The «sad mouth» grille
The grille is an egg-crate that extends below the front bumper.13
Class of '72 · Dodge Challenger · 1972 body · first generation
1972Dodge Challenger
A hardtop only, the R/T replaced by the Rallye, no big-block engines, and the «sad mouth» grille.
The year in brief
The convertible, the Scat Pack and every big-block engine were gone. What was left was a standard hardtop and a sportier Rallye, which replaced the R/T.12
Three engines remained: the 225 six (not on the Rallye), the 318, and a new low-compression 340 with dual exhausts as the one option.12
By Wikipedia's account all three engines were detuned to run on lead-free gasoline, and ratings were now SAE net figures.3one source
The base hardtop listed at $2,790 and the Rallye at about $300 more, by Consumer Guide; J.D. Power's price guide gives $2,902 and $3,082. Sales held almost steady at 26,663, though Wikipedia counts only 22,919.134sources disagree
The story of the year
«Not the world's hottest car»
Dodge sold the Rallye almost apologetically. Its 1972 catalog says: «The way things are today, maybe what you need is not the world's hottest car. Maybe what you need is a well-balanced, thoroughly instrumented road machine.»12
The Rallye had simulated air extractors on the front fenders with black stripes running back from them, a performance hood with scoops, F70 x 14 tires and the Rallye instrument cluster.12
How to spot a 1972
What tells it apart from a 1971.
Production13
26,663 cars, by body.
Every trim line
| Body | Trim | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Hardtop | Challenger | 18,535 |
| Rallye | 8,128 | |
| All hardtops | 26,663 | |
| Total | 26,663 | |
Rows from Consumer Guide's table. Wikipedia's uncited table gives 22,919, with 6,902 Rallyes and 842 six-cylinder cars. See the ruling.
Engines1236
3 engines. The letter is the engine code in the VIN.
Net horsepower. Dodge's 1972 catalog gives no ratings, so they are Wikipedia's, from an uncited table that groups the 1971 and 1972 ratings of both the 225 and the 318 under one figure. The code is the engine letter in the VIN.
Price when new14one source
Base retail prices in 1972 dollars, before options.
Consumer Guide's figures. J.D. Power's price guide gives $2,902 for the hardtop and $3,082 for the Rallye and does not say which engine the hardtop price assumes; see the ruling.
Colors2one source
16 factory colors. The color names come from one source2one source; the swatches are approximate screen colors, not paint matches.
Light Blue—
Bright Blue Metallic—
Red—
Light Green Metallic—
Dark Green Metallic—
Eggshell White—
Black—
Light Gold—
Gold Metallic—
Dark Gold Metallic—
Dark Tan Metallic—
Light Gunmetal Metallic—
Medium Tan Metallic—
Super Blue—
Hemi Orange—
Top Banana—
No source we have gives the number of cars per color, so the counts are left empty. The 16 colors are those in Dodge's 1972 Challenger catalog, which prints no codes; Hemi Orange and Top Banana are its two High Impact colors at extra cost.
Reading the VIN67
A 1972 VIN has 13 characters. Type one in, and the decoder reads it against the code tables on this page.
JH23G2B10000167 · An example built from the code tables on this page, not a real car's VIN: a 318 V8 hardtop, 1972, Hamtramck, unit 100001; the price-class H is one of Dodge's classes, used only to fill the position. None of our sources prints a real Challenger VIN.
The code table
| Position | Meaning |
|---|---|
| J | Car line: Dodge Challenger |
| H · L · M · P · S | Price class: High · Low · Medium · Premium · Special (Dodge's classes for all its cars; which a Challenger used is not in our sources) |
| 23 | Body: 2-door hardtop |
| C · G · H | Engine (see the engine table) |
| 2 | Model year (1972) |
| A · B · C · D · F · G · R | Assembly plant (tpocr's table of Dodge's codes) |
| 100001 → | Sequential unit number |
Where to find it: On a plate on the left top of the dash, visible through the windshield.68
Questions about the 1972
How many 1972 Dodge Challengers were made?
26,663 by the count we use: 26,663 hardtops. The sources disagree on the total; the ruling on this page explains which figure we show and why.13sources disagree
How can you tell a 1972 Challenger from a 1971?
Four signs, each explained under «How to spot» on this page: the «sad mouth» grille; four tail lamps; no convertible; rallye badges instead of R/T.135
What engines did the 1972 Dodge Challenger have?
Three engines, from the 225 cu in slant six (not on the Rallye) to the 340 cu in V8. The engine table on this page gives every code and rating, and the rulings cover the disputed ones.1236
How much did a 1972 Dodge Challenger cost new?
Base retail prices, before options: hardtop $2,790; Rallye about $300 more.14one source
What colors did the 1972 Dodge Challenger come in?
Dodge Division, Chrysler Corporation lists 16 factory colors.2one source
Where the sources disagree
Every conflict we found for 1972, and how we settled it. All rulings.
Open
1972 Challenger production
Our ruling: Unresolved. We show Consumer Guide's rows, which name their source and add up; Wikipedia's table has no citation.
What each source says (2)
- 26,663: 18,535 hardtops and 8,128 Rallyes1one source
- 22,919, with 6,902 Rallyes3one source
Open
The 1972 base price
Our ruling: Unresolved. Neither Consumer Guide nor J.D. Power says which engine its base price assumes; in Over-Drive's 1970–71 tables the six-cylinder car is the cheapest, so presumably the same here (our inference). We show Consumer Guide's figure and give J.D. Power's in the note.
What each source says (2)
- $2,790, the Rallye about $300 more1one source
- $2,902, the Rallye $3,0824one source
Sources
- 1970-1974 Dodge Challenger HowStuffWorks (Consumer Guide Automotive) · read 2026-10-11
- 1972 Dodge Challenger sales catalog Dodge Division, Chrysler Corporation · read 2026-10-11
- Dodge Challenger (1970) Wikipedia · read 2026-10-11
- Dodge Challenger 1970–1974: original MSRP (eleven pages) J.D. Power (NADA Guides) · read 2026-10-11
- Dodge Challenger (1970): the 1972 section Wikipedia · read 2026-10-11
- 1972 Dodge Vehicle Identification Numbers The Plymouth Owners Club Registry (tpocr.com) · read 2026-10-11
- Dodge VIN Decoder 1966-2002 Rubber The Right Way · read 2026-10-11
- Mopar VIN Decoding StockMopar · read 2026-10-11
Keep going
Three more years.
1970Dodge ChallengerThe first Challenger: Dodge's E-body pony car, as a hardtop or convertible, with the R/T, the SE and the T/A, nine engines up to the 426 Hemi, and about 83,000 built.83,032 built (disputed)1971Dodge ChallengerThe second year: a split grille, a cheaper Coupe with fixed rear side glass, the R/T as a hardtop only, and sales down to 29,883.29,883 built (disputed)
1973Dodge ChallengerFive-mph bumpers, the six-cylinder dropped, the Rallye turned into a package, and sales up to about 32,600.32,596 built (disputed)See the whole first generation.
Dimensions, production year by year and every ruling, 1970–1974.