Pebble Beach does strange things to otherwise intelligent, well to do people…like cause them to blow millions of dollars on a fifty-four year old roadster that was built solely to keep Carroll Shelby’s faulty ticker pumping along at a good pace, for instance. CSX 2000, the 1962 AC Ace roadster that Ol’ Shel himself put together using a 260 cubic inch V8 from Ford, sold for the jaw-dropping sum of $13.75 million dollars. We aren’t saying the Cobra isn’t worth it, but …damn.

Now that the high-dollar insanity is over, let’s look at something that could be just as fun and significantly cheaper: a 1972 Dodge Charger Rallye 340. The big blocks and the Hemi were no longer part of the E-body lineup, but discounting what the 340 cubic inch small-block LA motor could do was itself a serious mistake. At 240 horsepower from the factory, memories of Six Pak T/A Challengers had to be fresh on buyer’s minds. The dark tan exterior with black vinyl top and stripes might have leaned a little too close to the later 1970s color palette, and the “frowning” grill setup and four tail lamps are individual tastes, but a four-speed E-body with the Rallye gauge cluster is always welcomed.

Up for bid at Mecum Louisville, this Challenger is poised to go for decent money. It’s clean enough to call it restored, but low enough on the Mopar hierarchy that the cost shouldn’t hit “stupid” levels. It certainly won’t hit millions of dollars…that’s Hemi territory. Look for Lot F147 when Mecum Louisville kicks off in early September!

Mecum link: 1972 Dodge Challenger Rallye 340