The battle for the then-emerging muscle car market was only getting started in the middle of the 1960s. Everyone wanted a piece of this new, appetizing pie, so the early heavyweights of the breed, Ford’s Mustang and Chevrolet’s Camaro, were soon to be joined by others sporting various branding.
Dodge was one of them, the only other automaker outside the two previously listed to have continued to produce muscle cars up till the present. In actuality, it sells two of these products: the Charger and Challenger. Okay, three of them, if you include the higher-end Durango SUV models.
The Charger is of interest to us today from this select list of Dodge muscle machines. It’s a name that first came about in 1966, not as a full-blown muscle car, but as a more pretentious pony. Because it arrived at just the right time, it was an instant hit, growing not only in the hearts of American customers but also in terms of variants it was offered in.
In all, seven generations of the model were made since, with a relatively large gap in production from 1987 to 2006. We’re going to look a bit at the third one, which the example that brought us here today is part of.
Running from 1971 to 1974, it came with cars built on the Chrysler B platform, and with such a large choice of engine that it must have given people in the market for one headaches when it came to what to choose.
Those who knew what they were after obviously went for the top-of-the-range 440ci Magnum, the epitome of the Charger offering back then. This thing came with a four-barrel carburetor, a 3-speed automatic transmission, and an exhaust system that made no secret of what was hiding under the hood.
That’s exactly the setup we have on this 1972 Charger. It’s one of just 785 of them to be made back then in this configuration, and on top of that it still packs the original, numbers-matching engine and all that other stuff. All of the hardware was obviously restored, but this is probably one of the most authentic U-code 1972 Chargers available on the market today.
The car has undergone a lengthy restoration procedure over many years, with no consideration for cost. Everything on it that you can see, as well as a large portion of the things you can’t, has been repaired, restored, and in some extremely rare instances, enhanced.
The Charger has a gold exterior with rich black trim on the sides, hood, and top. To be fair, we wouldn’t have imagined this construction any other way inside given how gloomy the interior is. The stainless trim around the windshield, the mirrors, or the two chrome bumpers are just a few examples of the shining components that are available to give the Charger some added flare.
The perfect condition of the bodywork is owed to the replacement of most of the panels with new metal. The hood is also new, and it now sports a Rallye hood to be reminiscent of yet another option Dodge gave birth to back in 1972. The top is made of vinyl, and it too is new.
Inside, the Charger presents a completely refinished look, with work performed on pretty much all of the elements there, from the steering wheel to the sun visors. The dashboard has been restored, and still holds Rallye gauges, the seats have been re-foamed and reupholstered, and there are now seatbelts for all passengers. The single modern element added to the Charger is an air conditioning system by Classic Auto Air. Black carpets all around and a correct-style trunk mat complete the interior look.
The car’s mileage after completion is unknown, although every one of them was built on 14-inch wheels in period-appropriate fashion for the 1970s, with Goodyear tires and chrome trim rings. The updated but original suspension and braking components are behind them.
As you read this, Barrett-Jackson is holding an auction in New Orleans where the car you see is being put for sale. Another pair of 14-inch wheels with BFGoodrich tires, an owner’s guide, and a cover are included in the price. The Charger is being driven off the lot under the ownership of MS Classic Cars.
No mention is made as to how much the current owner expects to fetch for it, and given how it’s listed with no reserve, the hammer could fall at the right or wrong moment. Given what it has to offer, though, it’ll likely make quite the splash.
Others like it, in concours condition but perhaps not as glamorous, are estimated by specialist Hagerty to be worth around $30,000.