Chrysler Valiant Hardtop, Pacer and Charger market review

By: Cliff Chambers, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 19.11.2016

Gotta love the profile of a Pacer

Gotta love the profile of a Pacer

We love our locally-built Chryslers and you need to know what to look for to get value.

Chrysler AP6-VC V8/VF-VH Hardtop/Chrysler

The cars regarded as Australia’s first ‘family’ V8s aren’t generating anywhere near the price growth enjoyed by early V8 Holdens and Fords.

A few years back VC V8s prices were approaching $40,000 but cars being sold now are largely in the sub-$30,000 range.

The news for VF-VG Hardtop owners is better with average prices for their cars up substantially and excellent V8 Regals worth $30,000.

The massive CH-CK Chryslers often came with 5.9-litre engines and needed every cubic centimetre to move them. Today these cars are enjoying a surge in both price and popularity and two-door versions are heading for $30,000.

Chrysler Pacer & Charger, VH-CM V8 market review

Performance-oriented Valiants from the 1960s and 70s are rare but not yet really valuable.
The cars to find, or hold on to if you have one, are E35-code Pacers with the four-barrel carburettor and Track Pack additions. Few exist and values should remain above $60,000.

Basic Pacer sedans, especially the VG, have recently been hard to find but the VFs we found were generally in good condition.

VG Pacer Hardtops at $30-35,000 offer fun but less future appeal than four-doors. Chargers with the 4.3-litre six and manual transmission have mostly been turned into R/T replicas, but there are still some tidy and original 770s about and selling at less than $40,000.

Chrysler Charger E37/E38/E49/E55

‘Bathurst’ Chargers are among the least common performance cars to come out of Australia, yet only the E38s and E49s generate strong prices.

Single-carburettor E37s have finally begun to move but Six-Pack E48s are worth half the money of an E49 when they do pop up.

We only saw one E49 during this survey period and it was right at the top of the price pile. Most are worth $100-130,000.

A decent E38 was auctioned for $75,000 and top money for the three-speed cars is still below $100,000.

The V8 E55s were intended to attract the more mature lover of performance Chryslers but engine supplies dried up and they are scarce. Authentic cars still sell for under $60,000.

Valuation done 2015-16. Note that concours cars will fetch a premium.

VF Pacer buyer guide

Muscle car value guide home page

Unique Cars magazine Value Guides

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