DODGE CHALLENGER
AN ICON OF THE AMERICAN MUSCLE CAR MOVEMENT. WILL MAKE A STATEMENT ON AUSSIE ROADS, BUT LATER MODELS LOST THEIR EDGE.
Whether by accident or intent, Chrysler Corp’s Mustang rival took ages to arrive. When it did, this car and its companion Plymouth ‘Cuda certainly ranked as worthy ‘challengers’ to the mega-selling Ford.
On its 2795mm wheelbase the Dodge version was more spacious than a ‘Cuda and more closely matched to the Mercury Cougar and Pontiac Firebird. Challengers did come with six-cylinder engines but hardly anyone wanted them and 87 percent of buyers during 1970 chose a V8.
These began with an engine familiar to Australian Chrysler owners; the 5.2-litre 318ci ‘Fireball’ and ran all the way to Chrysler’s potent 426ci Hemi.
Challenger buyers were offered their cars in two levels of trim - a basic Hardtop or convertible and the more upmarket SE. These weren’t the big sellers which Dodge dealers might have hoped them to be, with only 10 percent of Challenger production being SEs.
Those wanting sassy looks could upgrade to the R/T version with its ‘power bulge’ bonnet, distinctive striping, wheels and a full set of Rallye gauges decorating the dash.
Very few big-engined soft-tops were sold and Hemi-powered Challenger convertibles are uncommon and expensive. Topping the list of recent US auction results was a four-speed manual SE Hemi, one of just five built in 1970, that set a new record when auctioned of US$1.43 million. The Challenger convertible disappeared completely after 1971.
Only slightly more common than a Hemi and still delivering prodigious performance was the R/T 440 with Six Pack (triple) carburettors. Back in the days when manufacturers could claim outrageous engine output figures, these engines were said to produce around 300kW, however they did certainly deliver with standing 400 metre times of less than 14 seconds.
1971 brought minimal change to the Challenger range but storm clouds were gathering. Sales figures plunged from 83,000 during the model’s introductory year to just 26,000 for 1971 and worse was to come.
By 1972 the Challenger was a dead duck. The mildly restyled Rallye came standard with the 5.2-litre V8, automatic transmission and just 126kW. There was an optional 5.9-litre engine but it was just a fuel guzzling lump.
Those with hopes of some performance from their Challenger could opt for a 5.5-litre 340 with manual transmission; an engine previously rated at 290 horsepower (215kW ) but when strangled by emission controls it generated just 142kW.
Decades ago it was hard for Australians to buy a Challenger without flying to the USA. Since the late 1990s the number of cars arriving has surged yet prices remain reasonable ..
The Challengers most likely to be found in Australia will be base models with 6.3-litre (383ci) V8s and auto transmission. Some recently offered cars priced at $45-$60,000 were in only fair condition.
High-quality, Hemi-engined Challengers are virtually unknown here and will generate high prices if one does appear. Look to the USA for a car and you will be competing against local buyers who recently paid more than US$500,000 for a rare four-speed hardtop in ‘triple black’ - black body, vinyl roof and interior.