Collectibles: Old Challenger comes to life in this model
Thursday, August 03, 2006
By Don Hammonds, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
It seems that the world can never get enough of the Dodge Challenger.
The premier pony car introduced by Dodge in 1970 is poised to make a comeback when it is re-introduced in about two years as an addition to the Dodge high-performance lineup.
The model car world is crazy about the Challenger, too. You can find models of them in just about every color, with almost every engine and transmission setup, and in every scale from 1\64 to 1\18. And more are on the way.
This week, we're taking a look at the 1971 Dodge Challenger RT hardtop equipped with the 440-Six Pack V-8 engine that was considered a fast, street-worthy motor compared with the more racing-oriented 426 cubic inch Hemi engine. The car is painted Citron Yella, in the colorful nomenclature that Dodge and Plymouth often used to distinguish their Challenger and Barracuda.
The R/T (for road and track) hardtop was the mainstream high-performance coupe for Challenger, exceeded only by such models as the T/A in that regard. A total of 4,630 R/T Challenge coupes were built, and the 385 horsepower 440 Six Pack could hit 60 mph in 6.2 seconds.
The Supercar Collectibles Co., the Maple Grove, Minn., maker of our Challenger, has made quite a reputation for itself by ordering replicas made by other model companies and then converting them to replicas of extremely rare muscle cars.
Just like the real things, the replicas then escalate in value quickly. The company began in 1995 at the home of Jim Thoren, one of the company's owners. It now employs seven staffers, a number of whom own real rare muscle cars themselves.
Working features are extensive, including opening doors, hoods, trunk and glove box, folding, moveable seats, floor mats and painstakingly realistic seat belts and made out of fabric strikingly similar to real seat belts. Starting with a new Challenger mold and body designed and built by Highway 61, one of the better 1\18 scale manufacturers, Supercar Collectibles has come up with a painstakingly accurate and fun to display model with no flaws worth noting.
The yellow paint finish is a knockout, and the company was able to replicate exactly the color , unlike other model makers attempting to duplicate Citron Yella.
Prices for these models is generally in the $50 to $60 bracket at most stores that I checked, and since only 2,502 were made, they also are in extremely limited production. For more information, go to the Web site
www.supercar1.com.