Valiant Charger E49

On this episode of Grassroots garage we have Paul's 1972 Chrysler VH Valiant Charger R/T E49 The E49 is one of the most iconic and rare muscle cars made in Australia, aficionados will note the big tank conversion completed in the 80's by Paul. There were only a hundred and fourty-nine of these cars, most stamped A87, denoting the Track Pack, twenty two were stamped A84 - which denoted the Track pack and 35 gallon fuel tank. This very special car was produced at Chrysler’s Tonsley Park plant in South Australia. The E49 featured a 4.3-litre straight-six engine with triple Weber carburettors that delivered 302 horsepower to the rear wheels. It was quick enough for Wheels Magazine to say that "The Valiant Charger R/T E49 is the fastest accelerating Australian muscle car of all, capable of turning the standing quarter mile in 14.1 seconds and clocking 0-60 mph in just 6.1 seconds – no mean feat for a six.” With Triple webers feeding the mighty straight six it's easy to see why the E49 achieved cult status among Aussie muscle car enthusiasts due to its performance and rarity. The new BorgWarner four-speed manual transmission was a game changer for Bathurst racing. Chrystler pulled out and yet the two E49's ran third and fourth outright with no factory support! This just shows how much potential there was with some more R&D. We once again want to thank Paul for sharing this beautiful example of Australian Motoring history with us.

Added 1 Apr 2026