Dodge Charger (1966)
The Dodge Charger , also known as Dodge Charger , is a mid-size automobile that was produced by Dodge from 1966 through 1978 model years, and was based on the Chrysler B platform.
Origin
During the early 1960s, automakers were exploring new ideas in the personal luxury and specialty car segments. Chrysler, slow to enter the specialty car market, selected their Dodge Division to enter the marketplace with a mid-size B-bodied sporty car to fit between the "pony car" Ford Mustang and "personal luxury" Ford Thunderbird. The intention was to create a fastback look while sharing as much existing company hardware as possible. utilizing lessons learned from the luxury coupe Chrysler 300.The Coronet-based Charger that resulted was introduced in mid-season of the 1966 model year in response to the Rambler Marlin, Ford Mustang, and Plymouth Barracuda. The styling was generally a departure from the Dodge's mainstream cars. The 1965 Marlin, along with the Charger that arrived during the 1966 model year, were two cars which set a new standard for radical fastback design in American mid-size automobiles. According to Richard M. Langworth, "because it was an intermediate like the Rambler Marlin, the Charger could have been an aesthetic disaster, but long side windows prevented its sweeping roof from looking too heavy."
Burt Bouwkamp, Chief Engineer for Dodge during the 1960s and one of the men behind the Charger, related his experience during a speech in July 2004.
Lynn Townsend was at odds with the Dodge Dealers and wanted to do something to please them. So in 1965 he asked me to come to his office – for the second time. He noted that one of the Dodge Dealer Council requests was for a Barracuda type vehicle. The overall dealer product recommendation theme was the same – we want what Plymouth has. The specific request for a Mustang type vehicle was not as controversial to Lynn. His direction to me was to give them a specialty car but he said 'for God's sake don't make it a derivative of the Barracuda': i.e. don't make it a Barracuda competitor.
So the 1966 Charger was born.
"We built a Charger 'idea' car which we displayed at auto shows in 1965 to stimulate market interest in the concept. It was the approved design but we told the press and auto show attendees that it was just an "idea" and that we would build it if they liked it. It was pre-ordained that they would like it."
First generation
1966
The Charger made its debut in mid-1966. Sharing its chassis and front-end sheet-metal with the mid-sized Coronet, the Charger was positioned to take on AMC's conceptually similar Rambler Marlin. It was better looking, but somewhat more expensive, $2,850 to $3,100 to.Significantly, the Charger's interior was different from all other cars, with a full-length center console and "all bucket seating" front and rear, inspired by the 1960-1962 Chrysler 300, and was similar to the 1964 Pontiac 2+2. The rear's pseudo-buckets could be folded down to create interior space accessible via the rear hatch. The upscale Charger was not intended to compete head-to-head with performance-oriented pony cars, but was available with engine options which included Chrysler's famed 426 Hemi V8.
On January 1, 1966, viewers of the Rose Bowl were first introduced to the new "Leader of the Dodge Rebellion", the 1966 Charger. Designed by Carl "CAM" Cameron, the Charger introduced a fastback roofline and pot-metal "electric shaver" grille, complete with fully rotating headlights, a feature not seen on a Chrysler product since the 1942 DeSoto. The fastback design ended in the rear over a full-width six-lamp taillight with chromed "CHARGER" lettering.
Inside, the standard Charger featured a simulated wood-grain steering wheel, four individual bucket seats with a full-length console from front to rear. The rear seats and rear center armrest pad also folded forward while the trunk divider dropped back, allowing cargo room. Numerous interior features were exclusive to the Charger including door panels, courtesy lights, as well as premium trim and vinyl upholstery. The instrument panel did not use regular bulbs to light the gauges, but rather electroluminescence lit the four chrome-ringed circular dash pods, needles, radio, shifter-position indicator in the console, as well as clock and air conditioning controls if equipped. The dash housed a 0 to 6000 rpm tachometer, a 0 to speedometer, as well as alternator, fuel, and temperature gauges as standard equipment.
Engine selections consisted of only V8s. 1966 transmissions included a three-speed steering-column mounted manual with the base engine, a console-mounted four-speed manual, or a three-speed automatic. In 1966, four engines were offered: the base-model 2-barrel, the 2-barrel, the 4-barrel, and the new 426 Street Hemi. Only 468 Chargers were built with the 426.
Total production in 1966 came to 37,344 units for the mid-model year introduction.
In 1966, Dodge took the Charger into NASCAR, hoping the fastback would make their car a winner on the high banks. However, the car proved difficult to handle on the faster tracks because its body generated lift. Drivers would later claim that "it was like driving on ice." To solve this problem, Dodge installed a small lip spoiler on the trunk lid that improved traction at speeds above. This was made a dealer-installed option in late 1966, and in 1967, because of NASCAR homologation rules, the 1966 Charger became the first U.S. production vehicle to offer a spoiler. The addition of the spoiler helped David Pearson, driving the #6 Cotton Owens-prepared Dodge cars, to win the NASCAR Grand National championship in 1966 with 15 first-place finishes, though only one, the Capital City 300 in Richmond, VA, was achieved using the Charger.
1967
The 1967 model year Charger received minor changes. New top-of-fender-mounted turn signal indicators were introduced. These would serve as the primary external identifiers between a 1966 and 1967 Charger. A vinyl roof became available. Inside, the full-length console was eliminated to satisfy customer complaints about the difficulty of entry and exit from the back seats. It was replaced with a regular-sized console. Bucket seats were standard, but a folding armrest/seat and steering column transmission shifter were an option, allowing three people to sit in the front.The 440 "Magnum" was added and the V8 was replaced by a engine. The 440 was rated at with a single 4-barrel carburetor. The 318 two-barrel "LA" Chrysler LA engine was now standard, but with wedge-shaped combustion chambers, unlike the previous 1966 polyspherical design, rated at. The 383 4-barrel was rated at and the 426 Street Hemi at remained as options. A total of 118 Chargers were built with the 426 engines in 1967, 58 with a four-speed transmission, and 59 with the automatic. The R/T package was also introduced in 1967.
Sales of the 1967 Chargers dropped to half of the previous introductory half-year with a total of 15,788 units. According to automotive historian Patrick Foster, both the AMC Marlin and the very similar looking first generation Dodge Charger "flopped on the market as sporty car buyers were showing their preference for compact pony cars."
Second generation
1968
The entire B-body lineup for the 1968 model year was redesigned, and the Charger was further differentiated from the Dodge Coronet models. Less upscale than the first generation, the new model featured coke bottle styling by Richard Sias, with curves around the front fenders and rear quarter panels. Harvey J. Winn designed front and rear end sheet metal. The fastback roof was gone, in favor of a "flying buttress" similar to that of the 1966-67 Pontiac GTO. The rear end featured a "kick up" spoiler appearance, reminiscent of the first generation's optional trunk lid spoiler. The Charger retained its full-width hidden headlight grille, but a vacuum-operated cover replaced the electric motor-powered rotating headlights. The previous full-width taillights were replaced with dual circular units at the direction of Styling Vice President, Elwood P. Engel. Dual scallops were added to the doors and hood.Inside, numerous "downscalings" were evident. A conventional fixed rear bench seat replaced the folding bucket seat design. The conventional trunk area included a vinyl mat, rather than the previous model's carpeted cargo area. The center console in the front remained, but there was no center armrest. The tachometer was now optional, and the electroluminescent gauges were replaced with a conventional design.
The Charger's engine options were reduced midyear when the standard 2-bbl V8, was replaced with Chrysler's slant-six. The 383-2 and 383-4 remained unchanged.
R/T
A new high-performance package was added, the R/T. The R/T came standard with the previous year's 440 "Magnum", with the 426 Hemi optional. With either, the Charger had evolved into possibly the top Chrysler-made muscle car.In 1968, Chrysler Corporation began a marketing campaign featuring a cartoon bee with an engine on its back promoting models called the "Scat Pack". The Coronet R/T, Super Bee, Dart GTS, and Charger R/T received bumble-bee stripes. The stripes were standard on the R/Ts and came in red, white, or black, but could be deleted at no extra cost.
The 1968 film Bullitt helped popularize the Charger R/T for its notable car chase sequence alongside the titular character's 1968 Ford Mustang GT through the streets of San Francisco, which has been regarded as one of the most influential car chase scenes in movie history. In the film, a black Charger R/T 440 is chased by Steve McQueen's Mustang GT, jumping on the San Francisco slopes. The 1968 model year Charger sales increased to 96,100, including over 17,000 Charger R/Ts.
1969
The 1969 model year brought a few modifications. Exterior changes included a new grille with a center divider and new longitudinal taillights designed by Harvey J. Winn. A new trim line called the Special Edition was added. This could be available by itself or with the R/T, thus making an R/T-SE. The SE added leather inserts to only the front seats, chrome rocker moldings, a wood grain steering wheel, and wood grain inserts on the instrument panel. A sunroof was added to the options list, but was ordered on only 260 Chargers. The bumblebee stripes returned, but were changed slightly. Instead of four stripes, it now consisted of a wide stripe framed by two smaller stripes. In the middle of the stripe, an R/T cutout was placed. If the stripe was deleted, a metal R/T emblem was placed where the R/T cutout was. Total production was around 89,199 units.There were two different 383 engines available for the 1969 model year: 2-barrel and 4-barrel. The 2-barrel was rated at. The four-barrel engine was rated at and was identified on the air cleaner as "383 / FOUR BARREL". The 330-hp engine was unique to the Charger model in 1969. While this engine was available with an un-silenced air cleaner option, it differed internally from the 335-hp 383 "Magnum". Differences between the 330-hp 383 4-barrel and 335-hp 383 mainly were internal. Both versions used the Carter AVS carb and the larger exhaust manifolds from the 440 Magnum engines, but the Magnum had a windage tray in the oil pan, a different camshaft profile, and different valve springs. In 1969, the B-series engines were all painted with Chrysler Engine Turquoise, except the 4-barrel 383 four-speed and 440 Magnum engines, which were painted with Chrysler "High-Performance Orange". As usual, the 426 Hemi was painted "Street Hemi Orange". The 383 Magnum motor was used in Road Runners and Super Bees, but did not appear in a Charger body until 1971.
The television series The Dukes of Hazzard featured an orange-painted 1969 Charger named The General Lee. "The General" sported the Confederate battle flag painted on the roof and the words "GENERAL LEE" over each door. The windows were always open, as the doors were supposedly welded shut for racing, and the actors would do a window slide to get in and out. The number "01" is painted on both doors. Also, when the horn button was pressed, it played the first 12 notes from the de facto Confederate States anthem "Dixie". The car performed spectacular jumps in almost every episode, and the show's popularity produced consumer interest in the car.