Photo: Mecum Auctions
Introduced in 1965, the Dodge Charger was initially a departure from the company's mainstream cars. Developed in response to the Rambler Marlin and aimed at the premium market, the Charger was a fancier take on the muscle car segment.
But even though it had features that put it almost into personal luxury car territory, the Charger was available with Chrysler's most potent mills. The lineup also included the then-new 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI V8.
The Charger was relatively popular in its first year on the market, moving 37,344 units. But sales dwindled to only 15,788 examples for the 1967 model year. This prompted Dodge to abandon the fastback styling and premium interior for 1968. The second-gen model hit showrooms as a fully-fledged, no-nonsense muscle car.
Sales jumped to almost 100,000 units in 1968 and surpassed that figure during the 1969 model year. And while muscle car sales dropped dramatically in the early 1970s, Dodge still managed to move almost 50,000 vehicles in 1970 and nearly 74,000 cars in 1971.
These figures make the 1968-to-1971 Charger a relatively common and affordable classic nowadays. However, this only applies to non-HEMI cars. The mighty 426 V8 saw very limited production back in the day. Specifically, of the 377,795 Chargers sold from 1966 through 1971, when the HEMI was available, only 1,589 were ordered with the range-topping big-block V8. That's less than 0.5% of the total production!
Which model-year HEMI is the rarest? Well, that would have to be the 1967 version, with only 27 units sold. The final-year 1971 model is next in line with just 63 produced (75 if we include export cars). The Green Go example you see here is one of those cars.
A spectacular sight thanks to a professional repaint, this 1971 HEMI Charger is surprisingly original for a Mopar that's been around for a whopping 52 years as of 2023. Not only does it retain its factory interior, but the 426 HEMI V8 is also a numbers-matching unit. The mill mates to a TorqueFlite transmission, which makes this Charger one of only 33 HEMI/automatic cars sold in 1971.
It's also a highly optioned example, featuring power steering and power brakes, a push-button radio, woodgrain appointments, a center console, and Rallye wheels. Of course, there's also a Ramcharger hood feeding air to the 425-horsepower and 490-pound-foot (664-Nm) engine. Needless to say, this Charger may very well be a one-of-one gem if we factor in the options, the drivetrain, and the color combo.
Previously part of the Steven Juliano collection, this stunning Mopar will go under the hammer at the Kissimmee auction in January 2024. There's no pricing estimate to run by, but HEMI examples in this condition are known to fetch more than $200,000.
The Charger was relatively popular in its first year on the market, moving 37,344 units. But sales dwindled to only 15,788 examples for the 1967 model year. This prompted Dodge to abandon the fastback styling and premium interior for 1968. The second-gen model hit showrooms as a fully-fledged, no-nonsense muscle car.
Sales jumped to almost 100,000 units in 1968 and surpassed that figure during the 1969 model year. And while muscle car sales dropped dramatically in the early 1970s, Dodge still managed to move almost 50,000 vehicles in 1970 and nearly 74,000 cars in 1971.
These figures make the 1968-to-1971 Charger a relatively common and affordable classic nowadays. However, this only applies to non-HEMI cars. The mighty 426 V8 saw very limited production back in the day. Specifically, of the 377,795 Chargers sold from 1966 through 1971, when the HEMI was available, only 1,589 were ordered with the range-topping big-block V8. That's less than 0.5% of the total production!
Which model-year HEMI is the rarest? Well, that would have to be the 1967 version, with only 27 units sold. The final-year 1971 model is next in line with just 63 produced (75 if we include export cars). The Green Go example you see here is one of those cars.
A spectacular sight thanks to a professional repaint, this 1971 HEMI Charger is surprisingly original for a Mopar that's been around for a whopping 52 years as of 2023. Not only does it retain its factory interior, but the 426 HEMI V8 is also a numbers-matching unit. The mill mates to a TorqueFlite transmission, which makes this Charger one of only 33 HEMI/automatic cars sold in 1971.
It's also a highly optioned example, featuring power steering and power brakes, a push-button radio, woodgrain appointments, a center console, and Rallye wheels. Of course, there's also a Ramcharger hood feeding air to the 425-horsepower and 490-pound-foot (664-Nm) engine. Needless to say, this Charger may very well be a one-of-one gem if we factor in the options, the drivetrain, and the color combo.
Previously part of the Steven Juliano collection, this stunning Mopar will go under the hammer at the Kissimmee auction in January 2024. There's no pricing estimate to run by, but HEMI examples in this condition are known to fetch more than $200,000.
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