383 Magnum Mopar Muscle Cars That Challenged Hemis On The Auction Block
Rated at 425 hp and 490 lb-ft of torque, the Chrysler 426ci Hemi V-8 was the defining engine of the Golden Age of American Muscle, guaranteeing ETs in the 13s for any car it was equipped with. It is also the rarest classic big-block, with only 9,761 produced from 1966 to 1971 across 14 Dodge and Plymouth nameplates. Today, rare Hemi muscle cars can sell into the millions, and slightly more common ones are multi-six-figure rides at auction. Next in the line of succession are cars with 440ci Six Pack V-8s that offered Hemi-like performance for half the price, which have been coming on strong in the collector’s market. In a surprise to most enthusiasts, Mopars with entry-level 383ci Magnum V-8s are also quietly big-money collectibles, with some crossing the block for more than Six Pack or Hemi-equipped muscle.
10
1971 Plymouth Road Runner
Auction Price: $92,400
1971 was a significant year in Mopartown as it was the debut of the radical “fuselage” body style of the second-gen Plymouth Road Runner and the demise of the 426 Street Hemi. It was also a mighty lean year for Hemis, with only 55 finding their way under the hoods of Road Runners, which is why one pretty spectacular ’71 sold for $550,000. Obviously, no 383 car has come close to that, but this Hemi Orange four-speed went for almost $100,000 at Mecum Kissimmee 2022, which is an impressive sum for a common base-model Mopar. While the car did undergo a rotisserie restoration, it was refinished in a non-original color, which is usually a price dropper on a Mopar. For the record, we did find a few ’71 Road Runner Hemis that stalled in the low $100,000 range and didn’t sell, so the 383 is closing the gap on this one.
9
1971 Dodge Charger Super Bee
Auction Price: $94,600
Picking up the mantle as a no-frills speedster from the Dodge Coronet-based Super Bee, the 1971 Charger Super Bee was a budget bruiser that was never considered particularly collectible until more recently. It did, however, become valuable with a vengeance, with several Hemi-equipped examples topping the $200,000 mark at auction. A ’71 Charger Super Bee 383 used to be a parts car more or less, but now at least one is homing in on six figures, selling for $94,600 in 2025. There is nothing super-special about this Blue Super Bee other than it is a four-speed and has undergone an extensive restoration. What is probably driving the price up on these is the fact that Hemis and Six Packs are getting scarce and people still crave the awesome styling of the third-gen Charger and are gaining a greater appreciation for the 383 Magnum V-8.
8
1970 Plymouth Road Runner
Auction Price: $110,000
The Plymouth Road Runner was equipped with a 426 Street Hemi more often than any other Mopar muscle car, with 2,014 of the iconic V-8s produced from 1968 to 1971. In 1970, the Hemi train was slowing down with only 152 Road Runners hopping on board. Shockingly, despite their rarity, ’70 Road Runner Hemis often sell below $100k with one numbers-matching car in good condition crossing the block in 2019 for just $66,000. That Alpine White Road Runner pictured above was factory-equipped with a 383ci Magnum V-8 and blew up Mecum Indy 2025, selling for $110,000. That, by the way, is more than at least six 1971 Hemi Road Runners were sold for or bid to, which is exactly as insane as it sounds. Another Road Runner 383 sold for $106,700 in 2023, so this is not a fluke.
7
1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda Convertible
Auction Price: $118,250
Drop-tops are a price multiplier when it comes to classic Mopar muscle, because they simply didn’t make very many of them. In the case of the 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda, there were only 548 ever made, with just 14 Hemi cars. A ’70 Hemi ‘Cuda convertible is a multi-million-dollar ride, which seems unrealistic for a 383 drop-top, but with just 209 examples, they ain’t exactly cheap either. That Vitamin C convertible above made some seller’s day, crossing the block for a whopping $188,250 in 2026, and definitely put a smile on the buyer’s face as well, because it’s a spotless and well-documented example. For context, Plymouth made 666 ’70 Hemi ‘Cudas which, by comparison, makes the Hemi relatively common, and we actually found five hardtops that sold for less than this 383 convertible, so that sale is a powerful statement for the base-model Magnum V-8.
6
1971 Dodge Challenger Convertible – $143,000
Auction Price: $143,000
The Dodge Challenger was the last new Mopar muscle car of the Golden Age, introduced in 1970, when it was a smash success. By 1971, however, the hype subsided and sales fell from 76,935 to just 27,377 units. In a strange turn of events, there were no Challenger Hemi R/T convertibles in 1971, so by default, the 383 drop-tops are the biggest sellers in that category. That Butterscotch example pictured above claims to be 1-of-126 ’71 convertible 383s with a Torqueflite automatic transmission, and who are we to argue? It sold for $143,000 in 2025, which is close to Hemi hardtop territory. In fact, a Green Go ’71 Hemi R/T sold for $115,000 in 2023, far below the 383 convertible, but the listing doesn’t specifically say it was a numbers-matching car, which almost certainly means it wasn’t.
5
1970 Dodge Super Bee – $154,000
Auction Price: $154,000
A 383-equipped 1970 Dodge Super Bee with a delightfully absurd Panther Pink paint code and white vinyl hardtop combination sold for the seemingly impossible sum of $154,000 in 2024. This is a significant achievement because ’70 Hemi Super Bees and Coronets are tragically slept on. These cars are far and few between, with only two Hemi Super Bees ever having been listed for auction, with one selling for $187,000 in 2023 and the other for $159,500 in 2019, which is just a couple of bucks more than the 383 car. The ’70 Coronet Hemi R/T, which has the exact same sheet metal as the Super Bee, is one of the rarest and least appreciated Mopars of all time. They only produced 14 Coronet Hemi R/Ts in 1970, with one selling for $143,000 in 2018 and another failing to hit the reserve in 2022 with a high bid of $120,000. With that perspective, it seems completely bonkers that a 383 could break the bank like this.
4
1969 Plymouth Road Runner
Auction Price: $156,750
1969 was the Plymouth Road Runner’s biggest year, moving 81,105 units, and 78,906 of those had a 335-horsepower 383ci V-8. There were 788 426 Hemi cars that year, which is actually fairly common for a Mopar muscle car model year, but extremely rare when compared to the 383s. While there are definitely some top-dollar ’70 Hemi Road Runners, there are also a dozen or so that have sold below the six-figure line, including a 40,000-mile numbers-matching excellent condition example that barely made a ripple at Mecum Indy 2017, selling for $88,000. By contrast, a Bronze Metallic 383 Road Runner sold for $156,750 in 2023 and the only thing remarkable about it is that it was restored to factory original specs. To be fair, this is a great car, but how can it sell for almost twice the price of a numbers-matching Hemi? It’s mind-boggling but also kind of inspiring that a 383 can reach this level of collectibility.
3
1970 Dodge Charger 500 – $220,000
Auction Price: $220,000
This Panther Pink 1970 Dodge Charger 500 gives an apples-to-apples comparison versus the Hemi R/T, proving the selling power of the 383 Magnum. The 383-equipped Charger 500 sold for $220,000 in 2026, which proved to be a genuine Hemi-killing price. A ’70 Charger Hemi R/T did sell for $352,000 in 2022, which is the highest price paid for a second-gen Charger, but there are many more that fell flat. There are at least three that couldn’t crack $200k and failed to sell, and five more that went for under the 383’s price, including a numbers-matching Plum Crazy Hemi that went for just $103,400 in 2013. More recently, in 2022, a ’70 Charger Hemi R/T sold for $198,000, which is a significant sum, but nothing compared to what the 383 car achieved. The thing is, they only made 112 Charger Hemi R/Ts in 1970, so this is one of the more rare Mopars and apparently one of the most undervalued as well.
2
1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Convertible
Auction Price: $225,000
A 1970 Dodge Challenger Hemi R/T convertible sold for $1.8 million, which is a price no 383 will go for in our lifetimes. A 383 Magnum car, however, can best a hardtop Hemi R/T, and that car above is the one that proves it. That’s a perfectly restored, numbers-matching ’70 Challenger R/T equipped with a 383ci V-8, which sold for $225,000 in 2024. It claims to be the only car with black paint, a red interior, and a white convertible roof, though that is probably not a major selling point. When compared to ’70 Challenger Hemi R/T hardtops on the auction block, it beats a lot of fairly perfect and documented cars. The only ’70 Hemi R/T with a factory sunroof sold for $660,000, but there are also dozens that dropped the gavel for less than this 383 marvel. An all-original, rotisserie restoration, Plum Crazy ’70 Challenger Hemi R/T with the Super Trak Pak seems like it should smoke a 383 on the block, but one just like that only closed for $220,000 in 2022.
1
1971 Plymouth ‘Cuda Convertible
Auction Price: $239,250
With only 12 units produced, the 1971 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda convertible is a genuine Mopar unicorn, but since most of them remain hidden, they’re actually Holy Grails when they come up for auction. One recently sold for $3.3 million and, way back in 2014, a Bright Blue example broke the record books, going for $3.8 million, but also in 2021 a Hemi ‘Cuda drop-top was bid up to $4.8 million before failing to hit the reserve. Those prices are a lot to ask from a 383 car, and you’ve probably guessed that no such sale exists. The triple-black ’71 ‘Cuda convertible featured in this section, on the other hand, did make a similar statement for 383-equipped Mopars, crossing the block for $239,250 at Mecum Kissimmee 2024. That price is not enough to beat any legitimate ’71 Hemi ‘Cuda hardtop, but we did find a restored and documented car that was bid up to $220,000 but didn’t sell in 2019, so that’s a technical win for the 383.
Sources: Mecum
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments