UPDATE 01/15/2023: Sometimes, an owner can struggle to find a new home for a beloved classic, which appears to be the case with this 1971 Dodge Charger R/T. They have relisted the car hoping that 2023 will bring better luck. There have been no changes beyond the price, with the Charger listed here on eBay in Hebron, Connecticut. While they initially advertised the car for $54,900, it could now be yours for a BIN of $49,900.
10/22/2022: When a dealer orders an example of a particular model for showroom display or as a demonstrator, they will generally load the car with enough options to paint it in a favorable light. That is the story behind this 1971 Dodge Charger R/T because the ordering dealer equipped it with some of the most desirable features available that year. It is a tidy classic with only a few non-urgent flaws requiring attention. Those will provide a new owner with something to do during the colder months, so it is ready for fun when the sun reappears. The R/T is listed here on eBay.
Dodge introduced its Third Generation Charger in 1971, with its appearance marking the end of the coke-bottle styling that was a hallmark of the previous generation. The change resulted in a car with a more pronounced physical presence. This R/T wears its original Bright White paint, although a few changes are worth noting. The dealership ordered the car as a stripes-delete vehicle with a White vinyl top. A subsequent owner added the stripes and dyed the vinyl to its current Black. Neither change looks out of place, but the White vinyl would have provided a classier and more subtle appearance. Reversing the changes will not be difficult, but doing so would depend on the buyer’s desire for originality. The paint wears an accumulation of scratches and marks, but it presents acceptably for a vehicle of this age. Rust is not an issue, nor are significant dings or dents. The dealership added enough exterior options to ensure this Charger showed positively in the showroom. These include concealed headlamps, tinted glass, and Rallye wheels. The seller located a rare set of genuine headlamp washers that they fitted to increase desirability. The trim is in good order, the chrome shines brightly, and there are no glass issues.
Turning our attention to the interior reveals most of the options the dealer selected to lure and impress potential customers. They ordered the R/T with air conditioning, power windows, a six-way driver’s seat, houndstooth cloth upholstery, a factory tachometer, a rim blow wheel, an AM/FM radio, a factory cassette player/recorder, three-speed wipers, and a headlamp delay. The seller added a rear defroster, but the interior remains largely as it left the factory. The overall presentation is positive, with slight wear and fading on the carpet and outer edge wear on the driver’s seat. There are functional faults worth addressing, but they don’t require immediate attention. The A/C doesn’t blow cold, and they state it would benefit from a recharge. I’m always dubious about such claims because the old gas must have found somewhere to exit the system. The power window switch on the passenger door has gone, but I quickly located a replacement online for $155. The buyer could rectify the faults at their leisure, representing a rewarding way to while away a few hours during winter.
Although finding a Hemi under the hood would have increased this Charger’s desirability, the dealer chose the less expensive 440ci Magnum V8. They also selected a three-speed TorqueFlite transmission and power assistance for the steering and brakes. While the Hemi may have been the performance king, the 370hp produced by the 440 allowed it to storm the ¼-mile in 14.5 seconds before winding its way to 131mph. The recently rebuilt V8 residing in this engine bay isn’t original. It also wears an Edelbrock carburetor. However, the seller indicates they have the original engine block, but it has undergone some undisclosed repairs. They have retained the factory carburetor, making it possible to return this R/T to its factory specifications. They recently rebuilt the transmission and added Bilstein shock on all corners. The Charger runs and drives well, making it a turnkey classic for its new owner.
The new owner will want for nothing when they slip behind the wheel of this 1971 Charger R/T. Its healthy V8 should offer excellent performance, while the factory options guarantee a comfortable classic motoring experience. Seventy people are watching the listing, and it will be interesting to see if one is willing to hit the BIN button this time. If they do, maybe this Charger can finally find a new home.
Every time I read an ad and it says
the air conditioning doesn’t blow cold a simple recharge might do the trick
a recharge ain’t going to fix it if it’s leaking there’s a reason it leaks.’
The side stripe looks like it’s too low.
Not the first time Ive seen that. Chargers with full Vinyl tops seem to have the stripe set lower vs a solid top.
Good-looking charger but, for the life of me I can’t imagine this bodystyle was smaller than a 68/70 models, they look so much longer to me . Never the less I have grown to really like these car and I’m not a mopar fan, of well.
The 68-70 and 71/2 Chargers are all listed at 201″ overall length.
Ah ha, I knew it, I looked it up and a 71/72 charger is 206″ long so they look bigger because they are…
The louvered doors are like hen’s teeth. If you have to replace.
Who cares if the motor is not original. If it runs well and looks the part, I say, a better deal. Value is a fussy and expensive mistress.
Sweet, looks like they came down in price, in the bottom of the description it says 59k.
I believe the 2nd generation Chargers might have been a little not as long….but they weighed more and possibly wider. So in effect they were
larger.
Always liked the 3rd gen, like this one better. Possibly cause my first car
that I owned…..was one !! lol
Oh wow, this one has the hidden headlight doors as well,,,which you can see good on the Ebay pics. Only think they were available on 1971’s & ’72’s.
Possibly only on 71’s. Also headlight washers, which is indeed rare on
a Charger.
Also has a small Chrysler emblem on the fender, closest to the door…which
I don’t believe I’ve seen on any Charger before. So that’s kinda neat too !
The small gold pentastar emblem on the lower RF fender appeared on EVERY Chrysler Corp car from 1966-197?. Not sure when it stopped, but it was there on ALL MOPARS for at least five, and I’m sure more, model years.
My Uncles ’65 New Yorker had the Pentastar too.
I’m sorry but $55k?
We laughed until we soiled ourselves at these cars in the 80’s and truthfully people couldn’t give them away.
SMMFH.
This world is just sad and wrong and then sad again, then laughable and then wrong once more.
The tape deck/recorder is a cassette, not an 8 track. Cool to see one, super rare. Record your dictation on the way to work to hand over to your secretary! Executive hot rod, love all the options!
Now if the could just option the ugly out of it.
For 55k it should be matching block. Also the a/c should work as should the window switch. Nice car, but come on. I had a Blue Poly 68 R/T, a buddy had a Bronze 69 R/T, another had a Go Mango 70 R/T while another had a Plum Crazy 71 R/T. All are unfortunately gone now but there is a another Bronze 69 R/T that had stripe delete still around, original owner, perfect survivor
The stripes are an improvement, but they will not be easy to “reverse” Depending on how long the stripes have been on, there will always be marks where the paint has faded , and the paint where the stripes were will stand out
I like how the seller says the car was featured in they’re only original once ( which I assume is a book or magazine) , but the car had a white vinyl roof, no stripes, he added a rear defroster and headlamp washers, and the engine in the car isnt original . Nice car, but not really “original”
Who is going to tell the owner he has a lot more price dropping to do?
Holy front overhang, Batman!
You nailed it. Even with the chrome wrap around front bumper the Roadrunner was a lot better looking.
Shorter front overhang and the rear window design matched the body style much better.
By 1973 the Roadrunner front end was even better than the previous two years but the Charger soldiered on with the extreme overbite.
…the MARKET established price, not the SELLER…he has some learning to do…
I love these! And that being said I’d hunt down a 68-70 for the price. Please Mr. Seller don’t get mad at me. It’s just an opinion and I do know how hard that would be.
We called those things roach clips back in the day. Now that they’re old and classic they’re still as ugly as they were. That’s my opinion of course.
weirdly proportioned car.
It always reminded me of a giant tallywacker, which was probably the intent given the market for these.
Loved the design, but this is a #4 car. Still overpriced IMO.
These are a tough sell because most people would spring an extra 15 to 20k and just get a 1968-70. The styling on these is a lot more confirmation.
That stripe needs to be place more towards the edge of the rear fender. Right or wrong it would just look better.
(rhetorical) Did the seller fix the AC yet?
The folks who designed the 1968-1970 Road Runners probably quit the day the 1971 was released.
Why would they do that ? They more than likely designed the 71s as well as the 66-67 B bodies and the models way before that ,.Plymouth liked what they did and approved it . They know designs back then only used about 3 years and then something new would come out to attract customers . How many years do you think they would like to keep on updating the 1968 design ?