1971 Chrysler VH Charger R/T E38 'Bathurst' Coupe

Description

Chrysler’s VH range included a new fastback variant, the legendary Charger, which proved so popular when it joined the line-up in 1971 that it soon accounted for half of all Valiant sales.  As Chrysler’s entry into the booming muscle car segment, it was only a matter of time before the Charger hit the track, resulting in a homologation special codenamed E38.  Born with a single goal - to win at Bathurst - the E38 took the full house VH Charger R/T Six Pack and added a highly tuned 280 bhp engine with triple Weber DCOE carburettors, along with various modifications such as a dual exhaust system.  All E38s came with the Track Pack, consisting of alloy wheels, stronger brakes, quick-ratio steering and a limited-slip diff (with a choice of back axle ratios), while a long-range 35-gallon fuel tank (code A84), better known as the Big Tank, was also available.  The E38 Charger certainly looked the business, the R/T package adding attention grabbing stripes and blacked-out grille, available in a range of colours with catchy names like Vitamin C, Hemi Orange, Hot Mustard and Mercury Silver.  All R/T Chargers boasted quartz halogen headlights, full instrumentation and an aluminium steering wheel, with E38s normally equipped with an interior dress-up package.  Despite failing to win at Bathurst, the Charger was by no means a flop on track - indeed, Doug Chivas won the E38’s debut race at Oran Park in September 1971, while Leo Geoghegan electrified race goers with headlining-making performances at the wheel of various Chargers.  The E38 proved a ferociously quick road car, achieving 0-100 km/h in 6.4 seconds and the quarter mile on 15 seconds flat, putting it on par with the legendary Phase III GT-HO Falcon.  Out of 316 E38 Chargers built in total, just 224 were Big Tank cars, of which around a third are accounted for today.  Along with the E49 that replaced it, surviving E38s remain the most collectible Aussie Mopar products ever made.