Original Dodge Challenger
Discussion
P5BNij said:
Thanks - I lived in the area in '83 and remember a silver Dino 308GT4 with a red interior being parked not far from Cliff Davis' place on many occasions. There was another yank dealer closer to where I actually lived at the time, I can't remember what they were called but they occupied Harold Radford's old premises at 124 King Street in Hammersmith, I used to pass it almost daily and remember Trans Ams and the like in the window.
Knew it was somewhere !
There seems to be next to no period 70s or 80s photos of Challengers in the UK.
Back then, I only ever re call seeing 3 cars.
1/ My Late Dads white 70 Hemi in late 72 / early 73.
2/ A pal who lived in Walthamstow bought a 70 440 in about 1981. He came round in it once and I must have ridden in it.
He was mechanically inept. One eve in 82, him, his girlfriend and another ex pal and his g / f, were coming back from the Epping Forest Country club and as they came down into Buckhurst Hill, there was a narrow stretch of rd with a low hump back bridge. A Chrysler Alpine came over the bridge and ploughed into the Challengers right hand front corner and very sadly, the ins co wrote it off. Nowadays the car would have been repaired. Sure I went round and saw it outside his parents house after it had been recovered and before it went to a breakers.
Il ask him if he has any photos.
Another Challenger was called " The Artful Dodger", but I don't recall ever seeing it at the Chelsea Cruise, etc. I believe it has been restored.
Back then, I only ever re call seeing 3 cars.
1/ My Late Dads white 70 Hemi in late 72 / early 73.
2/ A pal who lived in Walthamstow bought a 70 440 in about 1981. He came round in it once and I must have ridden in it.
He was mechanically inept. One eve in 82, him, his girlfriend and another ex pal and his g / f, were coming back from the Epping Forest Country club and as they came down into Buckhurst Hill, there was a narrow stretch of rd with a low hump back bridge. A Chrysler Alpine came over the bridge and ploughed into the Challengers right hand front corner and very sadly, the ins co wrote it off. Nowadays the car would have been repaired. Sure I went round and saw it outside his parents house after it had been recovered and before it went to a breakers.
Il ask him if he has any photos.
Another Challenger was called " The Artful Dodger", but I don't recall ever seeing it at the Chelsea Cruise, etc. I believe it has been restored.
Found it !!
The gorgeous "Helle" tries her hardest to look interested in this Custom Car feature from April 1981 !
Mad thing is, that one day in 83, I had to take some modelling shots of an ex Boss g / f Page 3 girl, Tessa Huet to an agency in Clerkenwell. As I was about to park the hearing aid beige Escort MK3 co car, Helle came out of the building and walked right past me !! I can still see her in my minds eye now, wearing a white jumper type top, short skirt and legs to die for !
She was well known for being a regular in SuperBike magazine in the late 70s early 80s.
Anyone know what happened to her ??
Edited by neutral 3 on Wednesday 8th May 12:40
aeropilot said:
neutral 3 said:
There seems to be next to no period 70s or 80s photos of Challengers in the UK.
Back then, I only ever re call seeing 3 cars.
1/ My Late Dads white 70 Hemi in late 72 / early 73.
2/ A pal who lived in Walthamstow bought a 70 440 in about 1981. He came round in it once and I must have ridden in it.
He was mechanically inept. One eve in 82, him, his girlfriend and another ex pal and his g / f, were coming back from the Epping Forest Country club and as they came down into Buckhurst Hill, there was a narrow stretch of rd with a low hump back bridge. A Chrysler Alpine came over the bridge and ploughed into the Challengers right hand front corner and very sadly, the ins co wrote it off. Nowadays the car would have been repaired. Sure I went round and saw it outside his parents house after it had been recovered and before it went to a breakers.
Il ask him if he has any photos.
Another Challenger was called " The Artful Dodger", but I don't recall ever seeing it at the Chelsea Cruise, etc. I believe it has been restored.
Late 70's Hot Car magazine ran a yellow and black Hemi Challenger (can't recall if it was a 70 or 71 though) as a staff car. I did have a grainy colour photo of it taken on an old 110 pocket camera of in the pits at drag meeting at Blackbush in Sept '79, when the then HC editor Keith Seume(?) was drag racing it. From memory it was running slot mags and a slight rake.Back then, I only ever re call seeing 3 cars.
1/ My Late Dads white 70 Hemi in late 72 / early 73.
2/ A pal who lived in Walthamstow bought a 70 440 in about 1981. He came round in it once and I must have ridden in it.
He was mechanically inept. One eve in 82, him, his girlfriend and another ex pal and his g / f, were coming back from the Epping Forest Country club and as they came down into Buckhurst Hill, there was a narrow stretch of rd with a low hump back bridge. A Chrysler Alpine came over the bridge and ploughed into the Challengers right hand front corner and very sadly, the ins co wrote it off. Nowadays the car would have been repaired. Sure I went round and saw it outside his parents house after it had been recovered and before it went to a breakers.
Il ask him if he has any photos.
Another Challenger was called " The Artful Dodger", but I don't recall ever seeing it at the Chelsea Cruise, etc. I believe it has been restored.
They ran it for a year or two and then sold it, so have no idea what became of it, probably went to Sweden like so many others.
aeropilot said:
neutral 3 said:
Found it !!
The gorgeous "Helle" tries her hardest to look interested in this Custom Car feature from April 1981 !
Mad thing is, that one day in 83, I had to take some modelling shots of an ex Boss g / f Page 3 girl, Tessa Huet to an agency in Clerkenwell. As I was about to park the hearing aid beige Escort MK3 co car, Helle came out of the building and walked right past me !! I can still see her in my minds eye now, wearing a white jumper type top, short skirt and legs to die for !
She was well known for being a regular in SuperBike magazine in the late 70s early 80s.
Anyone know what happened to her ??
Edited by neutral 3 on Wednesday 8th May 12:40
She'd be in mid 60's now I guess....
I seem to recall seeing another white Chally with murals on it at one of the Ally pally Custom shows around 80/81....?
My pal with the 440, only remembers The Artful Dodger from back in the day.
Matt Harper said:
This was the car that got me bitten by the Mopar bug. Ex Paul Rossi Challenger campaigned by Sylvia and Geoff Hauser.
I remember being completely mesmerized by it back in the day.
The fact that a latter-day Hellcat and even a lightly modified Scat Pack would seriously challenge it is testimony to how far street performance has moved with the brand.
How could I forget that one !! I remember being completely mesmerized by it back in the day.
The fact that a latter-day Hellcat and even a lightly modified Scat Pack would seriously challenge it is testimony to how far street performance has moved with the brand.
Were there ever any articles on it ?
And what happened to it ?
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