The Dodge Challenger is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and Dodge is rolling out a special treat for fans of the muscle car with the Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition. The special edition Challenger is not a traditional stand-alone SE model. Instead, it is a special edition trim package that will be available in seven different colors on four Challenger trim models: the GT RWD, R/T Shaker, R/T Scat Pack Shaker, and R/T Scat Pack Shaker Widebody. Only 70 units will be built in each color for each trim. That adds up to a total of 1,960 units. The cost of the 50th anniversary trim will vary depending on the Challenger trim. Prices range from $4,995 to $5,995.

It’s hard to imagine the Dodge Challenger being 50 years old, and yet here we are, celebrating the golden anniversary of a car that’s largely responsible for shaping and influencing the muscle car industry in the U.S. In any event, the Challenger remains hugely popular among muscle car aficionados. That much was clear when it scored a huge upset over the Ford Mustang when it outsold the ‘Stang in the third quarter of 2019. At least for one round, the Challenger ascended to the top of the muscle car mountain. If there was ever a time to commemorate the Challenger’s impact in the muscle car industry, it would’ve been this year when the nameplate turns 50 years old.

Exterior

The Dodge Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition is dressed to impress, and that’s saying something for a car that rarely gets recognition for its aesthetics beyond the obvious retro-inspired looks. This time, Dodge made sure the Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition looks the part of a true SE. If you’re going to buy the Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition package, there’s really only one color that you should choose: Gold Rush.

The Gold Rush color is the perfect color for the Dodge Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition. It’s perfect because of its symbolic connection with the Challenger’s golden anniversary. It’s perfect because it looks great on the Challenger. It’s perfect because it makes the Challenger’s aesthetics pop out in ways you don’t get to see these days. Combine the color with the Satin Black hood, roof, fuel filler door, and rear deck, creating a two-tone visual that looks absolutely stunning. You can even dress up the shaker hood scoop with the same Gold Rush finish. It’s also the first the shaker will be available with a Widebody Challenger. How’s that for an added treat?

There’s another reason to be partial to the Gold Rush finish. Check out the wheels. That’s a set of 20-inch wheels that wears a special paint finish that Dodge calls “Gold School.” With respect to the other exterior colors that are available to the Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition, it doesn’t get any cooler than the special edition Challenger wearing a Gold Rush finish with fender badges and a set of wheels finished in Gold School. There’s something cool yet understated about the whole setup. It doesn’t scream for attention the way you’d expect, but you still can’t take your eyes away from it.

Interior

The interior of the Dodge Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition isn’t as spellbinding as the exterior, in part because it’s really hard to upstage Dodge’s exterior package for the Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition.

The prominent features of the Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition’s interior revolve around the premium materials that Dodge used to dress up the space. The black Nappa leather with the Alcantara accents dominate the proceedings, but it’s the Sepia accent stitching that really elevates the car’s exclusivity to another level. I don’t think it’s an accident that Dodge opted to use Sepia in this model. The color is representative of an old school era when the Challenger was already making a name for itself as a legitimate muscle car. I think Dodge used Sepia accent stitching specifically to create a stylistic bridge between the old-school Challenger and the modern Challenger. The stitching works well, too, when you combine it with the Nappa Black leather surfaces and all the carbon fiber accents scattered throughout the interior. You don’t immediately see the stitching, but once you do, you can’t take your eyes off of it.

For what it’s also worth, the Sepia accent stitching isn’t the only design callback in the Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition’s interior. The instrument cluster also has its own retro nod in the form of a yellow pinstripe — a nod to the Challengers of yesteryear — around the gauge dials. The floor mats are exclusive, too, as you can see with the 50th Anniversary logo branded into them. Speaking of the logo, you’ll also see a small plaque of the same logo under the passenger-side A/C vent.

The rest of the special edition Challenger’s interior comes in standard configuration, though you should be pleased that heating and ventilation come standard in the seats. The layout of the dashboard and the center console are no different from the versions you’ll see in whichever Challenger trim you dress up with the 50th Anniversary Edition package.

It’s important to also mention that not only does the Challenger come with the largely loved Uconnect high-tech infotainment system, but it also offers 16.2 cubic feet of trunk space. That’s one of the largest ones in its class. Neither of these things is related to the 50th Anniversary Edition package, but you might as well know what you’re getting with the Challenger, too.

Powertrain

You would think that Dodge, which once had the SRT Demon and the SRT Hellcat in the ranks of Challenger models, would give an important special edition package an engine upgrade. But that’s not the case.

Instead, the special edition package will retain the same engines that are fitted into the specific trim of the muscle car. In the case of the Challenger GT RWD, that engine is a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 unit that produces 305 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque. Power transfers from the engine to the two rear wheels courtesy of an eight-speed automatic transmission, though there is an option to upgrade to all-wheel drive should that suit you. With the rear-wheel drive setup, the Challenger GT RWD can clock a sprint-to-60-mph in 6.3 seconds. it’s a quick time for a 305-horsepower V-6 engine, but it’s not as quick as the four-cylinder versions of the Mustang and Camaro, both of which can cover the same ground in less than six seconds.

Meanwhile, the Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker relies on a bigger and meaner 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine that produces a stout 375 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. A much more fun, if not more challenging Tremec six-speed manual transmission comes standard on the R/T Shaker, which, in turn, sends power to the two rear wheels, helping the muscle car sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.7 seconds.

The Challenger R/T Scat Pack Shaker and the Challenger R/T Scat Pack Shaker Widebody are both powered by a 392-cubic-inch 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 with a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission. This engine produces 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. It only takes 4.7 seconds for these Challenger trim options to sprint from 0 to 60 mph.

Dodge Challenger lineup

Final Thoughts

I don’t need any convincing when it comes to the Dodge Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition. I don’t need anybody to tell me to buy it because this is one of those special edition models that counts as a must-have if you’re a Dodge Challenger enthusiast. It’s not as limited as I’d like — 1,960 units is still a lot — but there’s a case to be made that the 280 units of the Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition that wear the Gold Rush exterior paint finish will ascend to collectible status in the future. It’s that awesome of a package, especially when you throw in the Gold School fenders and wheels. Pricing for the 50th Anniversary Package depends on the Challenger trim that you use it on, but expect to pay anywhere from $4,995 to $5,995 for the package. Just be quick about it because something tells me that all 1,960 units will be scooped up the moment they become available.

Dodge Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition units