Classic Classified: 1971 Dodge Charger R/T

From: Hemmings Motor News, December 1983

Price then: $8500 ($20,700 adjusted for inflation)

Price now: $46,200–$88,000

Approximate dollar difference: $67,300 (Assuming No. 1 condition)

Annual rate of return: 4.2%

Dodge: 1971 Charger RT, one of 88 built with 440 six-pack and pistol grip 4-speed. 3.54 Dana, rally dash, loaded with options, 45,000 miles, positively perfect, photos available, $8500 or trade for hemi car.

The Charger received a major facelift for 1971, shrinking a few inches and gaining a more streamlined body. Underneath, however, the ’71 Charger retained its heavy-hitting performance engines—the 440 six-pack and 426 Hemi—for one more year before finally falling victim to emissions regulations in the following years.

In 1983, $8500 was a good chunk of money for a 12-year-old car, equal to spending about $21,470 today. It’s hard to imagine that anyone was eager to pay this sort of money without the added pop icon status of a Bullitt Mustang and Dukes of Hazzard Charger. That said, 35 years later, a 4.2-percent year-over-year return on investment isn’t bad at all.

What do you think? Would you have pulled the trigger?