When parents give their children an old car that’s been in the family since new, it’s usually a 10-to-20-year-old minivan with over 100,000 miles complete with a worn-out driver’s seat and a myriad of fluid leaks from its well-used drivetrain. But what if the car was an original 1972 Charger Rallye still wearing its original Top Banana Yellow high-impact paint and packing a 340-cubic-inch V8 under its Power-Bulge hood, that would be a great hand-me-down. And if the high-winding small block was attached to a four-speed transmission complete with a Hurst Pistol Grip shifter, you’d have no problem wheeling your friends around town. This particular Charger escaped the ravages of time. Unfortunately, many muscle cars suffered many an unfortunate fate from either reckless owners or the harsh winter elements. While we were at this year’s Carlisle Chrysler Nationals and checking out the thousands of cool Mopar_® vehicles in the show field, we came across a prime example of a survivor. We chatted with John Willis who’s 75 years young. He drove his factory-original Charger Rallye from Defiance, Pennsylvania, to Carlisle. For John, it was more than just a road trip for his prized Mopar vehicle, it was a father-son bonding experience with his son Andrew. 

To fully appreciate how John Willis came to purchase this Charger Rallye and have it survive over five decades, we have to go back to late summer 1971 when John was thumbing through a 1972 Charger sales brochure he’d picked up at his local Dodge dealer. He instantly fell in love with the looks of the Charger and not only knew what color he wanted to order it in but the exact options (or lack of). You see, John was only 24 years old and single at the time and had just returned home after serving a tour in Vietnam in the armed forces. After applying for the GI Bill, John enrolled at Penn State University and cash was tight for the returning vet. Regardless, he wanted a new car that looked sharp, uncomplicated to maintain and was easy on the pocketbook. John headed to Courtesy Motors in Altoona, Pennsylvania. “I went through the catalog and knew exactly what I wanted. I choose the Charger Rallye Coupe for starting point, it was the least expensive. Then he checked off the 340 Magnum, four-speed transmission, 14-inch Road Wheels and AM Radio. I didn’t even want bucket seats or a console, I ordered the car with the standard black bench seat. That’s all I wanted and since the dealership didn’t have one on the lot with the options I wanted, they had to order it,” said John. “The salesman at the Dodge dealership tried to talk me into a bigger engine and other options, but I told him no.” After three or four weeks, the bright yellow Charger Rallye showed up at the dealership. “I got a call the car had arrived, and they parked it inside the service area to keep it safe. When I got down there and saw it for the first time, I was really happy and excited.” That was June 6, 1972, and after signing paperwork and handing over $2,995 in cash that John has saved painting houses, he drove his brand-new screaming yellow Charger Rallye out of the dealership and headed home. 

Between school and work, John drove his Charger Rallye virtually every day from 1972 to around 1988 when John parked the car in a barn. During its service, the dependable Dodge racked up over 100,000 miles. During this period, John resisted the temptation to modify the car and do anything crazy. Remember, it was his daily driver, and he needed his Charger to start at the turn of the key, be reliable and get some semblance of decent gas mileage. “I drove the Charger to college and then work, which was a 70-mile commute each way. All I did was change out the original Carter Thermoquad carb for Holley Spreadbore replacement and swapped out the air cleaner for an aftermarket chrome unit, but other than those changes, the engine still remains stock even to this day. Heck, the cylinder heads have never been off the 340 and other than spark plugs, filters and fluid changes, everything is stock. When we pulled the car out of the barn back in 2020, we did replace the clutch.” 

After yanking the dusty and forgotten Charger out and assessing what needed to be done to make it road-worthy again, John had a renewed interest in his prized Mopar vehicle. He and his son Andrew cleaned up the dirty and dusty Charger, which also held many fond memories for Andrew. “My first memories of the Charger were when I was around six years old. I would go into the barn and lift up the cover and peek at the car. I didn’t know much about the Charger but as I got older, my dad told me how he bought it new and how he chose the Rallye package and the 340. My dad taught me how to work on older cars and after we got the Charger running, we began taking it to car show. Now I drive the Charger as often as I can and have the same love and affection for this as my dad. He also has a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner that he takes out, but his Charger Rallye – which he bought brand new in 1972 – will always be a part of our family. I don’t think of this car as a ‘hand-me-down,’ but rather I’m the caretaker of something very special. If I have kids one day, rest assured I will pass the Charger down to them,” said Andrew. 

Thank goodness John never had the temptation to sell his Charger Rallye. Original-owner muscle cars are hard to find, and the ones that get handed down to family members are a rare occurrence. Luckily, this one will remain in the same household for decades to come.  

Check out more pics of this one-owner Charger Rallye survivor!

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