A Mean, Mean Ozzie Machine... [PIC]

Every industrial nation seems to put their unique sense of esthetics into their products. German products just look German, as does the French, British, American, and, yes, even the Aussies. Between 1969 and 1971, I was stationed in Thailand and I just loved the incredible mix of automobiles that were on the roads there. I was kinda tickled by the cars from Australia that had American name plates, but were uniquely Australian in their design cues.  In 1971, nearly the end of the muscle car era in the US, Chrysler Australia released their take on the American muscle car... the Chrysler Valiant Charger R/T E49... Hemi!!! Yeah... but it's a Hemi 6 cylinder, of all things. It doesn't quite have the aggressive and intimidating looks of its American Charger counterpart. It's actually kinda cute. But this car was the Terror of the Outback. The Charger lineup offered two Chrysler V8s: the 230 HP 318 and the 275 HP 340. But the mightiest beast in the lineup was this E49 265 cid 6 cylinder that produced 302 HP and 320 lb/ft of torque. It was the quickest Australian car to date with 0-60 in 5.9 sec. and a 1/4 mile time of 14.2. With a hemispherical head, a hot cam and a "Six Pack" of 3 Weber 2bbls mated to a 4 speed manual, it had the horsepower of a V8 with the low end torque of a 6. It's indeed a rare bird with only 149 built. I like the deep dish wheels with the red lines that complement the grill.

The car almost made it into one of the Road Warriors sequels. This was the concept: