Story
Why it matters
The 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi is one of the last factory Street Hemi muscle cars. Dodge kept the R/T hardtop as the performance Challenger for 1971, gave the model-year car its split grille and revised rear panel, and still allowed buyers to order the 426 Hemi with dual four-barrel carburetion and a 425-horsepower gross rating.
This page treats the public target as a factory 1971 Challenger R/T hardtop equipped with the 426 Hemi. That boundary matters because 1971 Challenger convertibles were not regular-production R/T Hemi cars, and because many later cars wear convincing R/T or Hemi visual equipment. The strongest public claim is the hardtop JS23/R-code path supported by VIN, fender tag, broadcast sheet, engine and transmission stampings, axle evidence, and original paperwork.
The checked references agree on the important collector checks: R/T equipment, 426 Hemi engine specification, four-speed or TorqueFlite transmission paths, Hemi-specific axle ratios, Shaker/fresh-air hood context, and the final-year Hemi story. Production totals vary slightly in public references, so this page uses conservative wording and keeps exact survivor or transmission-split claims tied to the source that states them.
The gallery uses licensed 1971 Challenger R/T media as model-line context and source-card summaries for the Hemi-specific drivetrain and authentication details. A photographed R/T, badge, stripe, or auction listing is not treated as proof that another car is an original Hemi build.