The Dodge Challenger originally debuted for the 1970 model year.
Dodge introduced the first-generation Challenger as a new Chrysler E-body pony car in the autumn of 1969, selling it as a 1970 model. It shared major components with the Plymouth Barracuda but used a longer 110-inch wheelbase and larger dimensions, positioning it against the Mercury Cougar and other upscale performance coupes.
The debut lineup included standard Challenger models and the higher-performance Challenger R/T. Buyers could choose from engines ranging from a 225-cubic-inch slant-six to formidable V8s, including the 426 Hemi. The model was available as a hardtop or convertible, with numerous trim and engine combinations.
There is one historical wrinkle: Dodge had used the Challenger name in 1959 for a value-oriented version of the full-size Coronet, called the Silver Challenger. That earlier name use was not the muscle-car model. In normal automotive-history usage, the original Dodge Challenger pony car debuted for 1970, and first-generation production ran through the 1974 model year.