1973 · Dodge · United States
1973 Dodge Charger: The Best-Selling Year the Original Era Ever Had
The Charger's best-selling year of the original era, 119,318 cars, came as the 440 lost its Magnum name and the car moved toward personal luxury.
United States · researched through 2026-09-23
This record's own overview states that the 1973 Charger grew seven inches in overall length through new rear quarter panels and gained a cross-hatched grille, multi-louvred tail lamps, a new roof with movable rear-quarter windows, and a no-cost "halo" vinyl roof, and that Stellantis's own retrospective calls it Dodge's second-best-selling model that year after the Dart. It adds that Flory records 1973 Charger production of 119,318, up 57.84 percent on 1972, and that Charles Hyde's history of Chrysler gives the same number as the Charger's peak, while engines ran from the 105-horsepower 225 six through the 318, 340 and two- and four-barrel 400 to a four-barrel 440 that no longer carried the Magnum name.1,2,3
This record's own key facts restate the 119,318 production figure and the seven-inch length increase, and add that the 1973 Charger catalogue lists 17 exterior colors by code, with Top Banana at extra cost, and restricts the 340 four-barrel to the Rallye Package while limiting the 440 four-barrel to the Rallye and the SE. Its own production notes observe that Flory's three 1973 body-style rows, 11,995 coupes, 45,415 hardtops and 61,908 SEs, sum exactly to his 119,318 total, an internal consistency this record treats as confirmation of the addition rather than of the underlying count itself.2
This record's own production rows carry that same 119,318 total with a note explaining that Hyde describes the figure as sales while Flory tabulates it as production, and that the two books may share a common industry-statistics lineage rather than being fully independent confirmations of one another. Its own notes state plainly that no sourced 1973 breakdown by Rallye package, engine or transmission was found, so the three body-style rows are the only production detail this record carries for the year.2,3
This record's own unpublished leads section flags two separate items: an uncited Wikipedia figure of around 108,000 total Chargers for 1973 that conflicts with the sourced 119,318, and a forum thread discussing Rallye-with-400 production counts that was not read in detail. Neither claim is promoted into this record's own production rows, which rely instead on the two book sources already cited in its key facts.2
This record's own prices section documents base MSRPs of $2,810 for the coupe, $3,060 for the hardtop and $3,375 for the SE, against an average base price of $3,082 across the line, all three body-style prices rising from the base figures this record's own specifications section pairs with shipping weights of 3,395, 3,450 and 3,540 pounds respectively. Its engines section documents the 440 four-barrel without the Magnum name, the 400 in two- or four-barrel form, the 340 four-barrel, the 318 two-barrel, and the 105-horsepower 225 six as the base engine, none of the five carrying a published rating beyond the six's own stated figure.2,1
This record's own options section documents a "Halo" vinyl roof as a genuine no-cost option, alongside catalogue items including a 340 four-barrel restricted to the Rallye Package, a 440 four-barrel restricted to the Rallye and SE, a four-speed manual with Hurst Pistol-Grip shifter, a special suspension with front and rear sway bars limited to four-barrel engines and the Rallye Package, and package-level options including the Rallye Package, the Light Package, the E-Z Order Package and a Luxury Equipment Package for the hardtop and SE. This record's own conflicts and performance sections are both empty for 1973, a gap it carries without substitution even though its unpublished leads section flags two separate unresolved claims for the same year.
Fact sheet · 1973 · United States
The numbers
1973 Dodge Charger — The Charger's best-selling year of the original era, 119,318 cars, came as the 440 lost its Magnum name and the car moved toward personal luxury.
Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-23.
Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.
Key facts
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charger, all series2,3 coupe and hardtop · not stated Hyde describes the figure as sales; Flory tabulates it as production. The two books may share an industry-statistics lineage. | 119,318 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charger 2-door coupe (WL21)2 Charger · 2-door coupe · not stated | 11,995 | built, model-year | Reported |
| Charger 2-door hardtop (WH23)2 Charger · 2-door hardtop · not stated | 45,415 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charger SE 2-door hardtop (WP29)2 SE · 2-door hardtop · not stated | 61,908 | built, model-year | Reported |
No sourced 1973 breakdown by Rallye package, engine or transmission was found; Flory's body-style rows are above.
Flory's three 1973 style rows (11,995 + 45,415 + 61,908) sum exactly to his 119,318 total.
Prices when new
| Model | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Base MSRP, Charger 2-door coupe (WL21)2 | $2,810 | base manufacturer's suggested retail price as tabulated by Flory, 1973 model year |
| Base MSRP, Charger 2-door hardtop (WH23)2 | $3,060 | base manufacturer's suggested retail price as tabulated by Flory, 1973 model year |
| Base MSRP, Charger SE (WP29)2 | $3,375 | base manufacturer's suggested retail price as tabulated by Flory, 1973 model year |
| Average base price, all Charger styles2 | $3,082 | average base MSRP as tabulated by Flory, 1973 model year |
Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| 440 4-bbl V-8 (no longer badged Magnum)1 440 cu in · 4-barrel | optional | Not yet sourced | |
| 400 V-8 (2-bbl or 4-bbl)1 400 cu in · 2-barrel or 4-barrel | optional | Not yet sourced | |
| 340 V-81 340 cu in · 4-barrel | optional | Not yet sourced | |
| 318 V-81 318 cu in · 2-barrel | optional | Not yet sourced | |
| 225 six1 225 cu in · 1-barrel | 105 hp (as stated by Stellantis retrospective (standard not named)) | base | Not yet sourced |
Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.
Options and packages
| Code | Option | Price | Installed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
'Halo' vinyl roof (no-cost option)1 | $0 | Not yet sourced |
|
340 4-bbl V8 with bright-tip dual exhausts (Rallye Package only) | — | Not yet sourced |
|
400 2- or 4-bbl V8 | — | Not yet sourced |
|
440 4-bbl V8 with bright-tip dual exhausts (Rallye and SE) | — | Not yet sourced |
|
4-speed floor-mounted manual with Hurst Pistol-Grip shifter (318, 340 or 4-bbl V8) | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Special suspension with front and rear sway bars (4-bbl engines and Rallye Package) | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Rallye Instrument Cluster (Rallye Package and SE) | — | Not yet sourced |
|
'Gradated' body side tape stripe (Rallye Package) | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Manual sun roof (requires vinyl roof) | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Canopy vinyl roof (coupe, hardtop) | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Magnum road wheels | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Rallye Package | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Light Package | — | Not yet sourced |
|
E-Z Order Package (TorqueFlite, power steering, AM radio, deluxe wheel covers and more) | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Deluxe Package (Charger coupe) | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Heavy-Duty Package | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Trailer Wiring Package and Trailer-Towing Package (heavy-duty 3.23 axle; requires automatic, power front discs, G78x14 tyres) | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Luxury Equipment Package (hardtop and SE) | — | Not yet sourced |
Paint
| Code | Color | Built |
|---|---|---|
TX9 |
Black | Not yet sourced |
JA5 |
Dark Silver Metallic | Not yet sourced |
EW1 |
Eggshell White | Not yet sourced |
HL4 |
Parchment | Not yet sourced |
JY3 |
Light Gold | Not yet sourced |
HT6 |
Medium Tan Metallic | Not yet sourced |
JY6 |
Gold Metallic | Not yet sourced |
JY9 |
Dark Gold Metallic | Not yet sourced |
GK6 |
Bronze Metallic | Not yet sourced |
FY1 |
Top Banana (extra cost) | Not yet sourced |
JF1 |
Pale Green | Not yet sourced |
GF3 |
Light Green Metallic | Not yet sourced |
JF8 |
Dark Green Metallic | Not yet sourced |
HB1 |
Light Blue | Not yet sourced |
TB3 |
Super Blue | Not yet sourced |
GB5 |
Bright Blue Metallic | Not yet sourced |
FE5 |
Bright Red | Not yet sourced |
Color names are the factory's. We don't show color swatches, because a screen color is no guide for a restoration.
Interiors
| Code | Trim | Built |
|---|---|---|
|
Bucket seats (hardtop and SE); floor console with 'Slap Stick' shifter (no extra charge on SE) | Not yet sourced |
|
'Brougham' cloth-and-vinyl center armrest seat (Charger SE, with Luxury Equipment Package) | Not yet sourced |
Specifications
| Measure | Value | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Overall length increase over 19721 | 7 in | all bodies (rear quarter panels) |
| Shipping weight, Charger coupe WL212 | 3,395 lb | WL21 |
| Shipping weight, Charger hardtop WH232 | 3,450 lb | WH23 |
| Shipping weight, Charger SE WP292 | 3,540 lb | WP29 |
Identification
- 1973 identifiers
- Cross-hatched grille, multi-louvred tail lamps, movable rear-quarter windows with canted louvres.1
- Style numbers
- Flory lists the 1973 Charger coupe as WL21, hardtop as WH23 and SE as WP29.2
Identification
Read a 1973 Dodge VIN
The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:
Same model year
Also in 1973
- AMC AMX The Javelin AMX's best year. 5,707 were built, a quarter of them with the 401, alongside the Trans Am Victory decal and the Pierre Cardin interior.
- AMC Gremlin X and Spirit AMX The V8 Gremlin X continued, with new stripes and an available Levi's denim-look interior. No production split has been found.
- AMC Javelin The SST name dropped away and new twin 'TV-screen' taillights arrived. Javelin production reached 25,195, alongside the Trans Am Victory decal package.
- Buick Riviera Stage One (260 hp net) joined a separate GS handling package; 1,234 Stage Ones and 3,933 GS cars of 34,080.
- Buick Skylark Gran Sport, GS and GSX On the new Colonnade A-body the GS became a Century Gran Sport package; 6,637 were built, 728 with the 455 Stage 1.
- Chevrolet Chevelle and Malibu SS The Colonnade Chevelle's only SS year: RPO Z15 on the Malibu coupe and, for the first and only time, the station wagon, with a 245 net hp 454 available.
- Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova Hatchback appears in the source body table; SS offered with any engine per the source. Enthusiast-compiled production: 369,509 cars; Super Sport 35,542.
- Chevrolet El Camino SS The new Colonnade El Camino could still be ordered with RPO Z15 SS equipment; no El Camino SS count was found.
- Dodge Challenger The six was gone: every 1973 Challenger hardtop had a V8, the 318 standard and the 340 optional, with the Rallye now sold as a package.
- Dodge Dart GTS, Swinger and Demon Renamed Dart Sport, the fastback's 340 model sold 11,315 in the 340's final year.
- Ford Maverick Grabber The 200 six became standard as the 170 was dropped; Classic Industries counts 32,350 Grabbers.
- Ford Ranchero GT The Ranchero GT continued on the 1972-76 Ranchero; 15,320 GTs were built, per reference-site counts in the Standard Catalog lineage.
- Ford Thunderbird The 429 4V was standard and the 460 4V optional in the sixth generation's best-selling year.
- Ford Torino The 1973 Torino kept the 1972 body behind a heavier bumper; the Gran Torino Sport fell to 51,853 SportsRoofs and 17,090 hardtops while the 351 Cobra Jet remained the performance engine.
- Mercury Cougar The last Cougar convertible and the last 351 Cobra Jet year, with production up to 60,629 as buyers shifted to the XR-7.
- Mercury Montego GT The Montego GT fastback's second and last year; a vehicle profile reports 4,464 built.
- Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds On the new Colonnade Cutlass the 4-4-2 was a W-29 appearance and handling option, and the Hurst/Olds came in white or, for the first time, black: 1,097 built.
- Plymouth Barracuda and 'Cuda V8 only: the 318 became standard on both Barracuda and 'Cuda, the 340 moved to the option list, and production rose for the only time after 1970.
- Plymouth Duster 340 and 360 The 340's last year in the Duster produced 15,731 cars with power front disc brakes now standard, and the Spacemaker Pak fold-down rear seat joined the line.
- Plymouth GTX, Belvedere and Satellite For 1973 the GTX name survived only through the Road Runner's optional 440 four-barrel, which came with TorqueFlite only; Mueller's Muscle Car Source Book counts 749 of them.
- Plymouth Road Runner A secondary count puts production back up to 19,056, the highest of the 1971-1974 Satellite-based years.
- Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am The Super Duty year: 4,802 Trans Ams, 252 of them SD-455s.
- Pontiac GTO A GTO option on the new Colonnade LeMans, with the 400 standard and a 455 optional; 4,806 built.
- Pontiac Grand Am Pontiac's Colonnade GT with an Endura nose and a 400 or 455; 43,137 built, the Grand Am's best year, with 1,058 four-speeds.
- Pontiac Grand Prix The Colonnade-body Grand Prix arrives, with the 400 standard and the 455 in the SJ.
- Pontiac Tempest and LeMans The Colonnade LeMans arrives, with GTO and GT options for the two-door models and a Super Duty 455 listed for the LeMans in Pontiac's dealer book.