Don’t Lose this Charger

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Don’t Lose this Charger

The big Valiant coupe known as the Charger was a big seller in NZ. In its heyday, it accounted for one-third of Chrysler NZ’s 7000 annual Valiant sales. The fuel crisis and the popularity of smaller Japanese cars eventually killed off the big Aussie Chrysler but this one is still very much alive and well and is part of the upcoming Turners classic car auction. 

There’s nothing like a period of being unpopular and unloved to make a car steadily become more collectible and expensive. At its lowest point in the 80s the Charger, along with many other big Aussie cars of the 70s, was on the skids. They were a relic of the past, driven only by young blokes with mullets and AC/DC T-Shirts who bought them cheap and drove them until they died. Now that the mullets have greyed and the bank accounts expanded those same blokes of the 1980s are ready to relive their youth and the remaining Chargers are like gold dust. Finding a good one is understandably difficult and even ones that have had the crap kicked out of them exchange hands for decent cash.

This 1973 VJ 770 example is an amazing survivor. It may not be the V8 and may have the 3-speed auto but what it also has is the bigger 265ci straight-six and it appears to be, incredibly considering its age, very original. And it’s these original cars that will keep going up in value faster than the altered or modified examples.

 As I’ve learnt over the years when it comes to buying classic cars always buy the best one you can find/afford. You won’t find too many better than this one. More details here.