VP Challenger questions

[69bronzeT5]

This has probally been asked before but what happened to the Challengers after production? I'm talking about the original 1971 movie, not the re-make. Also, I'm including a picture of a scene from VP where Kowalski is driving down an alley way or something like that and I think theres fences on both sides....what engine does that certain car have, it sure sounds cool!

[Carlwalski]

"Apparently" the 5 Challengers (4 x 440ci 4bbls and 1 x 383ci 4bbl) were loaned to the film company from Chrysler and returned after filming. I'm not sure how true this is but it seems to be the most common story and a fairly factual one at that as Chrysler wanted them used so it would boost sales. That's why in 1 US version poster it's a 1971 Challenger, not a '70. This was done to help push sales for the following year. As for the sound clip, it is a 440ci Magnum in the car but how much of that is edited, we may never know. I have heard they used sound clips from the Bullitt car chase. If that's true then it isn't the Bullitt chase as the Bullitt chase was taken from a race car lol. Confusing? Who sing? You Bring?

[69bronzeT5]

Thanks! So it's possible that somebody out there has one of the Challengers but dosen't know what it is.....

[Carlwalski]

Thanks! So it's possible that somebody out there has one of the Challengers but dosen't know what it is.....

I have a member on my forum/Registry who is pretty adamant (he knows his stuff) that he owns "the" 383 R/T car. Was originally a B5 Blue car but was painted white (bits of white paint can still been seen) and was purchased long ago around the time of the movie from near one of the shooting locations. It's a column shift which is interesting because in a few scenes you can see what looks like Kowalski chucking it into gear via the column. 1 scene when he takes off after checking the Jaguar driver is OK and the other when he parks up at the bikers house. He knows more and has done many years of research on it. I doubt the value will rise with the car at all, maybe slightly but the cool factor is super sweet. Hopefully he chimes in and/or can confirm it with concrete evidence one day, although that will be hard to do (paper work etc), fingers crossed for him. I think his member name on here is 70RT? Not 100% sure.

[69bronzeT5]

That's cool! If I ever own a '70, it's going white with Rallyes

[Roppa440]

No way would Chrysler have allowed those Challengers to ever go on sale after being used in that film.
It was common practice at the time to have the cars back for breaking down and inspection (to see what broke and what didn't) and then destroy them.

[Carlwalski]

Yeah, beats me exactly what they did but it seems the cars were "rented" from Chrysler and then returned. I have no idea what Chrysler did with them when and if they got them all back.

[Aussie Challenger]

  The only Challenger in half decent condition after the movie was finished was the 383 auto car (it towed the camaro into the dozer blades), the others were badly wrecked. They were all returned to Chrysler after the movie and destroyed, the 383 car has been tied to rumors that it may have escaped the crushers.
  The movie was very poorly received in America, it was only after being released in England & Australia that the movie people decided to re-release it and Chrysler realised that it was now a superseded older model.