60's muscle cars were all about flash and performance, but some were certainly faster than others. Although the 1968 Dodge Charger 0-60 time was good for a car of its type, it had other qualities that have ensured its elevation to classic status. Chief among these were its eye-catching looks. Car and Driver magazine praised its "sensuous brute appeal" and described its styling to be some of the most dramatic ever to come out of Detroit.
This so-called 'coke bottle' styling was without doubt the biggest improvement made over the outgoing model. Long and low-slung, the sporty design had an elegance to it that was previously lacking. The motoring public certainly gave it the thumbs up - they went on to buy it in huge numbers.
Product planners were expecting to sell in the region of 20,000, but the new car went on to rack up a staggering 96,000+ sales. To cope with demand, production levels at the Dodge plant in Hamtramck, Michigan was tripled. Chrysler Corp also added a Charger line at its plant in St Louis, Missouri. In total, the Charger accounted for an impressive sixteen percent of Dodge sales in the 1968 model year.
Stylistically, the Charger may have been a trend-setter, but mechanically it was standard Chrysler. It's base engine was the 318 cubic inch V8, supplemented by 383 and 440 cubic inch V8s. In addition, Chrysler's famous 426 cubic inch hemi was also available. This semi-race engine was largely hand built and was thus only of interest to a relative handful of customers. Just 467 were made in total.
More popular with buyers was the performance variant known as the R/T. This option pack introduced for the 1968 model featured a more powerful version of the 440 V8, uprated brakes and suspension, beefier tires and a double exhaust. By the end of the model year, R/T sales had accounted for fully one fifth of total production.
With 17 exterior and 6 interior colors to choose from, customers had plenty of scope for personalization when ordering their new car. They could also add a vinyl roof and choose between floor or column-mounted transmission selectors. The cabin featured a bench seat at the rear and bucket seats up front. These were criticized however by road testers who complained about their uprightness and limited range of adjustment.
Chrysler Corp management were reluctant to spoil a winning formula for the 1969 model year, so the design was carried over largely unchanged. Minor changes were made to the exterior, most notably a horizontal chrome strip that adorned the grill. Engine options were carried over unchanged, although a 6-cylinder model was added to the range. This proved unpopular, with only 500 sold out of total production of 69,000.
The first significant revamp came in 1971 when an all-new design was unveiled. This was a smaller car with a shorter wheelbase and a shorter overall length. It was also cheaper than its predecessor with a starting price slightly over $2,700. This helped to perk up sales which had fallen somewhat during 1969, but this model was the last Charger that could be considered a true performance car. More stringent emissions and safety regulations came into force the following year which signaled the end of the muscle car era.
This so-called 'coke bottle' styling was without doubt the biggest improvement made over the outgoing model. Long and low-slung, the sporty design had an elegance to it that was previously lacking. The motoring public certainly gave it the thumbs up - they went on to buy it in huge numbers.
Product planners were expecting to sell in the region of 20,000, but the new car went on to rack up a staggering 96,000+ sales. To cope with demand, production levels at the Dodge plant in Hamtramck, Michigan was tripled. Chrysler Corp also added a Charger line at its plant in St Louis, Missouri. In total, the Charger accounted for an impressive sixteen percent of Dodge sales in the 1968 model year.
Stylistically, the Charger may have been a trend-setter, but mechanically it was standard Chrysler. It's base engine was the 318 cubic inch V8, supplemented by 383 and 440 cubic inch V8s. In addition, Chrysler's famous 426 cubic inch hemi was also available. This semi-race engine was largely hand built and was thus only of interest to a relative handful of customers. Just 467 were made in total.
More popular with buyers was the performance variant known as the R/T. This option pack introduced for the 1968 model featured a more powerful version of the 440 V8, uprated brakes and suspension, beefier tires and a double exhaust. By the end of the model year, R/T sales had accounted for fully one fifth of total production.
With 17 exterior and 6 interior colors to choose from, customers had plenty of scope for personalization when ordering their new car. They could also add a vinyl roof and choose between floor or column-mounted transmission selectors. The cabin featured a bench seat at the rear and bucket seats up front. These were criticized however by road testers who complained about their uprightness and limited range of adjustment.
Chrysler Corp management were reluctant to spoil a winning formula for the 1969 model year, so the design was carried over largely unchanged. Minor changes were made to the exterior, most notably a horizontal chrome strip that adorned the grill. Engine options were carried over unchanged, although a 6-cylinder model was added to the range. This proved unpopular, with only 500 sold out of total production of 69,000.
The first significant revamp came in 1971 when an all-new design was unveiled. This was a smaller car with a shorter wheelbase and a shorter overall length. It was also cheaper than its predecessor with a starting price slightly over $2,700. This helped to perk up sales which had fallen somewhat during 1969, but this model was the last Charger that could be considered a true performance car. More stringent emissions and safety regulations came into force the following year which signaled the end of the muscle car era.
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