In 1972 I purchased 72 challenger new off of showroom floor in Charleston, S.C. for $4,300.00. I was told by salesperson it was limited edition Richard Petty with trans am suspension. Vehicle was Petty blue interior and exterior, 340 4 bar. with slapstick auto trans. Vehicle came with no air or radio. If I remember correctly the challenger and Cuda 340's were racing against the Mustangs and Camaro in Trans Am competition during that period of time. Looking for info and value.
In 1972 I purchased 72 challenger new off of showroom floor in Charleston, S.C. for $4,300.00. I was told by salesperson it was limited edition Richard Petty with trans am suspension. Vehicle was Petty blue interior and exterior, 340 4 bar. with slapstick auto trans. Vehicle came with no air or radio. If I remember correctly the challenger and Cuda 340's were racing against the Mustangs and Camaro in Trans Am competition during that period of time. Looking for info and value.
I never heard of a limited edition 1972 Richard Petty Challenger.
The only year for the Trans-Am cars was 1970- when the 290 hp Challenger T/A (340 six-pack) and the AAR 'Cuda (340 six-pack) were produced.
In addition in 1972, the 340s were seriously detuned for emissions reasons. The hp dropped from 275 to 245 hp. The engine's compression dropped from 10.5:1 to 8.5:1 and it got smaller intake valves. I think that your salesman may have been giving you a line.
In 1972 I purchased 72 challenger new off of showroom floor in Charleston, S.C. for $4,300.00. I was told by salesperson it was limited edition Richard Petty with trans am suspension. Vehicle was Petty blue interior and exterior, 340 4 bar. with slapstick auto trans. Vehicle came with no air or radio. If I remember correctly the challenger and Cuda 340's were racing against the Mustangs and Camaro in Trans Am competition during that period of time. Looking for info and value.
In 1972 I purchased 72 challenger new off of showroom floor in Charleston, S.C. for $4,300.00. I was told by salesperson it was limited edition Richard Petty with trans am suspension. Vehicle was Petty blue interior and exterior, 340 4 bar. with slapstick auto trans. Vehicle came with no air or radio. If I remember correctly the challenger and Cuda 340's were racing against the Mustangs and Camaro in Trans Am competition during that period of time. Looking for info and value.
As I previously stated, because the 1972 Challenger and 'Cuda were "de-tuned" for emissions that year, these cars do not command the same values as the true high-performance models from 1970-1971.
For example, if you look at hemmings.com, there are two 1971 Challenger R/Ts selling for $59,950 (340) and $51,500 (383). A 1973 340 Challenger R/T is only selling for $21,950. You find the same thing with the 1972 'Cuda that is selling for $28,400.
So I guess all of us with the "seriously detuned" 340 vehicles should just drive them off of a cliff? I get very tired of hearing how the 72-73 cars are just pieces of junk. Obviously, the earlier 340 cars are more desirable due to their higher horsepower rating. But the later cars were very competitive for their day, and a heck of a lot better than most stuff that came along in the later 1970s.
In the past, I owned two '70 340 Dusters, and then a '73 Dart Sport 340. The 70 Dusters were faster, but not THAT much faster.
I think people need to get over their class snobery and appreciate all Mopars. As someone who grew up during the peak of the muscle car era, I'm very sorry to see how this hobby is deteroriating thanks to the nonsense of Barrett-Jackson and big buck collectors.
So I guess all of us with the "seriously detuned" 340 vehicles should just drive them off of a cliff? I get very tired of hearing how the 72-73 cars are just pieces of junk. Obviously, the earlier 340 cars are more desirable due to their higher horsepower rating. But the later cars were very competitive for their day, and a heck of a lot better than most stuff that came along in the later 1970s.
In the past, I owned two '70 340 Dusters, and then a '73 Dart Sport 340. The 70 Dusters were faster, but not THAT much faster.
I think people need to get over their class snobery and appreciate all Mopars. As someone who grew up during the peak of the muscle car era, I'm very sorry to see how this hobby is deteroriating thanks to the nonsense of Barrett-Jackson and big buck collectors.
No one is saying that the 1972-1973 Challengers and 'Cuda's were "junk."
The key to a car's value is how rare the car and its options are. The 10.5:1 (275 hp) 340 was only installed in the E-body Challenger R/T and 'Cuda for two years (1970-1971). It is simple economics- since there are less of them, it drives the price up.
An extreme example is the 1971 'Cuda. A 340 or 383 in great shape can bring around $60,000 (although a 340 sold for $102,500 at the last week's Barret-Jackson auction). The big blocks (440, 440 Six-Pack and 426) were installed in fewer cars and command much higher sale prices.
The extreme example is the 426 Hemi. In a coupe (rare) it can bring up to $1 million. In a convertible (very rare), it can bring up to $2 million.
Last edited by Cuda340 : 01-23-2007 at 03:29 PM.
Reason: Missing Information
Sure, the prices are what they are based on rarity, options, consumer demand, etc. I just think people need to lighten up and quit letting market value alone determine their appreciation of vehicles. It's gotten so bad that commentators on the BJ broadcast are pooh-poohing cars because they ONLY have a 383 -- not a 440 6-pack or Hemi. NOT every car can be a super rare Copo, Yenko, Hemi Cuda, etc.
Back in the day, most guys had (and could afford) cars with 340s, 350s, 351s, etc. They fixed them up, made them go fast, and made them look good, and NOBODY worried about broadcast sheets, factory correct wheels and tires, etc.
I just think all this focus on rarity, limited production numbers, etc. ruins the (original) premise of the hobby -- fixing up fast cars and having fun!
[quote=Cuda340]No one is saying that the 1972-1973 Challengers and 'Cuda's were "junk."
Perhaps - but as the owner of a 72 Rallye Charger I will tell you that even within the Mopar magazines there is always an element of snobbery present. Pick up any issue that features something past 71 and they just go on and on about lower horse power blah blah blah and then will offer some kind of back handed compliment to end the article. What they never or rarely mention is that post 71 horse power was calculated differently so the differences aren't as great as they may appear. It also isn't difficult at all to get a post 71 up to earlier performance numbers.
My car is one of 165, I think that makes it fairly uncommon but I didn't buy it for that reason and I understand it'll never be a high buck collector item. I grew up with 383's and 340's and I liked them but I also realize they simply don't capture the collector the way a 440 or Hemi does.
Bottom line is: enjoy your car and stop fretting about the perceived value. My personal take is that in the not too distant future the fly by owners with bucks will get out and there'll be lots of these available for the true fans. I also suspect that the new Challenger will stimulate the sell off of a lot of the older cars. After all, why screw with 30+ year old technology when you can have the same or better performance in a new, hot looking ride that's actually comfortable to drive.
You've made some excellent points -- especially about the Mopar magazines. If, and when, they ever do cover a post-71 vehicle, they go to great lengths to tell you how inadequate the cars of that era were before ever getting in to the fine points of the vehicle in question. The net vs. gross horsepower ratings are an excellent example. I'd like to know the REAL difference between a 275 gross rating and a 240 net rating. It can't be more than 15-20 horses -- and THAT separates a "muscle car" from a so-called "smogger?"
Regardless, your point is well taken. When did the "Muscle Car" era end? That's a subjective question. Problem is, we have lots of people today who think it's their job to decide for us (many of whom weren't even around back then)! I still say the auction hype of recent years has helped to create this environment.
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Re: 1972 challenger-Petty edition
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