The Dodge Challenger debuted in 1970 as the division’s first pony car ever – some seven model years after the corporate sibling, the A-body Plymouth Barracuda, inaugurated the genre on April 1, 1964.

The Dodge Challenger was introduced for the 1970 model year, at a time when demand for muscle cars was slowing down. However, the then-new E-body Mopar proved popular, moving 77,000 units. This number ...