challenger

There were not a lot of major changes to the 71 Challenger bodywork except for a new grill and rear panel. The cars came standard with the “power bulge” hood, and the shaker hood was an option.

The big news was under the hood: The 340, which had been emasculated in ’72-’73, was replaced with a longer-stroke LA engine option: the 360-4.

For 1973, the Challenger remained almost untouched. The Challenger had a new grille insert and new bumper guards to meet safety bumper regulations at five miles per hour.

In 1972 Dodge redesigned the Challenger. It was basically the same body but with a different look. The grille and taillights were the most noticeable of all the changes. The taillights were now separated from one another. The headlights were also separated from one another.

The Dodge Challenger was Dodge’s response to the Mustang, it was a little late in the race though. Ford's Mustang had taken off as the "Pony Car" of the day.