Kermit once sang, “It’s Not Easy Being Green,” a paean to success in the face of adversity. The color green indeed has faced adversity over time as it’s very much a color of the moment. Our Pick of the Day may be one of those cars to some but, to us, it also is the quintessential 1970 car. In the case of this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE, she’s listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by Adventure Classic Cars in Clearwater, Florida.
You may have read about the Challenger T/A that was our Pick of the Day several days ago, but this Challenger is of a different stripe: rather than being a small-block pony car to carve the road, this Challenger is a big-block monster for the straight line. It’s also unusual among muscle cars due to its luxurious content, so it’s worthy of discussion and comparison.
The Challenger SE (Special Edition) was influenced by the Mercury Cougar XR-7, a pony car that featured many luxurious and European touches. The SE featured a number of comfort, convenience, luxury, and appearance items that distinguished itself from the regular Challenger: outside, there were unique bright trim touches including molding around the front splash pan, stainless steel belt moldings at the base of the side windows, and the back of the hood and front fenders, and a distinctive aluminum-finished panel on the face of the rear deck. A vinyl top with a small, formal rear window completed the package.
Inside, leather and vinyl bucket seats were standard (with cloth and vinyl or a fancier vinyl design for those who did not want leather). Door panels featured carpeting along the lower part of the door, plus wood-grain accent panel and reflector. An overhead console in the headliner featured warning lights like “door ajar,” “fasten seat belts,” and “low fuel.” The Challenger SE was available in two versions: one with the 225ci “Slant Six” and another with V8s including a 318 two-barrel, 383 two-barrel, and 383 four-barrel.
Dodge also offered a luxurious performance model with the Challenger R/T SE. Everything that made the SE special was included, plus the R/T equipment that featured a standard 383 four-barrel, with a 440 four-barrel, 440 Six Pack, and 426 Hemi being options. In comparison, the Cougar XR-7 never had a performance version, though performance engines could be ordered; likewise, the Challenger SE and R/T SE never had a convertible like the Cougar XR-7.
Only 3,979 Challenger R/T SEs were built in 1970, of which 3,741 were built for the U.S. market. Of those, 875 featured the 375-horsepower 440 Magnum, of which only 142 were backed by a Pistol Grip four-speed. It’s also, shall we say, green—dig the Light Green Metallic paint, green vinyl top, and green cloth and vinyl interior. The original owner specified stripe-delete (as evidenced by the “V68” code on the fender tag), so there’s nothing to break up the green, though the original buyer could have specified a green longitudinal or Bumblebee stripe to make the Challenger quadruple green.
This 1970 Challenger R/T SE features a 440 four-speed, which means it has one of two axle packages, in this case the “A33” Track Pak with 3.54 Sure-Grip and heavy-duty Dana rear. Other features include console, AM radio, power steering, left-hand remote mirror and right-hand mirror, upgraded aluminum radiator, Mallory Unilite electronic ignition, and Rallye wheels. And, being an R/T, it has the Rallye instrument cluster including tach.
Sure, that’s a lot of green, but this car screams 1970 in ways few can, so we think it’s time to embrace the green. It’s the color of money ($69,990) and the color of envy, the latter of which we’ll be once we catch you pulling hole-shots in it.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com