jeudi 14 août 2014

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The Dodge Charger 0-60 Figures Were Good, But Pure Speed Wasn't The Whole Story With This Late-Sixties Muscle Machine

  • jeudi 14 août 2014
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  • By Linda Ruiz


    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.

    The car's new look was the most obvious improvement when compared to its immediate predecessor. The semi-fastback design was low, long and sinuous, and made a bold statement about the taste and discernment of its driver. The motoring public recognized serious cool when they saw it and wasted no time in turning it into a runaway success.

    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.

    For 1968, a special performance package was made available. The R/T variant featured an up-rated version of the 440 V8, plus up-rated brakes and suspension, wide tires and a dual exhaust. It proved to be a successful formula making up as it did around 21 percent of sales for 1968.

    Customers had a wide range of optional extras to add to their new car, including front seat head restraints, front and rear shoulder belts, padded center console, a vinyl roof and rear window de-fogger. They could also choose from 17 exterior and 6 interior colors. For the automatic transmission selector they could choose between a column or floor-mounted device.

    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 1970 car was also only slightly modified from the previous two years, the first significant re-design coming in the 1971 model year. This car was all-new and was lighter and shorter than its predecessors. It's sales (helped by a new lower base price) were strong and topped 82,000 units. This car did however mark the end of the performance era for the Charger, subsequent versions were largely emasculated by federal safety and emissions regulations.




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