10 Rarest Hemi 4-Speed Mopar Muscle Cars Ever Made
When it comes to classic Mopar muscle cars, having a numbers-matching 426ci Hemi V-8 is a value multiplier that almost always puts it into the multi-six-figures. Despite being the rock star of the Golden Age, the 426 Street Hemi is exceedingly rare, with only 9,761 cars ever being graced with it from 1965-1971. The scarcity of Hemis and the fact that every car that ever got one was a 13-second menace is why they are so collectible. There is actually another factor that drives Mopar Muscle prices up, and that’s a factory four-speed manual transmission. Automatics were luxury upgrades, but when it came to street machines, four on the floor was the only way to go and today, collectors go crazy for a classic Hemi/4-speed combo.
10
1971 Dodge Challenger Hemi R/T
Production: 59 Units
When the Dodge Challenger hit the streets in 1970, it was a smash success, moving 76,935 units, including 356 Hemi R/Ts. The next year, however, this awesome car was in a free-fall with only 27,377 units and just 71 Hemi-equipped cars. Of those 71 Hemis, a mere 59 of them had the desirable A-833 4-speed manual transmission with the iconic Hurst pistol grip shifter. That seems like a fairly small number, but as you progress through this list, you’ll see it is actually kind of common. That rare powertrain combo is definitely a seller’s delight as a ’71 Challenger Hemi R/T 4-speed sold for $704,000 at Mecum Kissimmee 2015, which is the most this model year has ever done at auction. The car is an excellent condition survivor, which may be the biggest reason why it went for so much, but the manual transmission was for sure a factor in that insane gavel drop.
9
1970 Plymouth Hemi GTX
Production: 43 Units
The GTX was billed as the “Gentleman’s Muscle Car,” and came standard with every bell and whistle Plymouth offered, including automatic transmissions. The thing is, people buying a muscle car, especially a Hemi-equipped one, wanted a four-speed for extra quicks on the street. The great news is that the four-speed was a no-cost option, but only 43 buyers exercised it in 1970. There were 72 Hemi GTXs in ’71, so most buyers did actually opt for the four-speed, but it is still a super-rare Mopar. We could only find one ’71 Hemi GTX 4-speed that has ever sold at auction, and given its rarity, it went for relatively next to nothing. That car pictured above is a numbers-matching Hemi GTX with a manual transmission, and it only sold for $110,000 in 2019. This should probably be a half-million-dollar ride, but for whatever reason, it isn’t.
8
1971 Dodge Charger Hemi R/T
Production: 30 Units
When the third-gen Dodge Charger came out with its radical “fuselage” body style, it was quite popular, outselling the iconic second-gen Charger, but for whatever reason, was not favored by collectors until recently. 1971 was the last year for the 426 Street Hemi, and it was barely present, bestowed on just 71 Charger R/Ts in its swan song. Of those, only 30 came paired with a four-speed manual, making for a true Mopar unicorn. In a strange twist of fate, it’s the more common and less desirable automatics that are blowing up the auction block. A ’71 Charger Hemi R/T with an automatic transmission sold for $467,500 in 2024, and the year before, one went for a whopping $550,000, becoming the most expensive non-Daytona Charger ever sold. The top-selling 4-speed Hemi R/T was that blue one pictured above, which went for $320,500 in 2026, and that’s not bad, but it should have gone for more.
7
1971 Plymouth Road Runner
Production: 28 Units
Plymouth Road Runners, especially Hemi-equipped ones, are among the most collectible classic Mopar muscle cars, which is ironic considering their humble beginnings. Introduced in 1968 as a no-frills speed machine, the Road Runner was so affordable that upgrading to the expensive 426ci Hemi V-8 was still within the budget. This was such an attractive pair back in the day that more Hemis were optioned on Road Runners than any other Mopar, with 2,014 ending up under their hoods. By 1971, the Road Runner 426 mania was cooling, and only 55 were Hemi-equipped that year, including just 28 with four-speed manual transmissions. This is one where the four-speed rules as a triple-black ’71 Road Runner with a pistol grip shifter rocked Mecum Indy 2023, crossing the block for $550,000. The highest-selling Hemi automatic we could find went for $176,000 in 2019, which is a testament to the appeal of four on the floor.
6
1969 Dodge Charger 500
Production: 27 Units
Dodge had been trying to make the Charger a NASCAR superstar since its introduction in 1966, but body design issues created both drag and lift, neither of which were conducive to capturing checkered flags. Those issues continued into the Charger’s second generation, so in 1969, Dodge created the Charger 500, which was supposed to fix everything and put it in the winner’s circle. Dodge needed to homologate the 500, meaning they had to sell a certain number to the public, so 392 went out to dealerships across the country with 332 440ci Magnum V-8s and 60 426ci Hemis. It turned out the 500 was only okay on the racetrack, which prompted Dodge to create the next entry on this list, but as a street machine it was aces, especially the 27 Hemi cars that came with a four-speed. This is one classic Mopar that is somewhat overlooked, because its ultra-rarity has only resulted in a top sale of $297,000 way back in 2014.
5
1969 Dodge Daytona
Production: 22 Units
Following the failures of the first and second-gen Charger, as well as the mediocre results from the 500, Dodge went to extreme measures, building the 1969 Daytona, with a crazy nose cone and wild rear flying wing. It may have been a bit awkward-looking, but it was a monster on the NASCAR circuit, thoroughly dominating the 1970 season, including winning the Series championship. It is also the first car to do a 200 MPH lap on a closed circuit, and it’s all thanks to those gaudy body accessories that provided aerodynamics and stability at high speeds. Dodge allegedly sold 503 Daytonas to the public, but many of them could have used R/T or 500 VINs to hit NASCAR’s homologation requirement. Even the number of Hemi cars is in dispute, with some claiming as many as 70 units, but was more likely only 41. The 22 Hemi four-speeds seem like a solid number, and the top sale is not in dispute, as that Dark Green Winged Warrior with a manual transmission above annihilated the muscle car record books, selling for $3.36 million in 2024.
4
1970 Dodge Super Bee
Production: 21 Units
The Super Bee was Dodge’s version of the bare-bones Road Runner, that was introduced mid-model year in 1968. Like the Road Runner, the Super Bee was cheap, so kicking in for the 426 Street Hemi was doable. Unlike Road Runner buyers, however, Super Bee customers weren’t quite as willing to pull the trigger on the Hemi, with just 419 built between ’68 and ’70. In 1970, which was the last year for the Coronet-based Super Bee, a mere 36 units left the factory with a Hemi, and 21 of them had a four-speed. Seeing as only two ’70 Super Bee Hemi 4-speeds have ever sold at auction, this is pretty close to being a Mopar Holy Grail car, but you wouldn’t know it from the sales. In 2019, a Burnt Orange Bee sold for $159,500 and then in 2023 a Bright Blue Metallic Bee crossed the block for $187,000. Both cars were numbers-matching perfectly restored examples with documentation up the wazoo, so there’s no accounting for these relatively low prices.
3
1971 Plymouth GTX
Production: 11 Units
The Plymouth GTX got a little less gentlemanly with the 1971 Chrysler B-body refresh, and was kind of a brute with the slick, aggressive styling. Still coming standard with everything Plymouth had to offer, including the automatic transmission, the four-speed remained a no-cost option. Hemi production was way down in 1971 across the board, and for the GTX, only 30 were packing 425 hp and 490 lb-ft of torque. Even fewer, 11 to be exact, had the manual transmission option, making for an ultra-rare Mopar collectible. It turns out that 4-speed was a price booster because a properly-equipped ’71 Hemi GTX went into uncharted territory, selling for $539,000 in 2026. The highest an automatic ever reached was $253,000 in 2019, which is less than half the price.
2
1971 Dodge Super Bee
Production: 9 Units
The Coronet-based Super Bee was discontinued in 1970, but fortunately the sting was kept alive as a trim on the 1971 Dodge Charger. Much like its forebear, the ’71 Super Bee was still a budget bruiser but with some sharp styling courtesy of the B-body redo of ’71. Starting off with the underappreciated 383ci Magnum V-8, the ’71 Bee could be optioned with a 440, 440 Six Pack, 426 Hemi, and for some reason a 340 small block. 5,054 Super Bees were made in 1971, which already makes it a rarity, but just 22 were Hemi cars and of those only 9 came paired with a four-speed. The wild thing here is that this uber-unicorn feels like it should almost be a million-dollar Mopar, but the highest one has sold for is that Light Gunmetal car pictured above that went for $269,500 in 2024. In some kind of weird quirk, three other ’71 Hemi Super Bee 4-speeds have sold for exactly $209,000 in recent years.
1
1970 Dodge Coronet Hemi R/T
Production: 4 Units
Breaking out from its boxy style in 1970, the Dodge Coronet R/T got some striking Coke bottle curves, a wicked “bumblebee wings” grille, and optional twin hood scoops, becoming one of the most imposing-looking rides of the entire Golden Age. Apparently, nobody really cared because only 2,615 people bought one, and just 14 dared to order them with a Hemi. Now here is where things get ridiculous, as there were a grand total of four Coronet Hemi R/Ts with a four-speed, making this the rarest hardtop Mopar Muscle car there is. As you have seen, being extremely rare doesn’t always equate to bonkers auction sales, and the ’70 Coronet Hemi R/T is easily the most undervalued classic muscle car. Just two have ever been listed, with a perfect Plum Crazy car going for $143,000 in 2019 and a Dark Green machine hitting $247,500 in 2023. There is a ’70 Coronet Hemi R/T 4-speed Convertible, which is a one-of-one Holy Grail, but it hasn’t shown up for auction yet where it would most certainly be a million-dollar ride.
Sources: Mecum
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