If the car was ordered with automatic but without a center console you received a column shifter. Also a bench seat was delivered with column.
There are several of Hemi Ebodies with column automatic.
Yes, I have a buddy that has an original R code F8 green Hemi Cuda. He is the second owner since like 1979 and it is a column automatic, bench seat car.
Yes, surprisingly enough, even many of the Trans Am cars, at least the AAR Cudas, came from the factory with column shift automatics. I would guess that the TA Challengers would be the same, although I don't recall ever seeing a TA with a column shift auto.