Finished in classic Gold Metallic with beautiful matching interior and Black convertible top. This magnificent muscle car has been beautifully restored and is now ready to be shown or driven. This is the famed Mod Squad car that was specially built as a 1972 Challenger for the famed TV show, Mod Squad. Only two 1972 E-body convertibles exist and this is fully documented and certified. I personally believe this Challenger is among one of the most important Mopar cars on the market today. Seldom does one get a chance to acquire a car of this magnitude at an investment price – US $99,500.00 from Daniel Schmitt & Co.. Read more!
HERE IS SOME HISTORY OF THE FACTORY-BUILT ’72 CHALLENGER CONVERTIBLES:
Everyone knows the last year for the E-body convertible was 1971. Right? Well, technically, it was. However, that’s not to say no 1972 E-body convertibles exist…because they do! The cars you see before you are factory authorized 1972 conversion Challenger convertibles, and they have a rather interesting story.
Throughout the 1960s and ‘70s, Chrysler supplied a number of new cars to Hollywood motive and television studios. This arrangement made good business sense by placing Chrysler’s product (cars in front of the buying public’s eye for a lot less money than buying expensive commercial air time. The cost was relatively cheap, and sometimes, once the studios were done with them, the cars could be sold to the public through local dealerships. It was a very good program – one that the other car companies did as well.
Ford supplied cars to the “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Green Acres”. Pontiac took care of Major Nelson’s driving chores in “I Dream of Jeannie”, and other G.M. products turned up on a host of weekly T.V. programs. Chrysler Corporation had one of the largest deals going with the studios, supplying vehicles for “The Beverly Hillbillies”, “The Man From U.N.C.L.E”, “The Brady Bunch”, “Mannix”, “The Doris Day Show”, “The Mod Squad”, and many others. Remember how Mrs. Jane always seemed to drive a new red convertible? It wasn’t her salary working from a bank buying all those cars (Mr. Drysdale was too cheap for that), it was Chrsyler grabbing some free T.V. time for each new year’s models.
The arrangement was for the factory to supply new models each year to replace the old cars from the last season, allowing Chrysler to show off its very latest models. Many of the shows featured convertibles – remember Mr. Brady’s B-5 Blue Barracuda convertible used in the 1970 and ’71 seasons?
Among the most popular models with the T.V. crews were the E-body drop tops which were used in a number of shows in 1970 and 1971. Even with all this prime time exposure, convertible sales in the Chrysler showrooms were so disappointing that, after only two years of production, the factory gave up on the E-body convertible, and really, the whole E-body platform. The decision to axe the convertible from the ’72 line-up was not popular with Chrysler’s Move and T.V. Car Unit handling the cars in California. Just because no convertibles were to be built in 1972 did not mean convertibles were no longer needed for television work.
A decision had to be made as to what to do for the upcoming T.V. season. Should the ’71 models be left in use? If they were, it would mean that for the first time, Chrysler would be showing off models no longer available. Or, Chrysler could simply update some ‘71s to appear as 1972 models. Either way, they would still be highlighting a model not available. Faced with the lesser of two evils, the factory chose the latter. Thus were born a handful of 1972 Barracuda and Challenger convertibles.
1971 DODGE CHALLENGER 340 CONVERTIBLE OPTIONS:
The fender TaB is read from Left to Right, and Bottom to Top
M44 N41 N42 N85 P31 CTD + J25 J45 L25 M31 M42 +
B51 C55 C62 G31 G33 H51 V3X U A01 A04 A45 A62
GY8 H6Y3 000 828 R65933 E55 D32 JH27 H1B 150399
++
P37 R11 V6X 26 EN2
JH27 H1B 150399
E55, D32, JH 27, H, 1, B
150399
E55 – 340 1-4BBL 275 HP V8 Engine 340 FOUR BARREL
D32 – Torqueflite Automatic Transmission – Heavy Duty
JH – DODGE Challenger
27 – Convertible
H – 340 1-4 BBL 275 V8 Engine 340 FOUR BARREL
1 – 1971 Model Year
B – Hamtramck, MI Assembly Plant
150399 – Assembly Plant Sequential Number
GY8 – Gold Metallic Body Paint
H – High Grade Trim
6 – Vinyl Bucket Seats HIGH BACK
Y3 – Light Gold Interior
000 – Full door Panels
826 – Friday August 280 1970 Scheduled Production
R65933 – Vehicle Order Number – Special Meaning
V3X – Black Convertible Top
U – Build to Specifications for: U.S.A. Order
A01 – Plight Package
A04 – Basic Group
A46 – Moulding Group
A62 – Rallye Instrument Cluster
B51 – Power Brakes
C55 – Bucket Seats
C62 – LH 6-Way MAN Bucket Seat Adjuster
G31 – Outside RH MAN CHR RAC Mirror
H51 – Air Conditioning w/ FT Heater
J25 – Variable Speed Wipers w/ Electric Washers
J45 – Hood Pins
L25 – Trunk Light
M31 – Body Belt Mouldings
M42 – FT Stone Shield Moulding
M44 – Hood Rear & Fender Mouldings
N41 – Dual Exhaust
N42 – Chrome Exhaust Tips Quad
N85 – Tachometer
P31 – Power Windows
CTD – Continued on 2nd Tag
P37 – Power Convertible Top
R11 – Music Master AM Radio w/ Front Speaker – 2 Watt
V6X – Black Longitudinal Sport (Tape) Stripe
26 – 26” Radiator Diameter
EN2 – End of Fender Tag Codes
