1971 Dodge Charger 426 Hemi R/T

Too often in the AJ" C.O.T.D." this scenario has played out...changing times, Government emissions standards and rising insurance costs slowly digging the Muscle Car's grave. American automakers had been pushing power and big engines for nearly two decades. Now, by 1971, Detroit was reducing the power.

Still, one last ray of hope, Chrysler was holding out. One of the last items anyone would have expected on the 1971 Dodge Charger option sheet was the 426 Hemi V-8, but there it was. In black & white. It wasn’t intensely promoted, but damn it, it  was there.

Not many takers gathered to grab the Hemi option, as just 85 Chargers were built with the famed 426 V8 in 1971. But that didn’t mean the Hemi didn’t still deliver. As always, since its 1964 debut as a race engine, the Hemi was rated at 425 horsepower and had 490 pounds/feet of available torque. MoPar kept the compression high at 10.2:1.

The legendary engine would fade from the lineup after this year, but the Charger that was its last home was radically new  with an elongated “Coke bottle” shape and a semi-fastback roofline.  The Super Bee name came to the Charger line for ’71 as a basic performance-oriented model with a 275-horsepower 383-cubic-inch V-8 and Rallye Suspension standard, listing for $3271. A 300-horsepower 383 was the next step up for the V-8 staircase, while the R/T returned with the 370-horsepower 440 Magnum standard. That listed for $3777. The Hemi was available on the R/T and Charger Super Bee models.

All R/Ts received a blackout louvered performance hood, special door skins with simulated air extractors, and Rallye wheels. A colored racing stripe flowed from the cowl, following the beltline. Rear deck spoiler and chin spoiler were optional. Hemi Super Bee models were less radical, with fewer door vents, but still striking with their bumblebee graphics.

High-back bucket seats, Slap-Stick or Hurst pistol-grip shifter, console, full instrumentation, trimmed pedals, and a choice of audio options were found inside.

The 426 Hemi cost an extra $883.55 , and was available with standard four-speed or optional TorqueFlite. The Sure-Grip rear was a mandatory option. 11-inch drum brakes -- 3 inches wide up front, 2½ inches wide at the rear -- were standard in both Super Bee and R/T. Hemi Chargers also had a vacuum-operated hood scoop activated by a dashboard switch. It allowed cold air to reach the twin Carter AFB four-barrel carburetors via the shortest path. Also, Dodge’s Performance Parts Catalog had a list of available goodies including not only Dodge-brand components but shifters from Hurst, performance cams from Racer Brown and Iskenderian, headers from Hooker, and Edelbrock manifolds.

Chrysler gave the Hemi hydraulic valve lifters in 1970, which helped keep the engine in optimum tune and made it a more viable street sweeper. 1/4 mile times were in the high 13s at more than 100 mph...very respectable! Hemi Chargers were again a winning force in NASCAR, and some credit Chrysler’s drag-racing experience with helping it get the most out of its oval stockers now that NASCAR required them to be closer than ever to production cars.

In 1971, Dodge sold just 5,054 Charger Super Bees and only 3,118 Charger R/Ts  and while fewer than 100 were equipped with the Hemi, they would remain a strong presence in all sorts of competitive motorsports for years to come. On the street, however, the year 1971 was the requiem for this heavyweight. But what a swan song it was...remaining a legend still to this day.