From The Classifieds: 1973 Dodge Challenger Rallye

Not quite your bare-bones muscle car, the early 1970s Dodge Challenger played a role as a legitimate Mopar contender
 
Chrysler brand Dodge was a bit of a late starter in the US pony car race. Although the corporation’s Plymouth Barracuda coupe arrived virtually alongside the genre-defining Ford Mustang in the heady days of 1964, its sister car, the Dodge Challenger, wasn’t brought to market until 1970.
 
As a sort of upmarket contender above the Barracuda, the two-door, five-seat Challenger was consequently a bit bigger, plusher and more expensive. It was aimed at competitors such as Ford’s more luxury-oriented Mercury Cougar than at the Mustang or its General Motors equivalent, the Chevrolet Camaro.
 
Maybe not quite as sexy as the Mustang/Camaro/Barracuda, the Dodge Challenger nevertheless hit a nerve in the US market and was well received by more cashed-up Mopar enthusiasts.
 
It was more than a pretty face too. Early race successes with the Challenger Trans Am model using a de-stroked version of the 340 V8 gave some street credibility that was capitalised on by a road version with optional four-speed manual transmission and a choice of final drive ratios, as well as numerous chassis modifications and asymmetric front-rear tyre sizes.

At the beginning, Chrysler threw practically every Mopar engine option at the Challenger, from its slant sixes to small-block and big-block V8s ranging from 318 cubic inches to 440 cubic inches.

That was all cut back drastically from 1972 on, when the R/T variant was replaced by the Rallye version and the engine lineup was rationalised.

Everything was trimmed back again in 1973, as the Challenger model headed for a brief four-year discontinuation from 1974, before hitting the showrooms again in 1978..

And so we come to this pale green, left-hand drive 1973 Challenger Rallye boasting the street cred of a boot lid signed by many of America’s top drag racers – including the legendary Don Garlits.

The owner, from Shell Cove in NSW, says the Challenger was fitted with the “highest engine performance option available” when it left the factory in 1973.

It’s a “real” 426 Hemi that has been built with “a list of quality parts too long to list” along with a driveline to back it up that includes a heavy duty 727 transmission and a factory Dana 60 rear axle.

As well as the signed boot lid, the car has also featured in numerous US magazines – which the owner will include with the car.

The price being asked is $52,250 and the Challenger comes with a roadworthy certificate, plus four months registration.

Thundering pony car performance from a macho US coupe that is a legitimate alternative to a comparable Ford pony car.