John Bowe gives us the low-down on one of the all time legendary Aussie sixes, the E49 R/T version of the Valiant Charger.
Widely regarded as the best car never to win the annual ‘great race’ at Bathurst, the Chrysler has picked up legions of fans who love their performance sixes in a market often dominated by V8s.
People with lots of experience at these things, including our own V8 Supercar legend John Bowe, reckon that just comes down to bad luck.
Talk to just about any high-profile racer from the period when these things were on the track, and they’ll tell you a Charger was a serious threat.
You can still find a Charger for reasonable money, though high-end versions like the one you see here can command big numbers.
For the would-be buyer, the good news is there’s no rocket-science in a Charger – they’re structurally and mechanically straight-forward to work on. However, if you’re buying something special like an E49 you may need to track down an expert to ensure it’s the real thing. How? Simple: join a club before you buy!
And what does JB reckon about them? He admits to having a soft spot for a good straigjht six in the snout, so this car suits him just fine.
(By the way, this particular car is for sale. Contact Chris Sparrow on tel 0418 312 222.)
Video: Andrew Britten