked away in a carport at the end of a long driveway in my neighbourhood. Sat there for years with stuff piled around it. Never got too close as it was behind a chain link fence.
It seemed no one lived a the property as it was on a busy road in a commercial area and was used for storage. One day it was just gone.
The thought that it used to rumble down the streets of my neighborhood at one time made me feel close to greatness.
Okay, I’ll bite. What is the third black that makes this a “triple black” car?
Black exterior paint.
Black interior.
Black… tires?
Stripe? Rear wing? Or it’s just a way to claim it’s more valuable.
Steve R
Triple black was paint, interior and vinyl or convertible roof. Quadruple black was if the stripes were also black.
In the absence of the vinyl top, I’d say it is the back stripes.
Where should I look for the black stripes?
The stripes on these are on the top of the quarter panels, known as hockey stick stripes. They have the cubic inch callout for non hemi engines and for the 426 it simply says Hemi.
The stripes on this black car are flat black. Hence the triple black designation.
Yeah Jerry Bramlett, my thoughts exactly ???
Good one.
I remember as a kid in 1970 some guy in our neighborhood had one that was black paint, black interior, and black vinyl top. That was one bad 426 Hemi we always bragged won from our neighborhood. The only “triple black” set up I’m aware of.
It used to be (in this case), black vinyl top.
The fact that it has original paint in the door jambs and under the hood just means that the respray wasn’t done properly. It’s not a plus.
I always thought tripe black meant body colour, interior colour, and a black convertible roof…..
best
bt
Could be body, interior and roof, usually in vinyl………….
$150k and reserve not met yet. I’d venture to say, Doc and the ol lady are looking to buy a Gulfstream 300 and figure the sale of this car will pay for that pipe dream. Maybe Doc has seen the writing on the wall and is trying to clean up on this car before muscle car prices fall off the cliff.
As a stock market and investment nerd, I have to wonder if muscle car prices are going to continue to increase over the next decade. The baby boomers, who have always kept their prices and demand high, are aging out of driving.
Some cars are icons and will always be valuable.
At the age of 20, after an insurance settlement, I went looking for a muscle car to keep up with my good buddy’s ’70 440 Challenger. First car was a green Hemi Cuda. Seller wanted $3K. Found out it was wrecked & repaired. Said no thanks. Second car was a 68 Shelby 500. It was a convertible. Said no thanks. Third was Challenger T/A. Bought it for $2500 with two k miles. Those were the days.
IMHO… should’ve left it with its original paint.
Or did I miss something in the text…?
Love seeing all the muscle cars of the past. I am from that generation had a few myself. Going to all the drag strips Atco, ICecil County, Strato Rods to name a few. Although I sided with GM I couldn’t resist owning a 68 Roadrunner loved it
A car with Prestige like that, who could resist taking it out and running it through the gears on a sunny summer morning. I simply couldn’t resist.
THEE Dennis Hull??
$176,000 so far…..reserve not met……I remember passing by a car lot called “Stick City” in California in 1976 and they had a 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda for sale in Hemi orange, argent shaker, all stock….$4,999, thought they were on drugs at that time trying to get that price, my how the times have changed….
Pumped Sunoco 260 into these in the early 70s. They were $2,500 used cars then. Reached their peak value wise 20 years ago, when they were selling for $800,000 and up. Not anymore.
Whomever got that original engine replaced under warranty wasn’t wasting any time! In an era when most of Chrysler’s lineup was covered by their 5 year/50,000 mile warranty, ordering a Hemi reduced the engine coverage to 90 days or 4,000 miles. Now, that allowed for 16,000 trips down the local dragstrip, but those 90 days elapsed in a hurry.
A coworker of mine bought a 71 Hemicuda in the mid 70s for around 2 grand. That was around two thirds the cost of a new car at the time, but he thought it was a great deal. It was past the first oil crunch and he said gas at 50 cents a gallon, the price was never again going to rise. Besides, being an attorney, the price of petrol was never really a concern of his anyway. It was just a Friday night street car for him. He royally abused it and with in a few years he blew the engine. I recall he almost gave it away to some kid. We laughed about it years later when we saw prices on the rise, but we both agreed that as an actual car it really was pretty bad. Only had one true use. Not comfortable, ran rough, handled miserably, gulpped gasoline. He moved on to being a devoted Bimmer man. I myself am not so stuck on a single brand, but I insist on a well balanced car.
A 71 hemicuda probably had 275hp because of smog restrictions on the engine. 1970 was the last year of real muscle cars.
No difference in a ’70 and a ’71 hemi engine.
I had the pleasure of driving a 70 Cuda. It was 1975 my friend knew that my father had just bought a 72 340 duster so he had to come over to show me his Cuda. It was a brown Convertible with a white interior and top. 4 speed pistol shifter. I only drove it a short distance, what a ride.
Doc’s is a well know Harley shop. He also has a museum, and saloon . Food is good too. They are good people to work with.
I never new he had a cuda out there.
His place is about 20 miles west of Green Bay WI on highway 29.