Only Two Were Made: Dodge’s Rarest Hemi Muscle Car Ever Built

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Thursday, 1 Oct 2026 20:16 0 9 autotech

Only Two Were Made: Dodge's Rarest Hemi Muscle Car Ever Built

Two. That’s the total number of 1970 Dodge Coronet R/T Hemi convertibles that rolled off the line — a figure so small it makes even the most coveted muscle car rarities look mass-produced. Rare muscle cars have always commanded serious money, but the truly limited stuff operates in a different stratosphere entirely, sailing past a million dollars with the ease of an Italian exotic. So while you can still pick up a ’60s muscle car for a few thousand bucks — generally the models that were a dime a dozen — the big money naturally flows to variants built in tiny numbers. Nothing, however, comes close to this ultra-rare Dodge, with a Hemi dropped under the hood. It’s the kind of car that makes unicorns jealous.

Table of Contents

Muscle Cars Were Never Meant To Be Rare

1964 Pontiac GTO

Mecum

Some Muscle Cars Were Destined To Be Unicorns

Royalty of the muscle car scene tends to be outrageously fast with looks to match, and an ultra-limited run thrown in for good measure. Cars like the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona were built for NASCAR were built for homologation purposes and confined to just 503 units over a single year.

The Dodge Coronet R/T Hemi Makes Even Low Production Muscle Cars Seem Common

Dodge Coronet R/T Hemi Specs

Engine	Horsepower	Torque
426 Hemi	425 HP	490 LB-FT

Launched in 1949, the Coronet

was always one of the most upmarket offerings from a Dodge dealership, with swanky trim levels and plenty of chrome. But what started as a well-heeled American automobile found a rebellious side in the ’60s when it evolved into a full-blown muscle car. Late in the decade, the genre was in full swing, and Dodge — possibly sensing it could do no wrong — decided to spice up the Coronet with a wild facelift that might have made Liberace do a double take.

Dodge scrapped the fairly conservative full-face grille of the 1968 and 1969 Coronet, replacing it with what looked like a pair of glasses you’d find in The Far Side comic strip, joined by standard faux quarter scoops. The base Coronet made do with six-cylinder power. At the top of the tree sat the R/T, with a 440 Magnum as standard and the 426 cubic-inch Hemi V8 — featuring dual quad carburetors and 425 horsepower — available as an option. Very few buyers ticked that box. Just 16 were sold with the Hemi, 14 of which were Coronet hardtops, according to Hagerty.

Fun Fact: The 1970 Coronet’s unusual twin-loop grille design was nicknamed the “Dame Edna” front end by enthusiasts because it resembled the oversized glasses worn by Australian entertainer Dame Edna Everage.

Why The Hemi Coronet Is So Rare

That means just two 1970 Coronet R/T Hemi cars were ordered as convertibles. In other words, only the one-of-one 1967 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 Super Snake can claim to be any rarer. Of the two Hemi Coronet drop-tops, one was built with a four-speed and the other with the TorqueFlite automatic, the former being automatically paired with a 9¾-inch Dana rear axle. That’s not to say the standard Coronets were flying off the shelves either. Just 2,319 hardtops and 296 convertibles were built for 1970, according to Hemmings, a sign that interest was waning for the once high-flying Dodge.

The Legendary 426 Hemi Is The Reason This Coronet Matters

Configuration	Block and Cylinder Head Material	Bore x Stroke	Compression Ratio	Induction	Output	Price
426 cu-in (7.0 liters) Naturally Aspirated OHV V8	Cast Iron	4.25 x 3.75 inches	10.25:1	Dual Carter AFB 4-barrel carburetors	425 hp @ 5,000 rpm/ 490 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm	$718

1970 426 Street Hemi V8 Specs

While the Coronet R/T was already a capable muscle car, the addition of Chrysler’s legendary Elephant Engine transformed it into a genuine blue-chip collectible. The Hemi’s story began with Chrysler’s FirePower V8 of the early 1950s, but the engine that enthusiasts revere today emerged a decade later when Chrysler needed an answer to fierce competition from Ford and other rivals on NASCAR and drag racing’s biggest stages. With the Max Wedge losing its edge, engineers developed a purpose-built 426 cubic-inch Hemi for the 1964 racing season. The Hemi’s combination of hemispherical combustion chambers, oversized valves, and a robust bottom end helped it produce more power than virtually anything else on the track.

The result was immediate domination, including a sweep of the top three positions at the 1964 Daytona 500. NASCAR officials quickly moved to curb its advantage by requiring race engines to be available in production vehicles, prompting Chrysler to homologate the 426 Hemi for the street. While the street Hemi became one of the most expensive options of the era, it was worth every penny — offering genuine race-bred technology, forged internals, and an output of 425 hp and 490 lb-ft that many believe was deliberately underrated for insurance purposes. The Hemi helped create absolute missiles like the Coronet R/T and others, ensuring Mopar was just as dominant on the street as it was on the track.

When Rarity Becomes Legend, Not Just Numbers

It’s easy to throw around production numbers and auction prices, but cars like the Coronet R/T Hemi exist in a different realm altogether. This isn’t just about scarcity — it’s about timing, perception, and a perfect storm of market forces. In 1970, buyers simply didn’t see the Hemi as a must-have. It was expensive, thirsty, and arguably overkill for street use. Muscle car buyers wanted performance, sure — but they also wanted value. The Hemi didn’t deliver that balance at the time, which is exactly why so few were built.

Fast-forward a few decades, and that same “mistake” has become the car’s greatest strength. Collectors today aren’t just buying a car with a good spec sheet — they want a car that tells a unique story, because those are the best investments. The idea that only two convertible Hemi Coronet R/Ts exist transforms the car from a machine into mythology. It’s no longer about how fast it is or how it drives, but about what it represents: a fleeting moment when automakers pushed boundaries just before tightening regulations and shifting buyer priorities changed everything.

That’s the real magic here. The Coronet R/T Hemi isn’t just rare — it’s a snapshot of an era that will never be repeated.

Fun Fact: Some Mopar historians recognize a third Swiss-export example, bringing total production to three.

The Junkyard Rescue That Saved One Of The Rarest Hemi Mopars Ever Built

Front 3/4 shot of 1970 Dodge Coronet R/T Hemi Convertible in the garage

Ticking the Hemi box on the order sheet might have been tempting at the dealership in 1970, but those who did soon found themselves in a financial bind. Not only was the Hemi option far more expensive than any other engine in the 1970 Coronet lineup, but it was also notoriously difficult to live with day to day. Insurance companies had begun cracking down on high-performance muscle cars, fuel prices were climbing, and the race-bred 426 Hemi demanded premium fuel while returning dreadful economy figures. For many owners, the solution was simple: sell the car, strip the valuable drivetrain, or trade it in for something more practical. Whether because of rising costs, neglect, or changing tastes, one of the two known Coronet R/T Hemi convertibles eventually found its way into a Canadian junkyard.

The car fell into disrepair at some point, lost its original 426 Hemi and A833 four-speed manual transmission, and eventually found its way to the junkyard, where it sat until a sharp-eyed Mopar enthusiast recognized its VIN and saved it from being scrapped. The car was returned to the road during the early 1980s using the restoration standards of the era, when many factory parts were still available through Chrysler dealerships. After decades in private collections, the Coronet eventually landed in the Brett Torino Collection. When its replacement Hemi began developing internal noises and low oil pressure, the owners sent it to Graveyard Carz for a meticulous nut-and-bolt restoration.

Graveyard Carz Undid Decades Of Hidden Damage

shot of 1970 Dodge Coronet R/T Hemi Convertible body panels and parts before restoration

Graveyard Carz completely disassembled the Coronet and sent its body through an acid-dipping process, revealing hidden flaws left behind by the earlier restoration. After correcting improperly repaired quarter panels that had been installed over rusted originals and concealed with body filler, the team refinished the car in its factory Deep Burnt Orange Metallic paint for a period-correct appearance.

The drivetrain also received a complete refresh. Interestingly, the car’s original Hemi had disappeared long before it was rescued from the Canadian junkyard. In its place sat a 1972 factory replacement 426 Hemi block that could be purchased directly from Chrysler dealerships over the counter. Graveyard Carz rebuilt that engine, along with the A833 four-speed transmission and Dana 60 rear axle, transforming the former junkyard refugee into one of the most accurately restored Coronet R/T Hemi convertibles in existence.

How The Coronet R/T Hemi Became A Million-Dollar Car

There are a lot of theories surrounding the fall in sales for the Coronet in 1970. Many point to the introduction of the Dame Edna front end. But that wasn’t the only issue for the R/T Hemi. Buyers needed to fork out an extra $718 for the 425-horsepower Hemi — the equivalent of well over $6,000 in today’s money — a steep ask when the post-war boom was giving way to stagflation. The fact that so few people opted for the Hemi is precisely what makes surviving examples so valuable now.

Prices Of R/T Coronets Are Sky High

1970 Dodge Coronet R/T Convertible front bumper

A 1970 Coronet R/T convertible with the 440 Six-Pack engine in perfect condition will set you back around $129,000, according to Hagerty. The four-speed car was restored on Velocity’s Graveyard Carz TV show, and the automatic went to auction through Mecum in 2008. When one of the four-speed Hemi R/T hardtops went up for sale in 2014, it fetched $305,000 — leaving collectors to wonder what a drop-top version would command. Hagerty’s expert estimate: at least $1,000,000. Graveyard Carz, having restored one, puts the figure closer to $1,500,000.

Why A Seven-Figure Valuation Makes Sense For This Hemi Coronet

Graveyard’s seven-figure price estimate for the Hemi-powered Coronet R/T convertible might sound ambitious at first glance, but to Mopar enthusiasts and muscle car collectors, it’s right on the money. That combination of the 426 Hemi, an open-top body style, and single-digit production numbers has yielded several seven-figure hammer prices in recent years, setting a clear precedent for what might happen if this Coronet R/T ever crossed the auction block.

In fact, one of those seven-figure results came when a 1971 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible sold for a staggering $3.3 million, reaffirming its status as one of the most valuable muscle cars ever built. With just 11 examples produced for 1971, the ‘Cuda convertible represents the pinnacle of Hemi-powered Mopar collectibility.

But it isn’t alone. Over the years, several other Hemi-powered Mopars have comfortably breached the million-dollar barrier. In August 2024, a 1969 Dodge Hemi Daytona sold for an astonishing $3.3 million, while its sister aero-car, the Superbird, sold for $1.65 million at auction in 2022. Add the ultra-rare 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi Convertible that sold for around $1.4 million, and it becomes clear that the Coronet R/T Hemi Convertible belongs to one of the most exclusive groups in the collector car world.

The only factor that might temper this particular Coronet’s value is its replacement Hemi block — but its extreme rarity could still be enough to earn it a place in the seven-figure club. Because Dodge built only two of these convertibles, collectors may well value the scarcity of the body over a perfectly matching factory engine.

That Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Get Hold Of A Coronet

Remember when we said rarity is everything for collectors? It also means that anyone with shallower pockets can get 80% of the car — as long as they could live without a 426 Hemi for a lot less. The R/T option was available as a coupe or convertible, with a 375-horsepower 440 as standard and a choice of four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission. Classic.com puts the average value of all 1970 Coronet R/Ts at $56,567, compared to $162,515 for the 1969 model. A four-barrel 1970 Dodge Coronet R/T convertible in good condition will cost around $27,400. Stepping down to a 230-horsepower 318-powered sedan means you’ll only need around $7,300. So the question is: what price do you put on rarity?