1973/74 Chrysler Valiant Charger 'Sportsman'

The Chrysler Valiant Charger was a muscle car introduced by Chrysler Australia in 1971. It was a short wheelbase two door coupé which proved to be extraordinarily popular in Australia and similarly so in New Zealand where they were assembled from imported kit components. The VH Valiant Charger also achieved critical acclaim, winning the 1971 Australian Wheels Car of the Year Award, but they are perhaps best known for their superiority at the annual Bathurst 500 mile touring car event in Australia. In the 1972 Hardie-Ferodo 500 at Bathurst, a VH Charger R/T E49 driven by Doug Chivas finished the race third outright and in New Zealand, the Charger proved to be virtually unbeatable from 1971 through to 1979 at the famous B&H 500 mile series held at Pukekohe Park Raceway.

The car offered here today is known to be one of the exceptionally rare "Sportsman' models of which we understand only around 200 were made and as few as 10 are still thought to be up and running. This car is special in that it has not fallen foul of that most horrible of "Americana' by having received post-manufacture modifications which detract from its importance. In fact, the original interior is so rare and so sought-after that a roll of cloth alone will cost in excess of £2,000 for those who wish to replicate it. The car looks exceptional thanks in part to a repaint in 2009 undertaken by a specialist paint shop, and performs as you would expect courtesy of regular servicing and the fitment of an electronic ignition and a custom-built stainless steel exhaust.Powered by the 265cubic inch high performance 2bbl (twin barrel) six-cylinder engine and mated to a 3-speed automatic transmission, the result is a tractable 218bhp and pleasing growl!

This car was consigned by Silverstone Auctions the very day it achieved a Top 5 award at the MOPAR EuroNationals event at the Santa Pod Raceway on 29th July having been selected by their expert judges from a field of more than 60 cars.

For those who know their stuff, this is an important and very collectable motor car