Ex-NSW Police 1975 Charger heads to Auction at Lloyds

Few Australian performance cars carry the authority of an ex-Highway Patrol Valiant Charger. The VK series landed in the mid-70s as Chrysler’s final push to keep the locally built Charger relevant during a turbulent time for performance motoring. But for police fleets, the big six was still a valuable tool. When paired with heavy-duty components and long-legged gearing, these cars could devour vast stretches of highway while keeping up with the fastest machinery on the road.

A genuine 1975 Chrysler VK Valiant Charger originally commissioned for NSW Highway Patrol duty is now being offered by Lloyds Auctioneers, and it’s one of the more historically important Chargers to surface in recent years.

Chrysler’s Australian story

Chrysler began building cars in Australia in the 1950s and quickly carved out a niche with its locally produced Valiant range. By the early 70s, the Valiant had become a serious player in Australia’s family and fleet markets. Chrysler Australia wasn’t afraid to go bold either. The arrival of the Charger in 1971 turned heads with its short wheelbase, muscular stance and unmistakable coupe proportions.

A 1972 Wheels Car of the Year win boosted its credibility, and the Hemi six engine families cemented the Charger as a uniquely Australian performance hero. These weren’t American V8s dressed up for local duty. The Hemi six was an Aussie-developed inline engine with a reputation for torque, responsiveness and surprising durability. Even as the fuel crisis softened the market for high-performance cars, Chargers remained staples in police service thanks to their blend of speed, reliability and local engineering.

A closer look at the VK Charger

The VK series debuted in late 1975 as a light revision of the VJ line. Styling tweaks were subtle, but the series marked a moment when Chrysler was fighting to maintain market share against Holden and Ford while navigating tighter emissions rules and shifting buyer attitudes.

For enthusiasts today, VK Chargers are rarer than the earlier VH and VJ models simply because fewer were produced. They represent the final chapter before the CL era arrived, making surviving examples increasingly sought after.

This particular car isn’t just a surviving VK. It’s a surviving police VK, and that puts it into a whole different category of collectability.

The special history of this vehicle

Commissioned in November 1975 specifically for NSW Highway Patrol, this Charger retains its suite of police-only gear and heavy-duty upgrades. It was originally delivered with the desirable E33 Hemi 265 cubic inch inline six paired to the K12 NSW Police automatic transmission setup. A full list of factory-fitted patrol spec components reads like a blueprint for high-speed operational use:

• E33 265ci Hemi engine
• C16 auto console shift
• B12 heavy-duty brakes
• C63 reclining vinyl bucket seats
• D75 Suregrip differential with 3.23:1 ratio
• RR sway bar and suspension pack
• F22 heavy-duty battery
• G18 laminated windscreen
• G25 vent windows
• J65 Charger Sports Pack instrument panel
• S38 front anti-sway bar
• W36 14×6 styled wheels

On top of the hardware, this car still carries working Bosch air horns, an original police sign, blue light, mesh visor, Hella driving lights, period speedometer and period CB radio. These touches aren’t common. Most police cars lose their operational kit the moment they’re retired. The fact that this Charger still wears its history openly makes it a standout.

The odometer shows 271,880 km, a believable figure for a car that would have spent its prime years running long distances at speed. Police vehicles of this era were often serviced fastidiously, which helped many outlast their civilian equivalents.

Collector appeal

Australian police vehicles occupy a growing niche in the collector market. They blend performance heritage with cultural significance, and provenance is everything. When a car can be traced clearly back to a specific patrol division and retains its original equipment, interest climbs quickly.

Valiant Chargers have enjoyed steady price growth in recent years as supply tightens. A 2024 survey of Australian muscle car brokers noted increasing demand for uncommon variants, especially factory performance packages and documented service vehicles. This is exactly the sort of Charger that fits that brief: rare, well-specified and historically important.

With a price guide of 60,000 to 80,000 dollars, this example will appeal to collectors who want something beyond the standard muscle-car story. It’s a piece of blue-light history as much as a 1970s performance coupe.

Auction details

The car is offered through Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers as part of their Classic, Muscle & Barn Finds event.

View Auction

• Auction date: 29 November 2025 at 12:00 pm AEST
• Location: 69 Manchester Road, Carrara, QLD
• Stock number: 587536
• Chassis: VK8M29FK170155

Inspections can be arranged physically or virtually. Given the rarity and provenance of this ex-Highway Patrol VK Charger, serious buyers will want to take a close look.

For enthusiasts of Australian muscle, Chrysler history or police vehicles with a genuine story to tell, this Charger is more than a collectable. It’s a surviving witness to a fast, analogue era of road policing, when the job required a strong right foot, a steady hand and a coupe built for long, hot days on the Hume.