1971 Chrysler Valiant VH Charger R/T Coupe

Description

Chrysler’s VH range included a new fastback variant, the Charger, which proved so popular when it joined the range in 1971 that it soon accounted for half of all Valiant sales. As Chrysler Australia’s belated entry into the booming muscle car segment, the R/T was an immediate hit with its racy stripes and graphics, loud colours with catchy names like Vitamin C, Hemi Orange, Hot Mustard and Mercury Silver, and sporty interior with full instrumentation and an aluminium-spoked sports steering wheel. The R/T Chargers also boasted quartz halogen headlights. It performed too, its 265ci six-cylinder engine and three-speed manual gearbox giving an Australian-made Valiant hitherto unrivalled performance. It was only a matter of time before the Charger hit the track, which in turn required the development of a homologation special, which was codenamed E38. Born with a single goal in mind - to win Bathurst - the E38 took the full house VH Charger R/T Six Pack model and added a highly tuned 280 bhp engine with triple Weber DCOE carburettors, along with various modifications such as a dual exhaust system. Ironically, while its mechanical changes were significant, the E38 was hard to pick externally from the R/T model upon which it was based. Although the E38 and later E49 are the jewels in the Charger crown, the R/T shares the same visual impact and for a significantly smaller investment.