[shanes daddy]

Someone had made a comment in another forum that I read and states many people buying this charger don't know the history of this car. I do know that there is a history with this car, but can someone show me here what some of the past years look like compared to this one. I'm interested in some of the features in this one. And yes, for those who remember, I'm past the tail lights thing ( kind of use to it by now, and it has grown on me). I was wondering if the look is anything similer to the old school chargers or is this new school charger a mutation simply with the badge. Don't know too much about what is under a cars hood, but I do know lines, curves, and styling when I see it. Sounds weird but, I like to take a knee and look at a car from the front to see lines and angles. Kind of like I'm polishing it and making sure all the swirls are gone when the light hits it. If that gives anyone an idea of what I'm looking for. Not to be picky, but show me front, side, and rear photos, again of the new one by the old school.

Ignorant and Seeking the Light,
S.D.

 

[Dutch]

www.allpar.com is a good Mopar enthusiast site. They have lots of info on all Mopars.

http://www.allpar.com/cars/dodge/charger-history.html

This article does not include the FWD model of the '80s.

http://www.allpar.com/omni/turismo.html

This article is just about the FWD cars.

The original Charger was a fastback version of the Dodge Coronet, the intermediate family car in the Dodge lineup. It occupies the space currently held by the Stratus, but was physically much larger than the current Charger. Intermediate Dodges were in the ranges of 206-209 inches in overall length, versus 200 for the new Charger and maybe 190 for the Stratus.

The first Chargers ('66-'67) were also top-of-the-line, as fancy as a Dodge came.

For '68, the looks were revised into what was probably the best looking car ever built. The '68-'70 carried this look with minor revisions. This is the car most people think of when they think of a classic Charger. It has the coke-bottle shape to it, where the rear fenders flare out and are wider than the doors. The look is kinda-sorta evident on the new ones. The other styling cue on the new cars from these years is the recessed backlight. The rear window was recessed about 6 inches from the trailing edge of the large sail panels on the old cars. This looked great, but was an aerodynamic monstrosity. It posed such a problem for racing that in '69 they brought out the Charger 500 for NASCAR, and it had the backlight mounted flush with the trailing edge of the sail panels.

In '71, the Charger was redesigned again. This was a love-it-or-hate-it design. This was also the start of the decline in performance, and as performance dopped, due mainly to smog regulations, Dodge put greater emphasis on the Charger's luxury.

By the time of the '75 restyle, the Charger had become a personal luxury coupe rather than a performance car. The '75 model completed the transition, and was essentially a rebadged Chrysler Cordoba, the car best known for Ricardo Montalban advertising its "rich Corinthian leather." The Charger was dropped after the '77 model year.

The name was brought back from '82-'87 and attached to FWD hatchbacks derived from the Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon platform.

 

[GLHS837]

Good work Dutch, with your permission and Ekools, I might just sticky this as a great synopsis

 

[Stonebreaker]

By the time of the '75 restyle, the Charger had become a personal luxury coupe rather than a performance car. The '75 model completed the transition, and was essentially a rebadged Chrysler Cordoba, the car best known for Ricardo Montalban advertising its "rich Corinthian leather." The Charger was dropped after the '77 model year.

Hey, I just had a brainstorm. They should get Ricardo Montalban to be the spokesman for the 300C, and Antonio Banderas as the Charger spokesman. After a series of normal commercials, they meet up and start trash talking, with Banderas finally calling Montalban "old man" as he sits in his 300C. Banderas turns around toward the camera with a smirk on his face, as Montalban mouths "OLD MAN!??!" to the camera, and then with a big SEG Montalban lights'em up, does a donut around the charger, and zooms off camera leaving Banderas with his mouth hanging open in a haze of tire smoke...
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Personally, I prefer the charger, but I thought that little scenario would be hilarious and also emphasize the 300C's performance against the caddies at the same time, not to mention firing up the charger guys for a rematch...

 

[Dutch]

Good work Dutch, with your permission and Ekools, I might just sticky this as a great synopsis

Sure, if you really think it's worthy of a sticky.

 

[shanes daddy]

Right on Dutch. Thats what I'm talking about. Good info, good link. Hats off to ya. :clap:

 

[shanes daddy]

And that 78 charger was a real stinker. I can see why they put it out to pasture after that.