1972 Dodge Charger, Yellowknife, NWT.

I’ll have what he’s having…

The Canadian subarctic is an unlikely place to find red-hot American muscle, but that’s where this brawny ’72 Charger found itself.

Gas in the summer of 2012 was $1.41/litre in the ‘Knife, a figure that doesn’t change much in either direction, so filling the tank on this beast would be a direct hit to the wallet. Still, any driver’s options for cruising are as limited as the northern road network, so this thing likely stays parked for most of the time.

The ’68-70 Chargers get most of the drool action in popular culture, but I really dig the ’71-72’s as well. Their hulking, wide-stance and curvaceous fuselage shape are everything I love about early-70s American cars.

Vehicles from this era simply look indestructible.

The body on this black beauty looks pretty unblemished and straight, though the hidden headlamp doors are way out of alignment. I’ll blame the harsh, northern climate and the failure-prone nature of this feature (on any make or model) for this imperfection. As well, the hood seems to me missing its tie-downs, though the anchors remain.

Horsepower figures has started to slip by ’72 as compression ratios dropped, but the Charger could still be optioned with several tons of iron under the hood. I have no idea what motor beats within this example – ’72 Charger engine choices ran the gamut from the 225 Slant-Six, to the 318, 340, 400, and 426 V8’s, maxing out with the range-topping 440.

I hate to think what it would cost to feed a 440 muscle car making 8-10 miles per gallon – especially in Yellowknife. However, I have no doubt this owner turns a lot of heads during the 1.5-kilometre trip to the local watering hole.