Considered by many to be the most iconic muscle cars in the world, the Mopar Division cars are products of the Chrysler Corporation lineage. Mopar cars are known for their distinctive styling, the cutting-edge engineering of the day, and for housing the most powerful production V8 engines in history. Mopar models continue to generate incredible demand and huge price tags, decades later, at auctions.
The appeal of world rare Mopar collectible cars extends far beyond raw horsepower. Production numbers, factory originality, motorsport heritage, and historical significance all influence their desirability. Some were built to dominate NASCAR, while others became drag strip legends thanks to Chrysler’s legendary 426 HEMI and 440 Six Pack engines. Their scarcity has transformed them into some of the most sought-after collector vehicles ever produced.
For those passionate about the muscle cars of yesteryear, it is important to understand what are Mopar cars. The name is derived from a combination of the words “Motor Parts,” Chrysler’s official division of parts, and “Performance.” Mopar cars are a conglomeration of Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler, and a few other divisions. In modern parlance, Mopar means factory performance and racing, and by extension, some of the best American muscle cars.
How This Ranking Was Determined
This ranking considers several factors rather than focusing solely on auction values. Production numbers, factory specifications, collector demand, historical importance, motorsport achievements, originality, and long-term appreciation have all been taken into account. The result is a list of the world’s rare Mopar collectible cars that continue to define American muscle car history.
10: 1968 Plymouth HEMI Barracuda (B-body)
Production year: 1968 (1 year)
Engine: 426 in HEMI V8 (425 hp)
Built: ~50 race-stripped B-body drag cars.
Rarity: Made at Chrysler’s Hamtramck plant for NHRA Super Stock racing (model code B029). Every car was a race-stripped ‘drag racer’ with a fiberglass hood and no back seat. Of these drag racers, maybe about 50 are documented.
Collector Value: These cars are ultra-rare and have very little presence in the market. In 2011, an all-original and fully restored HEMI ‘Cuda drag car was offered for sale at $80,000 and did not sell. Currently, fully restored and original examples of this drag car are valued at around or in excess of $80,000.
Verdict: One year only, this piece of Mopar racing lore is drag racing history that only the most committed of collectors will search for.
9: 1969 Dodge Super Bee A12 (Six-Pack)
Production years: Just in 1969
Engine: 440 Magnum V8 with 3×2-barrel Six-Pack
Built: 1,907 A12 Super Bees
Rarity: The performance package for the 1969 A12 Super Bee was one of the more infrequently ordered packages. Out of approximately 14,000 Super Bees ordered that year, 1,907 included the A12 Six-Pack package.
Collector Value: Pricing for the 1969 A12 Super Bee has an active sales market, showing values between $80,000 and $130,000. The Barrett-Jackson Auction (Scottsdale 2020) set the documented sales record for this model with the price of $117,700.
Verdict: This model stands as one of the best performance cars of the 1969 model year, but with almost 2,000 cars built, it isn’t as rare as later model year HEMI cars. It is very much appreciated by collectors for its racing history and on-track performance.
8: 1970 Dodge Coronet Super Bee Six-Pack (R-code)
Production Year: 1970
Engine: 440 cu in Magnum “Six-Pack” V8 (390 hp)
Built: About 15,506 Super Bees were made; 1,268 were 440 Six-Pack V-codes (of which 42 had the Hemi option). Rarity: The 1970 Coronet Super Bee with 440/6-barrel (V-code) is a drag-performance special-order model. Six-Pack Bees are among the rarest of the rare, with only 1,268 built (of which only 42 were built with the 426 Hemi option).
Collector Value: These Super Bees are underappreciated collector cars, especially when compared with the Hemi. Two “V-code” Bees sold for about $48k in 2011. The price of a restored example is about $50k to $100k today, depending on the condition, the removal of the original paperwork, and the plating.
Verdict: During the era, you could easily see how powerful it was as a drag car (check out Norm Kraus’s 1969 Six-Pack as an example). It is very collectible, just like the rest of the Bees. The only reason this car is “not so attainable” is because of.
7: 1970 Plymouth Superbird
Figure: the 1970 Plymouth Superbird (Petty Blue) – extreme homologation race car. There are only ~1,935 cars ever made (including 135 426 HEMIs).
Production Years: 1970 only
Engines Offered: 440 ci 4-bbl (375 hp) or 440/6-Pack (390 hp) or 426 HEMI (425 hp)
Built: ~1,920–1,935 units (which includes 34 export units)
Rarity: built to meet the NASCAR homologation standard, “winged” Road Runners are rare. Approximately 1,935 Superbirds were built. HEMI models are even rarer. Of the Superbirds built, only 135 were 426 HEMI Superbirds.
Collector Value: HEMI Superbirds are essentially the “holy grail” of muscle cars. 440/6BBL models are still garnering mid-six-figure sums, with the example from Bring-a-Trailer (2025) getting $286,000. HEMI Birds (with the correct engine) have sold in the $500,000–$1,600,000 range (with one example getting ~$1,650,000).
The Superbird is outrageous, easily one of the most famous cars in the Mopar world, along with the HEMI ‘Cuda
6: 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona
Production years: Only in 1969
Engine: Options include 440 ci 4-bbl (375 hp), 440/6-Pack (390 hp), or 426 HEMI (425 hp)
Built: 503 units built in total (70 with 426 HEMI)
Rarity: First-ever NASCAR wing car. Built from June to December 1969, only 503 were made, with only 70 featuring the 426 HEMI.
Collector Value: A documented 4-speed HEMI Charger Daytona sold for $1.32 million at Mecum Indy 2022. Even non-HEMI Daytonas are highly collectible, typically selling in the $300,000 to $500,000 range.
Verdict: The 1969 Daytona is a rare addition to true NASCAR heritage, featuring some of the fastest aerodynamics of the time. While Daytonas are a muscular holy grail, the Superbird dominates in scarcity.
5: 1968 Dodge Dart LO23 “Hurst Hemi Dart”
Production years: 1968
Engine: 426 ci HEMI V8 (425 hp advertised, but often very close to 500 hp)
Built: Approximately 80 factory Super Stock drag racer cars.
Rarity: Chrysler’s compact dragster. Dodge provided the limited HEMI Dart kit (code LO23), which Hurst Performance assembled. Only ~80 HEMI Darts were made.
Collector Value: They’re pretty much never seen. They were recently valued at $170k–$300k, with a low-mileage original one going for $302,500 at the Mecum auction (Jan 2022).
Verdict: The Hemi Dart is the rarest of the “compact” Mopar muscle cars. It easily won Super Stock drag racing, but with its HEMI, it’s nearly impossible to find on the streets. True HEMI drag racing fans and collectors go absolutely nuts for the Hemi Dart.
4: 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T HEMI Convertible
Production years: 1970 only
Engine: 426 ci HEMI V8 (425 hp)
Cars Built: 12 cars (9 for the US, 3 for export).
Rarity: Evolving oddity: HEMI Challenger drop-top. 9 right-hand drive HEMI Challenger R/T convertibles for the US market (and 3 for export) were produced by Dodge in 1970. Even fewer buyers seemed to want them back in the day.
Collector Value: The rarity of these cars certainly makes them desirable. One of the 9 produced, the 2nd built Challenger, sold for $750,000 back in 2010. Depending on how original the car is, these cars can demand between $500,000 and $1,000,000 currently.
Verdict: The 1970 Challenger Convertible is 1 of the rarest E-body cars and is a true rolling museum piece. The Challenger is an older classic, and demand has been strong since 2000 (e.g. $750,000 – $1,000,000 sales). There have been ups and downs with its demand over the years, as noted.
3: 1970 Plymouth HEMI ’Cuda Convertible
Production years: 1970 only
Engine: 426 HEMI V8 (425 hp)
Total Production: 14
Rarity: Legendary. Dodge and Plymouth manufactured only 41 HEMI E-body Convertibles during the 1970–’71 model years. Of those, only 14 were 1970 HEMI ‘Cuda Convertibles. Due to their high output and low chassis strength, they were sold in very small numbers.
Collector Value: They’re setting muscle car records. A 1970 HEMI ‘Cuda Convertible sold for $2.16 million (Barrett-Jackson) in 2006. A 1971 sold for $3.78 million in 2014. The value has only gone up, with current estimates on a numbers-matching 1970 4-speed Convertible ranging from $2 million to $4 million.
Verdict: A combination of power and rarity has collectors labeling the HEMI ‘Cuda Convertible the “holy grail” of Mopars. With only 14 made, the owner of one of the 14 rare muscle cars famously turned down a $ 4.1 million offer.
Also read: Grandeur Heritage Series Concept: 1980s Icon Goes Electric
2: 1971 Plymouth HEMI ’Cuda Hardtop
Production years: 1971 only
Engine: 426 ci HEMI V8 (425 hp)
Built: ~75–80 total (59 with four-speed, ~19 with automatic)
Rarity: Last year of first-gen’Cuda and last of the Mopar HEMI 4-door (Sedan was out). In 1971, about 59 HEMI ’Cuda four-doors were produced, some made with Automatics. In contrast, there were 14 HEMI ’Cuda Convertibles and about 70 four-speed HEMIs in 1970.
Collector Value: Very popular and documented examples of the 4-speed HEMI hardtop have an auction value of $300k–$500k; Automatics are worth less. One example in 2023 had a sale value of $396k. Cars that are unaltered and original can have an auction value of $500k
Verdict: Second only to the Convertible, this car is the rarest Mopar production Coupe. It has a streetable value of nearly as much as the Convertible. This makes it very popular among car collectors, and some days it is called the greatest Mopar of all time.
1: 1971 Plymouth HEMI ’Cuda Convertible
Production years: 1971 only
Engine: 426 ci HEMI V8 (425 hp)
Built: ~75–80 total (59 with four-speed, ~19 with automatic)
Rarity: Last year of first-gen’Cuda and last of the Mopar HEMI 4-door (Sedan was out). In 1971, about 59 HEMI ’Cuda four-doors were produced, some made with Automatics. In contrast, there were 14 HEMI ’Cuda Convertibles and about 70 four-speed HEMIs in 1970.
Collector Value: Very popular and documented examples of the 4-speed HEMI hardtop have an auction value of $300k–$500k; Automatics are worth less. One example in 2023 had a sale value of $396k. Cars that are unaltered and original can have an auction value of $500k
Verdict: Second only to the Convertible, this car is the rarest Mopar production Coupe. It has a streetable value of nearly as much as the Convertible. This makes it very popular among car collectors, and some days it is called the greatest Mopar of all time.
Why Rare Mopars Continue to Appreciate
Unlike many classic vehicles, rare Mopars continue to gain value because demand consistently exceeds supply. Matching-numbers engines, factory documentation, original paint colours, and authentic restoration work significantly influence market prices. Collectors also place considerable importance on racing pedigree and historical significance, making these vehicles attractive investments as well as automotive icons.
The story of Mopar is one of innovation, performance, and engineering excellence. Understanding what Mopar cars are and the Mopar meaning reveals why these machines continue to dominate collector auctions decades after production ended. From the aerodynamic Superbird and Charger Daytona to the legendary HEMI ‘Cuda Convertible, these rare Mopar collectible cars represent the very best of American muscle. Their rarity, performance, and historical importance ensure they remain among the most desirable classics in the automotive world, admired by enthusiasts and collectors for generations to come.
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