The Dodge Charger 0-60 Numbers Weren't Absolutely The Best, But This Late-60's Mo-Par Classic Had Plenty More To Offer
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.
Chrysler Corp had anticipated sales in the 20,000 region, when in fact the new design notched up over 96,000 units. Production at the enormous Dodge Hamtramck plant in Michigan had to be tripled to cope with demand. Chrysler also added an extra line at their St Louis plant to provide further capacity. In the 1968 model year, Charger sales made up an impressive 16 percent of total Dodge production.
Style-wise, the Charger was certainly leading-edge, but at a mechanical level it was entirely conventional. Its standard power unit was a 318 small-block V8, with two big-block units, of 383 and 440 cubic inches, respectively, also available. Optional, was Chrysler's legendary 426 'hemi' V8 boasting an impressive 425 horsepower and 490 lb.ft of torque. Its appeal however was limited to dedicated racers and enthusiasts and only 467 of these hand-built semi-race units were made.
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 regard to trim, the Charger offered a fair amount of scope for customers to personalize their new car. It was available with seventeen exterior colors and six interior colors, with the added option of a vinyl roof. The interior featured front bucket seats and a bench rear seat. The front seats were however criticized by road testers for their lack 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.
Chrysler Corp had anticipated sales in the 20,000 region, when in fact the new design notched up over 96,000 units. Production at the enormous Dodge Hamtramck plant in Michigan had to be tripled to cope with demand. Chrysler also added an extra line at their St Louis plant to provide further capacity. In the 1968 model year, Charger sales made up an impressive 16 percent of total Dodge production.
Style-wise, the Charger was certainly leading-edge, but at a mechanical level it was entirely conventional. Its standard power unit was a 318 small-block V8, with two big-block units, of 383 and 440 cubic inches, respectively, also available. Optional, was Chrysler's legendary 426 'hemi' V8 boasting an impressive 425 horsepower and 490 lb.ft of torque. Its appeal however was limited to dedicated racers and enthusiasts and only 467 of these hand-built semi-race units were made.
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 regard to trim, the Charger offered a fair amount of scope for customers to personalize their new car. It was available with seventeen exterior colors and six interior colors, with the added option of a vinyl roof. The interior featured front bucket seats and a bench rear seat. The front seats were however criticized by road testers for their lack 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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publié par Unknown @ 10:08
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