Autos Putting the 'fast' in fastback: From the Dodge Charger's debut, it was meant to turn heads with its polarizing design - Wheels.ca

When the Dodge Charger arrived, it added sparkle to the midsized automobile category while pushing Chrysler Corporation’s design and performance to new levels.

When the Charger was officially launched on Jan. 1, 1966, Detroit’s horsepower race was in full gallop. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler were busy stuffing monstrous V-8s and assorted high-performance parts into intermediate-size cars originally intended to pack low-output six-cylinder engines or modest-output V-8s.

At the same time, the so-called “pony cars,” led by the Ford Mustang, were beginning to flex their pectoral muscles with high-revving small-displacement V-8s that could hold their own — for the first half a block anyway — against some of the bigger-bore contenders at the local stoplight drags.

Dodge’s stylists took a considerably different approach to compete against this heady mix of brawn and bravado. Their entry, appropriately christened the Charger, was nothing short of an attention-grabbing eye-popper.

Based on the midsize Coronet coupe, the Charger’s distinctive swept-back roofline completely transformed the low-key family-oriented car into a fashionably upscale sports machine. Although not the first automobile to take the fastback route, the Charger’s massive signature-piece hardtop with its expansive rear glass was an extreme variation on an emerging theme.

Power-operated hidden headlights reinforced the Charger’s leading-edge look, as did the tail lamps, which extended the full width of the rear deck.

As stunning as it was on the outside, the design was polarizing. Love it hate it, the interior also broke new ground. Vinyl-covered bucket seats for both front and rear passengers were standard and, combined with a full-length floor console, gave the appearance of a richly appointed corporate jet. The rear buckets and the divider between the trunk and the cabin could be folded flat to create a carpeted load floor.

But what made the Charger so special with the enthusiast crowd was the array of available engines. The starting point was a 230-horsepower 318-cubic-inch V-8 that came standard with a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission. Next up was the 265-horse 361-cubic-inch V-8 and the 325-horsepower 383. Both were matched to floor-mounted four-speed manual shifters, with the three-speed TorqueFlite automatic available as an option.

For an extra $1,000 (U.S.), the equivalent of one-third the Dodge’s starting price, buyers could upgrade to Chrysler’s 426-cubic-inch “Hemi” V-8. With an advertised 425 horsepower, a four-speed-equipped Hemi Charger could touch 60 miles per hour (96 kilometres per hour) in 6.4 seconds and run the quarter mile in 14 seconds, making it one of the most potent muscle cars on the road at the time. Heft and skinny tires were the limits to quicker acceleration.

Ordering the Hemi automatically reduced the powertrain warranty to one year or 12,000 miles (19,000 kilometres), compared with the standard five-year and 50,000-mile coverage. Buyers were also sternly warned that even that coverage would not be honoured if the car was “subjected to any extreme operation (i.e. drag racing).”

In its initial year, there were just 468 Hemi Chargers out of a production run that totaled close to 40,000 vehicles.

Aside from a few minor changes, the 1967 Charger carried on as before. The 361 V-8 was cancelled, replaced by a new 440-cubic-inch engine that made 375 horsepower. It was nearly as quick as the Hemi, and a lot cheaper and less temperamental. It also qualified for the full factory warranty.

From a sales standpoint, the 1967 Charger was a flop, with output dropping to less than half of first-year sales, including a meagre 118 Hemi-equipped vehicles. Shoppers had many new pony and muscle-car entries from which to choose, such as the second-generation Mustang, the new Plymouth Barracuda, GM’s new Camaro/Firebird duo and Plymouth’s GTX.

Both Dodge and Plymouth intermediate bodies were given new sheet metal the following season. The Charger’s fastback roofline gave way to a concave, “flying buttress,” silhouette.

However, the first generation’s dramatically different roof helped position the car as an exciting niche vehicle, and Dodge as a builder of products that went fast, pampered passengers and looked good while doing both.

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Autos Putting the 'fast' in fastback: From the Dodge Charger's debut, it was meant to turn heads with its polarizing design - Wheels.ca
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