Every now and then, an automaker breaks all the rules, stuffs a race engine where it doesn't belong, and lets chaos do the talking. That's exactly what Dodge did with this pickup truck. The result? A machine so rare and unexpected that it became the stuff of legend among Mopar fans. This isn't about practicality. It's about bragging rights and proving just about anything is possible with a bit of imagination.What follows is the story of one such machine. It was part muscle car, part workhorse, and all outlaw energy. Built for the strip but disguised as something else entirely. Here's the story of the only Hemi-powered pickup truck to ever roll out of the factory. The Only Factory 426 HEMI Truck Ever Built: Meet the 1964 Dodge D100 That Broke All The Rules 1964 Dodge D100 PickupYou might think the NASCAR-bred 426 HEMI was only reserved for Chargers, Road Runners, Super Bees, or winged Daytonas. But in 1964, Dodge did something that even Mopar purists still argue about. Chrysler quietly dropped the infamous "Elephant Engine" into a Dodge pickup truck. No fanfare. No press release. Just raw, street-legal fury wrapped in steel.Enter the 1964 Dodge D100 "HEMI" Custom Sports Special, the only known production pickup ever built at the factory with a 426 Street HEMI under the hood. According to Hot Rod, this 426 HEMI-powered pickup truck wasn't a catalog option. You couldn't just walk into a dealership and tick a box labeled "426." Instead, Dodge funneled the engine into trucks through a backdoor special order process intended for drag racers and insiders who knew how to game the system.Why did it happen? According to Mac's Motor City Garage, by the mid-'60s, Dodge was throwing everything it had at the NHRA and NASCAR scenes. The HEMI had already made a name for itself on the track, and the company wanted to extend that dominance wherever possible, even if it meant slipping the engine into a lightweight truck chassis for maximum shock factor at the strip.As for how many were made? That's part of the legend. According to Classic Industries, the Custom Sports Special (CSS) package trim was available from 1964 to 1967. However, the 426 Street HEMI option was limited through special-order channels. Most historians estimate that fewer than 50 units were built, and only about 11 to 30 have ever been confirmed by VIN and factory documentation. It's possible that as few as a dozen ever made it into customers' hands, making it one of the rarest HEMI-powered vehicles Dodge ever produced.And the specs? They're just as brutal as you'd expect. The 426 Street HEMI made 425 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque, breathing through dual four-barrel Carter AFB carbs and backed by either a 727 TorqueFlite automatic or a 4-speed manual. Throw that in a short-wheelbase, rear-wheel-drive truck that weighed under 4,000 pounds, and you had a burnout machine that could drag race straight from the loading dock, according to All Par.The 1964 Dodge D100 "HEMI" Custom Sports Special wasn't just a pickup. It was a statement and one Dodge never made again. Why Dodge Never Built Another 426 HEMI Pickup Truck Again There's no question. The 1964 Dodge D100 "HEMI" Custom Sports Special was a wild swing. A bold experiment, if you will. It was a factory-built pickup with the heart of a muscle car. That kind of move doesn't just happen by accident. It was Dodge at full send. It was epic, without a doubt. So why was this a one-off for Dodge? After taking such a bold stance, why did the company never offer the 426 Street HEMI in a production pickup ever again?Well, there were really several factors that contributed to Dodge's decision to ditch the whole 426 HEMI pickup truck concept.First, the 426 HEMI was expensive to produce and maintain. It was designed for racing, not for everyday driving or hauling loads. Just looking at specs, the engine's high compression ratio and dual four-barrel carburetors made it less practical for typical truck use.Second, the mid-1960s saw increasing insurance premiums for high-performance vehicles, along with growing concerns about emissions and fuel economy. Trucks were primarily seen as work vehicles, and a high-powered engine like the 426 HEMI certainly didn't align with that image.Finally, the process of installing the HEMI into the D100 required a ton of modifications. The most demanding of these modifications included custom brackets and alterations to the frame and firewall. This level of customization was simply not sustainable for mass production.As a result, Dodge shifted its focus to more practical and cost-effective engine options for their trucks. While they continued to produce performance-oriented pickups in later years, none would ever feature the 426 HEMI again. However, the 1964 Dodge D100 "HEMI" Custom Sports Special remains a unique and rare example of Dodge's experimentation during the muscle car era. Hunting A Classic D100? Here’s What A 1964 Dodge Pickup Costs Today 1966 Dodge D100Alright, now that we're done oohing and aahing over the awesome science experiment that is the 1964 Dodge D100 "HEMI" Custom Sports Special, it's time for a reality check.With fewer than 50 ever built and only about 11–30 confirmed by VIN, these factory freaks are unicorns. They rarely hit the open market, and when they do, prices will easily soar into six figures. So, if you're dreaming of owning a 1964 Dodge D100 "HEMI" Custom Sports Special, you better have deep pockets and even deeper connections.So, that's the bad news. But. Hold On. There is a silver lining. If you love the look of the D100 pickup trucks, there are still plenty of classic 1964 D100s are still out there. And luckily, they're far more attainable.Back in the day, a base-model D100 had an MSRP of around $2,036, according to J.D. Power. Today, you'll have to pay a little bit more. But hey, not that much more. Per Classic.com, the average auction price of a 1964 Dodge D Series is just $27,117.(Source: Classic.com)So, while the HEMI-powered D100 is a rare beast, the standard 1964 D100 offers a slice of Mopar history without breaking the bank. Whether you're looking for a restoration project or a weekend cruiser, the D100 is a solid choice for classic truck enthusiasts. Not Just A Workhorse: D-Series Oddballs Worth Collecting The D100 "HEMI" may be the mythmaker, but it's not the only Dodge D Series deserving of a shout-out. You see. Dodge has a little bit of a history of sneaking wild ideas into its truck lineup. Of course, some of Dodge's experiments were more style-forward, while others were simply performance sleepers. A few, somehow, were both. A D-Series Oddball: Meet The 1970–1971 Dodge D100 "Dude" Yep. The Dude was real, man. Long before Jeff Bridges made it iconic, Dodge released a limited-edition trim package for the D100 that aimed to appeal to younger buyers looking for something with a little swagger.Sporting a two-tone paint job, "The Dude" had decals on the bed, bucket seats, and even a tailgate that shouted its name. No, this certainly wasn't your granddad's farm truck.Under the hood, you could spec it with a Slant-Six or go V8 with the 318 or 383. It wasn't about horsepower as much as attitude. With production estimates hovering around 1,500 to 2,000 units, it's one of the rarest nameplates Dodge ever slapped on a truck. And today, it's a cult classic with serious retro appeal. A D-Series Oddball: Meet The 1978–1979 Dodge D150 "Lil' Red Express" The Lil' Red Express wasn't just flashy. It was fast. In fact, according to Hemmings, in 1978, it was the quickest American-made vehicle from 0 to 100 mph. Yep. Take a minute to let that sink in.Built during a time when emissions strangled most muscle cars, Dodge loopholed its way into glory by classifying the truck as a "commercial vehicle." That meant no catalytic converters, fewer emissions restrictions, and the freedom to stuff a high-output 360 V8 pushing 225 horsepower under the hood with a 727 TorqueFlite transmission, chrome stacks, and a 3.55 rear axle. Per Hot Rod, it ran the quarter-mile in the high 15s, faster than a Corvette of the same year.Only 2,188 units were made in 1978 and 5,118 in 1979, making this truck a rare, fire-breathing oddity from the smog era. And, finally, it's one that collectors are starting to appreciate.At the end of the day, the 1964 Dodge D100 “HEMI” Custom Sports Special wasn’t just a truck. It was a moment. A freak occurrence where muscle car madness collided with workhorse practicality, and something legendary rolled off the line. Dodge never made another like it, and they probably never will.But the spirit of that one-off monster lives on in the oddballs, loopholes, and high-octane misfits that followed. Whether it's The Dude’s Western swagger or the Li’l Red Express lighting up the strip, the D-Series proves that sometimes trucks weren’t just built to work. Sometimes, they were built for pure fun. And we all need a little bit of that every now and again.