While the fight among 1968-70 Dodge Charger fans can get testy at times, it is not as violent as those who prefer the 1971-74 Charger. A superior car? Tell that to Steve McQueen, who chased one in the streets of San Francisco. Or Rosco P. Coltrane, who chased another through the hills of Hazzard County.
While the hobby has settled on the 1968-70 Charger as being THE Charger, there’s nothing inferior about the 1971-74 version. To be honest, it’s a more sophisticated car, which you’d expect from a successor, with lines that create tension with each other. It perfectly captures the zeitgeist of the new cars of the era, thanks to its sleek nose, louvered taillights (on the 1971 Charger 500 and R/T) and simulated louvers on the doors of the R/T.
A year later, the Charger changed course—no, it still was a sporty coupe with a high-performance variant, but the lineup was adjusted. The base Charger continued to be available as a coupe or hardtop, with the latter having options to handle the discontinuation of the 500. The luxurious SE gained a special roofline that set it apart beyond the standard hidden headlights. And the Super Bee and R/T were replaced by the Rallye package. In a nod to changing times, the standard Rallye engine became a 318, but the 440 was still available. In fact, the 440 Six Pack was available at the beginning of production but quickly cancelled after a handful were built.
The Rallye included the louvered taillights from 1971, new simulated door louvers (and, dare I say, more attractive than those on the ’71 R/T), front and rear sway bars, F70 x 14-inch whitewalls, Rallye gauge cluster, power bulge hood, dark Astrotone grille, and rear trunk lid stripe.
Frank Andrew’s 1972 Charger Rallye is one of 3,891 built for the American market. Though originally a 340 car, it now sports a 440 with Edelbrock items including fuel injection. Shifting is handled by a TREMEC TKX five-speed, making this a classic muscle car tuned for today’s driving conditions. Join Muscle Car Campy as he gives us a tour of this modified muscle Mopar.