When it debuted in 1966, the Charger was Dodge’s initiative to build an upscale, upsized “pony car” on Chrysler’s B-body mid-size platform. AMC had done something similar a year earlier with the Classic-based Marlin. But that automobile was positioned as a “personal car,’ an emerging market niche that the Charger would also try to tap into. This 1971 Charger is from the car’s third generation and features fastback styling shared with the Plymouth Road Runner and Sebring. The car has been sitting for ages in a field or woods with some other relics and will need a complete restoration. This challenging project is in North Augusta, South Carolina, and available here on eBay where a single bid of $2,500 has been cast (the reserve is north of that). Thanks for another 1970s Mopar tip, Larry D!

With the 1971 redesign, Dodge divided the Charger and Coronet model lines. The Coronet nameplate now only applied to sedans and wagons, while the Charger was a coupe and 2-door hardtop. The styling between the two groups was quite different. Five versions of the Charger were offered in ’71: the base model, Charger SE, Charger Super Bee, Charger 500, and Charger R/T. In today’s collector world, demand for the automobile seems to work in reserve order with the R/T being the most desirable (and thus valuable). The seller’s car seems to be the base Charger.

The seller took this Charger in on a trade, so the background on the car is limited. It has the 383 cubic-inch “Hi-Perf” V8 which was in its last year in 1971, to be replaced by a 400 a year later thanks to the detuning that had begun to lower exhaust emissions. We don’t know if the motor, partially disassembled as quite rusty, is original to the car and the same might be said about the column-shifted 727 automatic transmission. We’re told this Dodge at one time had factory air conditioning.

Wearing blue paint, this Charger looks to have once had a vinyl top, but that’s no longer there. The sheet metal appears to run between good to fair and – while the seller says the frame is “perfect” – there are some holes in the floorboards. The interior, which may be complete, is going to require an extreme makeover. The VIN is still intact, but the cowl tag has either rusted off or was removed. As a restoration, this will be an expensive and time-consuming project. Is this one you’d undertake?