Rotting 1970s Challengers And ‘Cudas Sit Between A For-Sale Sign And The Crusher
Dodge built just 165,437 first-generation Challengers before production ended in late April 1974, weeks after the last Plymouth Barracuda on April 1. Today, Hagerty shows 1971 Challenger R/T sales ranging from $34,125 all the way to $228,250 over the last three years.
Not every E-body survivor landed in a heated garage under a fancy cover, though. One group in the Midwest is sitting outside in tall grass with parts going missing, and its future is still up in the air.
Chrysler’s E-Body Muscle Cars Peaked Early And Faded Fast
The Challenger and Barracuda muscle cars shared Chrysler’s E-body platform, with the Dodge riding on a wheelbase 2 inches longer than the Plymouth. Both arrived for 1970 with engine choices that stretched all the way up to the 425 hp 426 Hemi.
Challenger output dropped from 76,935 cars in 1970 to under 30,000 in 1971, and the shortened 1974 run added just 11,354 more. The Hemi and the big-blocks were gone after 1971, and the R/T made way for the milder Rallye in 1972.
Bulky 5-mph bumpers showed up for 1973 to meet federal crash rules. By 1974, the top Challenger engine was a 360 V8 rated at 245 hp.
Around 30 E-Bodies Fill One Corner Of Illinois’ Mopar City
Mopar City in Oregon, Illinois has been listed at 5.5 acres, with more than 800 parts cars. On a recent tour, YouTube channel Auto Archaeology found around 30 Challengers and ‘Cudas grouped in one section of the yard.
Most are 1972 to 1974 models, which helps explain why the crew identified only one Challenger R/T, a blue 1971 from the badge’s final year.
A Plum Crazy 1970 Challenger brings some color to the row, and the host figures its rear bumper beats the one on his own 1971. It’s also slowly donating itself to other projects, since a fender was apparently pulled off it recently.
An orange 318-powered 1970 Challenger sits in the same area, while a white-interior car from around 1972 has held on to much of its cabin.
Tall grass has swallowed much of this section, which looked almost clear in the host’s 2022 drone footage. Something has also been walking across at least one car, and his best guess is a raccoon.
A Retirement Sale Has Outlasted The Patience Of The Crusher
Owner Larry Pontnack announced he was retiring and closing Mopar City in early 2021, after more than 50 years in the business. He had already advertised it for about 10 years without finding the right buyer, and said scrapping the old Mopars would break his heart.
The land, the cars, and everything else are still for sale, but the host doesn’t know the asking price. He also doesn’t think project cars are sold individually anymore, so rescuing a single Challenger may not be an option.
Pontnack told him he was going to start crushing cars. The host doubts the E-bodies are in that lineup, but some of the really cut-up husks here will probably go.
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