Rare 1974 Dodge Charger Rallye Began Life Working for Universal Studios

As the classic 1950 film noir Sunset Boulevard showed, Hollywood has been chewing up and spitting out talent since the very first time a director yelled, "Action!" For every shooting star, countless more aspiring actors never get a call-back for even the smallest of roles. Somewhere in between, however, are the actors who don't necessarily make it to the red carpet, but work consistently in the background and supporting roles. They aren't the juiciest, most glamorous jobs, but it is solid work in a tough industry.

That's kind of where Andrew Gurka's 1974 Charger Rallye comes in. It started life in Hollywood but was never elevated to stardom like a certain white 1970 Challenger or black 1968 Charger. Those iconic starring roles were cultural phenomena, but this Yellow Blaze Charger simply became one of those workaday support players on the Universal Studios lot.

Then again, the leading roles for big-screen Mopars don't always end up so well, if you recall the fiery ends of the Vanishing Point Challenger and the Bullitt Charger. So maybe there's something to be said for simply a "car parked on the curb" credit. For one thing, this Charger is still around to share its tale.

Gurka first ran across the car about eight years ago. A longtime fan of the 1971-1974 Chargers, he'd owned three 1972 Rallye models in the past. He wanted a 1973 or 1974 model for his next one, mostly because of model-year improvements that included electronic ignition and retractable seatbelt harnesses. Not knowing the car's Hollywood history, he was drawn to it initially because of the rare factory sunroof.

"The seller was the son of the original owner," says Gurka. "Unfortunately, we weren't able to settle on a price, and he was traveling overseas for work. The deal never materialized, and the car ended up with a new owner in New York."

A few years later, the owner moved to the outskirts of Las Vegas, taking the Charger with him. The nonfunctional factory air conditioning, along with some other needed repairs, prompted him to sell the car in the summer of 2016.

"When it went up for sale again, I immediately recognized the car and made sure it wouldn't get out of my sight again," says Gurka. "I purchased it without hesitation and brought it back to my home in Michigan."

Fortunately, a stack of original paperwork came with the car, outlining its provenance as a pampered Hollywood car, including the original order sheet, original registration tag, the canceled checks for the deposit, and more. The car itself sported three broadcast sheets in excellent condition and a pair of stuffed fender tags. The most telling was the Y28 code on one of the broadcast sheets, which indicated it was a public relations car built for promotion.

Gurka says, "The car was originally delivered to Studio Dodge in North Hollywood in late 1973, and immediately loaned to Universal Studios. It was apparently there for about six months before coming back to the dealership."

After that, a woman traded in 1972 Monte Carlo on it to become the first legal owner. The original sales sheet shows a comparatively hefty price of $5,450 and an even heftier finance rate of 14.69 percent. No kidding, but keep in mind that inflation in the U.S. was between 10 and 12 percent in 1974. Different times.

When Gurka acquired the Charger in 2016, it was in generally original condition and partially restored, with 52,000 miles and the original 440 engine rebuilt by Koffel's Place in Ohio. That was another attractive element of the car because Dodge produced only 208 Charger hardtops with the 440 for 1974, and as Gurka would find out later from Galen Govier's research service, only four of them were equipped with the manual-opening sunroof—and his is the only known survivor.

Though the engine was the Charger's original, several aftermarket elements were on it, such the intake manifold, carb, and valve covers. There was also a number of surprisingly hinky repairs and other items that required attention on the car, including the fuel line touching an exhaust header, a nail used as a fix for the automatic shifter linkage, and even motorcycle spark plugs in place of the correct ones.

"It needed a lot of attention to not only make it a correct-appearing car but to get it driving the way it should," says Gurka. "There were a hundred little details, from that nail in the shifter to getting the correct battery cables."

All of that nitpicky yet time-consuming work fell to Wrenchers in Novi, Michigan, where we discovered the car. Shop owner Bill Deringer and his crew had spent months finding and fixing all of the car's bugs, including getting the original air conditioning system blowing cold.

And speaking of the body-side stripes, they do more than any other design cue to accentuate the car's gorgeous, Coke-bottle profile. The 1968-1970 Charger design will always be regarded as one of the most beautiful of its era, but time has been good to the 1971-1974 Charger models, too. Their long, sinewy lines drape over the wheels with muscular sex appeal.

"It's one of those cars that doesn't need any embellishment from aftermarket wheels or other add-ons," says Gurka. "It has a strong presence and great stance just the way it rolled out of the factory on the Road Wheels."

The car looks pretty good from the driver's seat, too, with the long hood stretching to the horizon, the dome an ever-present reminder of the 440 ci of RB-engine torque. Factory performance had all but evaporated by 1974, and while the Charger's 275 hp was by no means a rival to its high-compression predecessors, it nonetheless cranked out some strong pound-feet (around 375) while breathing through a Carter Thermoquad four-barrel carburetor.

If a kitchen sink were an option in 1974, this car would have had it. Because it was a promotional car, Dodge bolted on every other item lying around the St. Louis assembly plant. Along with the air conditioning and rare sunroof, the car also has power steering, cruise control, power windows, an AM/FM radio, a rear speaker, and a two-speed rear-window defroster. For those unaccustomed to Mopar's solution prior to the conventional electric-grid defroster, the automaker used a defroster system similar to the blower-fan setup for the windshield. The two-speed controller is located as an add-on below the dashboard. Gurka says, "It's a great-driving car now that all the little things have been sorted out. And even with the low-compression engine, the 440 has a lot of grunts, which is a lot of fun."

So, perhaps this Charger didn't make a big splash (or crash) on the big screen, but the next time Columbo, Emergency! or Banacek comes on a retro channel on your cable system, take a look in the background. This car might just be shining in a supporting role.

At A Glance 1974 Charger Rallye Owned by: Andrew Gurka

Engine: 440ci/275hp Magnum V-8 Transmission: 727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic Rearend: Chrysler 8 3/4-inch with 3.23 gears and Sure-Grip Interior: Black vinyl bucket seat Wheels: 15x7 Road Wheel reproductions from Wheel Vintiques Tires: 215/65R15 front, 225/65R15 rear BFGoodrich Radial T/A