1973 Dodge Challenger Rallye �€" 340 V8, Factory A57 Rallye
Package, Silver over Black Why This Car Is Special The 1973 Dodge
Challenger is one of the most misunderstood muscle cars on the
market, and that misunderstanding has kept prices accessible
relative to the earlier E-Body cars �€" until recently. By 1973,
Dodge had trimmed the Challenger lineup considerably. The
convertible was gone, the R/T had been discontinued after 1972, and
overall production numbers dropped sharply. Fewer than 33,000
Challengers were built for the 1973 model year across all
configurations, making any well-documented, well-optioned example
genuinely scarce fifty-plus years later. This particular 1973 Dodge
Challenger is not a base car that someone dressed up over the
years. The broadcast sheet-decoded RPO codes confirm it left the
Hamtramck assembly plant as a factory Rallye package car (option
code A57), built on October 10, 1972, for the 1973 model year. The
Rallye package was Dodge's way of keeping the performance identity
of the Challenger alive during the early emissions era. It bundled
specific visual and functional content �€" the sport hood,
hood-mounted turn signal indicators, dual racing mirrors,
longitudinal stripes, and a tachometer �€" into a single RPO that
identified the car as a performance trim rather than a plain coupe.
When you decode the VIN on this car, the eighth character confirms
the 340 cubic inch engine as the factory-installed powerplant.
Combined with the A57 package, this is the configuration serious
Challenger collectors look for. The 340 small block is the other
critical piece of this car's story. By 1973, Dodge had already
replaced the legendary 340 with the 360 in most applications. The
1973 model year was the final year the 340 was offered in the
Challenger, making this engine code particularly significant for
collectors who understand the timeline. The 340 had earned its
reputation in the previous generation of E-Body and A-Body Mopars
as one of the best-balanced performance engines Chrysler ever built
�€" free-revving, responsive to modifications, and durable when
maintained properly. Getting one in a correctly-optioned 1973
Challenger Rallye with a documented broadcast sheet puts this car
in a category most 1973 examples simply cannot claim. Features List
- 340 cubic inch 4-barrel V8 (RPO E55), final year in the
Challenger - Factory A57 Rallye Package, confirmed by RPO codes -
Light duty automatic transmission (RPO D34) - Factory air
conditioning with heater (RPO H51) - Front disc brakes with
standard 10-inch rear drums (RPO B41) - Sport hood with inside hood
release (RPO J54 / J52) - Hood-mounted and fender-mounted turn
signal indicators (RPO L31) - Dual racing mirrors, outside (RPO
G36) - Center console with woodgrain panel (RPO C16) - Black vinyl
bucket seats (RPO C56 / A6X9) - Full door panels (RPO 000) - Full
black vinyl top (RPO V1X) - Black longitudinal stripes (RPO V6X) -
Simulated louvers (RPO M08) - Tachometer - Dual exhaust with chrome
exhaust tips - Roof drip rail moldings - Solid state AM radio -
26-inch radiator (RPO 26) - Custom air cleaner - Polished aluminum
wheels - Chrome bumpers - Restored interior - Clean undercarriage -
Dark Silver Poly exterior (JAS color code) - Factory build date:
October 10, 1972 Mechanical The engine under the hood of this 1973
Dodge Challenger Rallye is the 340 cubic inch small block V8, coded
E55, fed by a 4-barrel carburetor and rated at 275 horsepower from
the factory. That net horsepower rating reflects the post-1971 SAE
net measurement standard, not the gross figures Chrysler used in
earlier advertising. In practical terms, the 340 was known for
having a broad powerband rather than a narrow peak, which made it
responsive in street driving without requiring the driver to work
the throttle excessively. The 340 in the Challenger ran a high 10:1
compression ratio in its early years, though by 1973 compression
had been reduced to work with regular unleaded
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