Five and a half decades have gone by exactly since the Fight of the Century and the opening of Walt Disney World, and as time continues to pass, fewer and fewer cars will still be out there that have been shown enough care that they can accurately be deemed survivors, or at least extremely close to that coveted status. In the future, many that fall into this category will likely be more basic transportation, like Grandma’s 307 Malibu that stayed in her garage except on Sundays. However, once in a while, a high-performance monster that wasn’t necessarily intended to be treated nicely comes along that’s beaten the odds, and this 1971 Dodge Charger R/T here on eBay appears to be very much as it was when it left the assembly plant all those years ago. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, this beauty understandably hasn’t met the reserve with the current bid of $25,101, but it can also be in your hands today for the buy-it-now price of $83,000.
For Mopar fans, finding two fender tags under the hood is always exciting, as it indicates the vehicle is equipped with so many options that the codes wouldn’t all fit on just one metal plaque. Doubly delightful is when these include Y14, meaning the car was already sold before being built, indicating it was manufactured just exactly as the buyer wanted. Choosing the R/T model also meant that the 440 was standard equipment, and this one’s mated to a 4-speed manual transmission with the Track Pak rear end. With just 52,000 miles, the seller describes the factory engine as perfect, with the radiator the only component in the bay identified as non-original.
We don’t know the exact number of hands this Charger has passed through, but the current owner reports that each has always kept the car protected in a garage, and it’s undoubtedly been given lots of love by every caretaker. The body, paint, frame, and suspension are all stated to be original, with even the flat black hood area said to remain untouched from ’71. The only obvious imperfection is some denting near the rear keyhole, which the owner chose not to address to avoid repainting the trunk lid. Rocker repairs have also been made on both sides, but the car is confirmed to currently have no rust anywhere.
The interior is said to still be in near-perfect shape, with the original seat covers reportedly restitched over a few lines. However, repros are included in the sale, so it will be up to the buyer to decide whether to install them or keep the factory vinyl intact. A notebook containing the build sheet and other documentation for the car’s entire life is also a valuable commodity here, and I’m anticipating the price will keep climbing to at least meet the reserve, or maybe even attract an eager new owner at the buy-it-now cost. What’s a realistic price to pay for this highly original and well-equipped 1971 Dodge Charger R/T?
Had a ‘72 with exactly the same interior/exterior combo-minus the silly wing on the trunk🙄. Really turned heads at the time. Never had a problem with it even having added 900 miles every weekend (Reno to Las Vegas). Great car of its time.
This one is really nice but pretty high in $$.
Regardless, GLWTA.
It’s getting harder to find an unmolested car and this car is one of them. While this body style is not as sought after like the 1968-70 models, it is slowly growing on me. I would not have a problem dropping $65-$70k on this, but $83k is a stretch. This is not the market for someone to pull down telephone numbers for a car.
That blue interior really makes this car.
even though it has the 440 and pistol grip, still not a fan of this body style looks real nice but not for me