Homologation was the name of the game for auto manufacturers who wanted to campaign their newest rides in organized racing competition. Virtually any model could qualify as long as the vehicle met the sanctioning body’s guidelines and the factory built the requisite number specified by that racing organization for public consumption.

In the late 1960’s and early 70’s, this mandate led to a spate of outrageous cars such as the Dodge Daytonas, the Plymouth Superbirds, the Ford Torino Talladegas and the Mercury Cyclones, the likes of which we’ll never see roaming the boulevards of this country again. Power plants ranged from the venerable 426 Hemi, to 428s and 429s to 440 wedges, and it sure didn’t hurt your image to be seen driving something on the street you just saw winning on the track last weekend. It was a win-win situation for the car crazies who inhabited the planet at that time but more importantly, it opened the door for the Big Three to engage and compete in the proven “race on Sunday, sell on Monday” philosophy. At that time, there wasn’t a better way to sell cars and everyone knew it. Customers wanted some “grunt” for their bucks and race inspired street cars was the way to go.

Small block aficionados longed for their place in the sun, too, which led to the introduction of the Ford Mustang Boss 302s, American Motors AMXs and Chevrolet Camaro Z/28s, but Chrysler didn’t have anything comparable until the Dodge Challenger T/A and the Plymouth AAR Cudas were unveiled in 1970, the same year the SCCA sanctioned Trans American Sedan Championship came into being.

Based upon Chrysler’s newly introduced E-body, the Dodge Challenger T/A offered a cornucopia of automotive delights that far exceeded its Trans Am classmates. Things like a high performance 340 engine topped with three Holley two barrels on an aluminum intake, a hinged matte black fiberglass hood with functional air scoop, low restriction dual exhausts that ran back to the trunk area then reversed direction exiting in front of the rear tires ending in a chromed megaphone exhaust tip, increased camber in the rear springs raising the rear of the car, E60-15 front and G60-15 rear tires, standard front disc brakes and bold T/A Six Pack graphics topped off by front and rear fiberglass spoilers. Colors? Here were some of the choices:  Panther Pink, Plum Crazy, Sublime, Go-Mango, Banana and Hemi Orange. It was a complete package, totaling a mere 2,539 copies that unfortunately lasted for just one year and by 1971 the T/A was a thing of the past. Since that time, the value of these automobiles has risen steadily and today restored and low mileage examples command prices more than ten times what they originally sold for.

In July of 1992, Ron Cassero was at the right place at the right time at the Chrysler dealership where he was working when a tow truck brought in a 1970 Challenger that had been sitting in the original owner’s garage since 1983, with a request to just get it running again. Once up on the rack, a rear sway bar was discovered and after checking the VIN, it became apparent that this wasn’t just any Challenger but a T/A even though it had a R/T hood, the triple carburetion had been removed and it had been treated to a $29.95 Earl Scheib paint job . Further research established the fact that the original owner had been killed in a motorcycle accident and that his mother, who spoke no English, had stored the car for all those years as her son would have wanted her to. Ron made arrangements to purchase the car from the family with the promise that it would be restored.

Over the next nine years, hard to find T/A parts were collected and after one year of final assembly, Cassero eventually transformed an ugly duckling into a rolling testimonial to the time when looking good and going fast meant something on and off the track. Most important of all was the fact that he had kept his promise.

Original Vehicle Specifications