The Dodge Charger was an American mid-size automobile that was produced by Dodge from 1966 through 1978 model years, or four generations, and was based on the Chrysler B platform. During the early 1960s, automakers were exploring new ideas in the personal luxury and specialty car segments. Chrysler, slow to enter the specialty car market, selected their Dodge Division to enter the marketplace with a mid-size B-bodied sporty car to fit between the “pony car” Ford Mustang and “personal luxury” Ford Thunderbird. The Coronet-based Dodge Charger that resulted was introduced in mid-season of the 1966 model year in response to the Rambler Marlin, Ford Mustang, and Plymouth Barracuda. Did you watch The Dukes of Hazzard?
Dodge Charger Generations
The Dodge Charger made its debut in mid-1966. Sharing its chassis and front-end sheet-metal with the mid-sized Coronet, the Dodge Charger was positioned to take on AMC’s conceptually similar Rambler Marlin. It was somewhat more expensive, $2,850 to $3,100 ($27,620 in 2024 dollars) to ($30,043 in 2024 dollars). Significantly, the Charger’s interior was different from all other cars, with a full-length center console and “all bucket seating” front and rear. The rear’s pseudo-buckets could be folded down to create interior space accessible via the rear hatch. The upscale Charger was not intended to compete head-to-head with performance-oriented pony cars, but had engine options that included Chrysler’s famed 426 Hemi (7.0 liter) V8 engine.
The entire B-body lineup for the 1968 model year was redesigned, and the Dodge Charger was further differentiated from the other Dodge models. The signature fastback roof was gone, in favor of a “flying buttress” similar to that of the 1966-67 Pontiac GTO. The rear end featured a “kick up” spoiler appearance, reminiscent of the first generation’s optional trunk lid spoiler. The Dodge Charger retained its full-width hidden headlight grille, but a vacuum-operated cover replaced the electric motor-powered rotating headlights.
The third-generation Dodge Charger debuted for the 1971 model year with a new body made of sheet metal and a new split grille. The interiors were like those of the E-body and were now shared by the Plymouth B-body and the Plymouth Sebring. The hidden headlights were now optional. A rear spoiler and a “Ramcharger” hood were new options. This hood featured a pop-up scoop mounted above the air cleaner controlled by a vacuum switch under the dash. On Plymouth Road Runners, it was called the “Air Grabber” hood and was previously used on the Coronet R/T and Super Bee. The 1971-74 Charger-based cars were in NASCAR, with Buddy Baker, Bobby Isaac, Dave Marcis, and Richard Petty scoring many wins.
The 1975 model year Dodge Charger, the fourth and final generation of the car, picked up on the sales increase seen in 1974’s move towards positioning it as a personal luxury car. Both the Charger and the new Chrysler Cordoba sibling shared the same body based on the B platform. The Charger Special Edition was the only model offered. It was available with the 318 cu in (5.2 liter) “LA” series small block V8 engine and three versions of the 400 cubic inch (6.6 liter) big-block V8 engine. The standard engine was the 360 cubic inch (5.9 liter) 2-bbl small block. The code E58 4-bbl and dual exhaust high-performance version (225 horsepower) was optional. Sales in 1975 totaled 30,812.
Conclusion
The Dodge Charger was one of the most iconic muscle cars in American history. A generation of car buyers was introduced to this car by watching the television show The Dukes of Hazzard. The third generation was modified and raced in NASCAR, and had four famous drivers. The huge engine ultimately did this car in. A way to think about the Dodge Charger is that it burned hot, for a short while.
