In 1969, Chrysler went a little crazy. They looked at the Dodge Charger and decided it just wasn't weird enough, or rather, it wasn't fast enough to beat the Ford Torinos on the superspeedways. That obsession with speed birthed the Dodge Charger Daytona 1970, a car that looks like a spaceship and drives like a freight train. It’s the kind of vehicle that makes modern safety inspectors faint.
You see that massive two-foot tall rear wing? People used to joke it was for hanging laundry. Honestly, it was there because at 200 mph, the back of the car wanted to take flight like a Cessna. It worked. Buddy Baker drove one of these beasts at Talladega on March 24, 1970, and became the first person to officially clock over 200 mph in a NASCAR stock car. That’s 200.447 mph in a car with the aerodynamics of a brick that’s been sanded down on one end.
What Actually Makes a Daytona?
Most people think the 1969 and 1970 models are identical. They aren't. While the 1969 Daytona is the more famous "Aero Warrior," the Dodge Charger Daytona 1970 exists in a weird space of homologation rules and NASCAR's shifting goalposts. To race it, Dodge had to sell it to the public. They needed to move at least 500 units to satisfy Bill France and the NASCAR brass.
The nose cone is the most obvious giveaway. It adds almost 18 inches to the car's length. Because the original 1968-1970 Charger had a recessed grille that acted like a giant air bucket—basically a parachute for your front end—the engineers at Chrysler’s Missile Division (yes, actual rocket scientists) designed a fiberglass "beak." It slashed the drag coefficient down to about 0.28. For context, that’s better than many sports cars built thirty years later.
Then there’s the cooling issue. Putting a tiny slit in the nose meant the engine would overheat if you just drove it to the grocery store. The solution? Those weird, rear-facing scoops on the front fenders. A lot of people think they’re for brake cooling. Nope. They were actually designed to relieve air pressure built up in the wheel wells at high speeds, which prevented front-end lift. Without them, the car would feel "light" at 150 mph. With them, it stayed glued to the asphalt.
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The Hemi vs. The 440 Magnum
Under the hood, you usually found one of two monsters. The 440 Magnum was the "standard" engine, pushing out a very respectable 375 horsepower. It was a torque monster. Great for the street. Easy to tune.
But the 426 Hemi? That’s the legend.
The Hemi was rated at 425 horsepower, but everyone knew that was a lie. Chrysler underrated it for insurance purposes; in reality, it was pushing closer to 480 or 500 horsepower. If you find an original Hemi Dodge Charger Daytona 1970 today, you’re looking at a multi-million dollar auction piece. Only 70 Hemis were produced for the Daytona run in 1969, and by the time 1970 rolled around, the car was already being phased out for the Plymouth Superbird.
Why the 1970 Model is Often Misunderstood
The 1970 model year for the Daytona is technically a bit of a ghost. Most "Daytonas" are 1969 models. However, because of how titles and sales worked back then, several units were sold or registered as 1970 vehicles. Furthermore, the 1970 Dodge Charger itself got a massive chrome loop bumper that distinguished it from the '69.
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In the racing world, the "Aero Warriors" were so dominant that NASCAR effectively banned them for the 1971 season. They did this by saying any car with these aerodynamic features could only have an engine displacement of 305 cubic inches. You can't win a race with a tiny 305 when everyone else is running 426s and 427s. So, the Daytona died so that the sport could "stay stock." Basically, it was too good at its job.
The Driving Experience: Not Exactly Luxury
If you ever get the chance to sit in one, don't expect a Lexus. It’s loud. It smells like unburnt gasoline and vinyl. The visibility is atrocious because of the wing. When you’re backing up, you can’t see anything but a giant horizontal bar of sheet metal.
The steering is heavy, even with power assist. The brakes—drums in the rear, usually—are merely a suggestion if you're going fast. It’s a physical car. You don’t drive a Dodge Charger Daytona 1970 as much as you wrestle it into submission. But when that second set of barrels on the carburetor opens up? There is no sound on earth like a big-block Mopar at full tilt. It’s a mechanical scream that you feel in your chest.
Survival and Value in Today's Market
Finding one of these today is a chore. Many were crashed. Others had their nose cones and wings removed because, frankly, they looked ridiculous in 1974. People were embarrassed to drive a "clown car" during the oil crisis.
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- Check the VIN: Real Daytonas start with XX29.
- The Wing: It’s made of aluminum, not fiberglass. If it’s magnetic, it’s a fake.
- The Nose: Look for the internal bracing. If it’s just bolted to the fenders without the proper support structures, it’s a clone.
Values for the Dodge Charger Daytona 1970 have skyrocketed. A "survivor" car with original paint can easily clear $400,000. If it’s a Hemi car in a high-impact color like "Plum Crazy" or "Go Mango," you’re entering the stratosphere of $1 million plus.
Actionable Steps for Collectors and Fans
If you're looking to get into the world of Aero Warriors, start by joining the Winged Warriors/National B-Body Owners Association. They are the gatekeepers of the registries. Don't buy a car without a broadcast sheet or a Fender Tag. There are more "clones" on the market today than there were actual cars produced in 1969 and 1970.
For those who just want the look, several companies manufacture high-quality fiberglass nose cones and aluminum wings to convert a standard Charger. It's a much cheaper way to get the stares at a local car show without the stress of driving a rolling museum piece.
If you're a student of history, look up the "Norden" wind tunnel tests. It's fascinating to see how Chrysler engineers used string and polaroid cameras to figure out downforce before computer modeling existed. They were basically guessing, and they guessed right.
The Dodge Charger Daytona 1970 remains the peak of the muscle car era’s "no-rules" mentality. It was built for one reason: to win. It did that, then it was banned, and now it’s a legend. There will never be another car like it because modern physics—and modern lawyers—simply wouldn't allow it.