Unlike its American-made relative, the Australian
(also sold in New Zealand) Charger only lasted from 1971 to 1978 as direct
competitor to the iconic Holden Monaro and Ford Falcon coupe of Mad Max fame.
The prettiest iteration was the VH made through 1973 that came with six
cylinder engines producing from 140 hp to 302 hp in R/T trim, and a pair of V8s,
the 230 hp 5.2L.
Would there still be a Charger offering today if
Chrysler Australia kept on making cars? Short answer is a sad no. Holden, Ford
and Toyota have all abandoned manufacturing operations due to a multitude of
issues with car-building in Australia. It’s still a very recent and raw subject
for many involved in the industry. Luckily on the bright-side, dreams are free,
so what could a modern day Valiant Charger look like if production realities
weren’t an issue?
Our illustrated reimagining takes the best of old
and infuses them into a retro-futuristic look. One element emphasized in this
study – feel free to call it the 2020 Valiant Charger – are the vertical black
stripes on the front fenders. Here they’ve been reworked into a glossy black
panel that rises up over the car whilst forming part of the hood vents.
Frontal styling is very in-your-face, with an
emphasis on width by using horizontal grille bars, bumper cutouts and LED
headlights. I’ve kept the fastback profile and re-used those louvered inserts
in the c-pillar for visual interest. One of the best attributes of the 70’s
Charger is its back end; here I’ve retained the flying-buttress appearance with
a curved rear window and flat trunk lid. Large black sections, squared-off rear
fenders and LED tail-lights complete the imposing picture.
It wouldn’t be a Charger without an Hemi V8 under
the hood; cue a 6.2-litre, supercharged V8 with 707 hp and 880 Nm. Why Hellcat! Of course, the more
civilized amongst us would be fine with 300 or so horsepower 3.6-litre
Pentastar V6 and its 8-speed ZF auto or even a performance hybrid. The latter
would make sense in the world of stricter emissions targets and environmental
concerns – cue guilt-free motoring with looks to kill.
