The Dodge Charger was introduced in 1966 as something of an upscale, upsized pony car in response to the successful Ford Mustang. Sales were lukewarm until the Chrysler B-body intermediates were reworked in 1968 and the Charger also began to compete in the muscle car scene. This third-generation Charger is from 1972 and looks fairly good although it has a few rough edges. Located in Porter, Texas, we’re told it runs well with just 57,000 miles on the odometer. It’s available here on craigslist for $18,500 firm. Thanks for the Mopar tip, T.J.!
For 1971-74, the Charger and other Chrysler mid-size models had fuselage-shaped styling. The interiors were now common across all the B-body coupes, including the Plymouth Satellite and Road Runner. Dodge would merge its Charger and Coronet lines, with all 2-door models now being Chargers and 4-doors being called Coronets. Later there would be some consolidation in the performance lines, too, that Dodge offered, but a basic Charger like the seller’s car was still a basic Charger.
The seller doesn’t impart a lot of knowledge about this ’72 Mopar other than to say it’s “super, super clean”. We’re told the car is mostly original, but what does that mean? In some photos, the paint looks quite nice and – in others – it looks worn with some dings. And the color doesn’t match up everywhere, suggesting that panels like the front clip may have been repainted.
The partial vinyl roof seems fine as does the interior with a bench seat, although the carpeting is faded and might need replacing. The Charger has the basic 318 cubic inch V8, but dual exhaust has been added. But we’re told the car, with an automatic transmission, runs fine and aftermarket wheels and wide tires adorn the Dodge, and the rear suspension has been raised to accommodate this change. The seller believes the claimed low mileage on the Charger is accurate.
The 73 and 74s were better looking. Dual exhaust on a 318 is a good idea, should have been standard. Never liked Cragers, though I guess that puts me in the minority. The 72s ran better than a 74, though not as well as a 70. Despite that, I do appreciate todays air quality. At the time as a new car buyer I was a little grumpy about it.
Not a fan of the cragars either but love my keystone classics with the tribar spinners on my 72 SE “big block”
Cragars look okay on this body style, dual exhaust probably sounds good, even got headers on what appears to be a stock 318. Looks were part of the cruise factor, curbside appeal, or all the kids in parking lots showing off there cars on Friday night. The old standard…if it ain’t fast make it look faster…ha!
These were a dime a dozen back in the late ’80s, many an unfortunate teen was stuck with these as a first car.
unfortunate teen ? Hardly . The unfortunate teen was one who ended up with their first car being some underpowered 4cyl rust bucket , or worse yet ,their parents hand me down station wagon
I’ve got a car guy friend that said he never liked Cragars and I thought to my self “wow I never meet a car person that did like Cragars” until today were I have kind of meet two more, what is the world coming to…
For $18.5 can I get fresh carpets and a courtesy reach around? Though I hate to admit that with today’s insane prices, maybe this isn’t too bad if it’s really solid and a good cruiser as-is. I just cannot get over that I’m old enough where it doesn’t seem that long ago that this would have been $1000 any day of the week.
Heck I am old enough to remember when nobody really wanted it because it was too new
LOL
My brother and I went in 1974 to buy either a 73 (leftover) or a 74. Five minutes looking at them and they really started to look disappointing. We left and bought a “new model” called a Grand Torino Elite….WOW much nicer and it had a 460 in it, that was the only year that it came that way.
And they were still junk off the factory floor
I know Chargers were not only ugly and cheap. I would take that Torino out with my friend and beat the crap out of it, it was a blast to drive! He later bought a 80 Turbo Pace Car Trans-Am but kept the Torino and turned it into a winter car, but the Torino turned out to be more of a rescue car for all the times the Trans-Am was not “working”. He finally got rid of the Torino in 1985 when he got a 82 Z28….That did not last long, due to living on a hill and snow.
Yeah yeah yeah nobody likes Cragars except the hundred thousand or so car guys who buy them every year lmao.
I actually much prefer the 72 for looks over the 73 or 74. Love the hidden headlights! If this is an amateur DIY setup it looks well stanced to me. Clean? Yes but not super so. 57K seems possible but likely considering paint issues and assorted dings and lack of carpet and so forth.
A really clean mopar thats a driver with factory air under 20k ?? That sounds like a deal to me,, and the cragars are a bonus.
Yes, running driving mopar for under 20k, doesn’t look like it was stored under water, doesn’t need a 40k restoration to go cruising, I think that is a pretty good deal too in these insane old mopar delusional days we live in.
I bought a 1970 in 1971. 318 cu in. It was a good car, except I didn’t like the whinny sounding starter. I had traded in my 69 T-Bird 429 on it. I didn’t keep it very long and sold it and bought another 1971 T-Bird.