Vehicle Description
To be OFFERED AT AUCTION at Auctions America's Auburn Spring event,
May 11-13, 2017.
Chassis No.
JS23N1B326221
Estimate:
$ 55,000 - $ 65,000 US
When Dodge revived its Challenger nameplate in 1970, the Chrysler
division reacted to the pony car craze set off by the Ford Mustang
and the Chevrolet Camaro a few years prior in a distinctly
different fashion. Bigger and brasher, it was available in a
staggering array of combinations topped initially by the R/T. As
its "Road/Track" designation indicated, it straddled the grey area
between performance tourer and competition car with its big V-8s
and beefed up underpinnings. A year later, its swagger remained
undiminished. A few styling touches set it apart from the 1970, but
it lost none of its gravitas�something that would erode as early as
the next year in light of increasingly strict emissions
regulations.
Assembled at Dodge's Hamtramck, Michigan, plant, the 1971
Challenger offered here represents something of an ultimate "wish
list" car. It was originally fitted with the brand's robust 383-cid
V-8 and an automatic transmission, but a recent rotisserie
restoration bestowed it with a much more potent 440 Six Pack V-8
rated originally at 390 horsepower and a four-speed manual gearbox
with a pistol grip shifter. Transplant aside, it remains a factory
R/T swathed in correct Hemi Orange paint that has recently been
wet-sanded and buffed. Black longitudinal stripes, a rear spoiler,
a sport hood, and dual chrome exhaust tips make it especially
thrilling.
Inside, its black vinyl trim and copious faux wood trim is correct
and looks essentially new. An AM radio is present and, front and
center in the instrument cluster, the tachometer's needle sits
ready to race toward redline.
