In a remarkable turnaround, as engine choices diminished and horsepower figures plummeted, 1973 Dodge Charger sales jumped 63 percent from 1972. The muscle car boom might have been over but the sentiment remained, even as the base engines were now the 105 bhp slant-six and the 150 bhp 318 V-8.

The body remained unchanged on its 115-inch wheelbase, although the grille was revised slightly with rubber blocks to comply with the first of the federal bumpers that required vehicles be able to absorb a 5-mph frontal impact and 2½-mph rear impact with no damage. The next year it would be 5 mph at both ends.

Four headlights were now exposed, and the roofline was modified around the rear quarter windows, while Charger taillights now comprised 22 separate bulbs. The base Charger was available as a two-door coupe or two-door hardtop, and the SE was the top trim level with a landau top and three opera windows in the rear quarter.

In all, 11,995 buyers chose the Charger Coupe, 45,414 picked the hardtop and a surprising 61,908 selected the SE coupe. The Charger Rallye option was available on all models and included front and rear sway bars, power bulge hood, full instrument cluster, body stripes, hood pins and special badges. Larger engine options included the 240 bhp 340 cid V-8, 175 bhp 400 cid V-8, and $280 bhp 440 cid V-8.

Popular options included power steering, power drum brakes, or power disc brakes, power windows, power seats, tinted glass, windshield only, vinyl roof, sunroof, air-conditioning, two-tone paint, AM radio, AM/FM 8-track, wire wheel covers, and Rallye wheels.

Dodge offered over 20 exterior colors for the 1973 Charger, including Dark Silver, Powder Blue, Super Blue, Brite Blue, Dark Blue, Bright Red, Pale Green, Light Green, Dark Green, Bronze, Parchment, Turquoise, Dark Tan, Hemi Orange, Eggshell White, Black, Top Banana, Yellow, Light Gold, Gold, Dark Gold, Bahama Yellow, Orange, and Rally Green.