1972 Dodge Charger Rallye

In compiling this month's first Editor's Choice feature, this saying seemed the most appropriate. Were there dark clouds over the automotive environment the 1972 Charger was released in? Absolutely. Storms had already been gathering and the environment was about to get a lot blacker for performance enthusiasts in the years that followed, and blacker still for Chrysler. The company that had set sales records in 1972 and '73 went into freefall a year later. Sales dropped dramatically and Chrysler began haemorrhaging money - $47million in 1974 and $260million in 1975. The twin pressures of the oil crisis and crippling insurance premiums for all high performance cars - not just Mopar muscle - saw the models that had dominated the previous decade wither and die before the end of the 1970s.

So, what about the silver lining? Yes, there was one, and it's exemplified by this car, a 1972 Dodge Charger Rallye. A lot of enthusiasts tend to dismiss post-1971 models as not being "real" muscle cars. Understandable really, as both the R/T and SuperBee model Mopars had been dropped and engines were being strangled by emissions regulations. But a closer look at this car reveals it's packing more than enough beef to allow it into the muscle club.

The most obvious identifying feature is the 'Ramcharger' pop-up hood scoop. Technically, these shouldn't have been on 1972 model Chargers, but a few (rumoured to be only about half a dozen examples) snuck through with the leftover options from the R/T package. The Ramcharger feeds air to a 440ci Magnum V8, matched to an A833 four speed manual transmission. Both are the original units the Charger was equipped with, and have been refurbished as part of a thorough resto this car received in 2004.
Brakes are power-assist disc fronts with drum rears.

Muscle cars, while great in a straight line, can tend to torque steer and handle like a dog on lino in the corners, but the Super Track Pack (another rare option for this model) means this car handles better than a lot of its contemporaries. The package included a 10 1/4" Dana 60 rear end, heavy duty suspension (stronger torsion bars and Mopar Performance Super Stock leaf springs in the rear, with beefier shocks in front) which was factory tuned for optimum performance.

In a comparison test in US Motor Trend magazine in 1972, a 340ci-equipped Charger Rallye won hands down in the handling department against a GTO, Chevelle-based 'Heavy Chevy' and Torino Gran Sport. The same magazine attributed the Charger's aerodynamic stability to the longer, more streamlined body restyle that debuted with the 1971 models.

For some, that same styling is a deal breaker. There's no doubt that '68 - '70 Chargers are the most popular in terms of appearance, but '71 - '73 models have their own merit, especially when they're devoid of striping and paintouts, like our feature car. The side profile shown here looks particularly attractive.

From the factory, this one was a 'triple black' model, meaning black paint, black interior and black vinyl top, but the original purchaser chose to delete the vinyl roof option. Inside adds a little bit more 'silver' to the lining in the form of power steering, windows and power operation for the hideaway headlights.

Mick's US Muscle Cars sourced this one from Florida in 2009, and it's believed to have been there most of its life. The restoration has been thorough, including wiring loom, vacuum lines, paint, interior - the whole shooting match, basically. An R/T in all but name, and with full Galen Govier and Chrysler Registry documentation to back up its provenance, there's a lot to like about this car. It seems local Mopar enthusiasts liked it too, as it won 'Best Charger - non R/T' at the 2009 NSW All Chrysler Day. No, it's not an R/T, but with the amount of goodies this one's equipped with, it's arguably better than an R/T. Good enough to put a silver lining on your dark cloud? Take a closer look at this one and judge for yourself.
Mike Ryan

What, Where, when & how much
Model: Dodge Charger Rallye Year: 1972 Dealer: Mick's US Muscle Cars Sydney, NSW Inspection by appointment Ph: 0418 486 473 www.usmusclecars.com.au Price: $79,000 0-100 kph: Around 6 seconds Best point: Super rare Worst point: Let this 'dark' machine put a little 'silver' into your life. Recommendation: Neat classic with a touch of 'custom'. Trivia: What do you get when you combine a Dodge Charger with a Challenger? A 'Diamante' apparently! The Diamante concept car appeared in 1971, combining a modified Charger Daytona-style aerodynamic front end with a Challenger body that included exposed side pipes and a targa roof.