Overview

The “pony car”... a term fashioned after Ford’s first-generation Mustang blew open the automotive scene with a small, sporty, fun, and yet functional car. After 680,000 cars were sold, everyone jumped on the bandwagon and the pony car segment of the automotive industry was born. Chrysler’s iteration? The Barracuda. Sales? Just over 65,000. Not quite the same potency to be sure. Even though Chrysler made a car with a fastback rear and very close specs to the Ford, it couldn’t replicate the overwhelming success of the Mustang (or the Chevrolet Corvette).

As 1970 approached, the Barracuda was showing its design age and was to be redesigned. Dodge, however, wanted in on the segment and the two cars were re-designed/designed for 1970. They shared the same E-Body platform and most options Chrysler offered, but the two cars had differing styles altogether. The Challenger was born. Named after a late-’50s options package, the car’s name eventually became synonymous with style and performance.

The Challenger did have serious performance options ranging from the 235hp, 318ci (5.2 Liter) all the way up to the 425hp, 426 Hemi (7.0 Liter). On top of engine options, there were gearing, transmissions, suspensions, and tire options to make the experience even more exhilarating. That isn’t to say that the Challenger wasn’t a good everyday car, but the strategy of Dodge and the main use for these cars were in straight-line performance - and the Challenger was fully up to the task from day one.

The Challenger burnt out like a small, hot candle - with some 170,000 copies sold in its 4-year run. It came in selling 80,000+ copies, to selling just over 16,000 its final year. The gas-guzzling days were coming to a close and emission restrictions completely doomed the Challenger’s muscular existence. Its look went from the one that begged to drag race, to the one that you would feel comfortable putting safety markers on. The R/T badges were gone; the bumpers were strengthened; engines were de-tuned; and the legend was, indeed, dead. But, like most candles, it did burn bright for its time!

Beginning in 1978 — the year the U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard took effect — Dodge offered a new Challenger two-door coupe imported from Mitsubishi. It was offered with a standard 1.6-liter, 77-horsepower I-4 engine, with a 2.6-liter, 105-horsepower four-cylinder as an option.

Slightly restyled in 1981, the Dodge Challenger soldiered on until 1984, replaced by the growing stable of Chrysler Corporation’s K-platform compacts and a new import from Mitsubishi, the Dodge/Plymouth Conquest.

Over its six-year run, sales of the imported Dodge Challenger averaged between 12,000 and 14,000 units per year.

At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2006, Chrysler unveiled the Dodge Challenger concept to immediate acclaim. Based on the company’s advanced rear-wheel-drive LX platform and its legendary HEMI engine, the Dodge Challenger concept featured the long hood, short deck, wide stance and two-door coupe body-style that resembled the iconic Challengers of the 1970s.

Over the next several months, the company received repeated pleas from consumers and the media to build the car.

The Dodge Challenger returned to the streets with the reveal of the all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 at the Chicago Auto Show. The Dodge Challenger SRT8 offered all that pony car fanatics crave: ground shaking performance, unmistakable design cues reminiscent of the original Challenger, world-class ride and handling characteristics and benchmark braking.

The 3rd generation Challenger's design draws heavily from its 1970s predecessors, featuring a retro-inspired exterior with bold lines, a wide stance, and a distinctive front grille. The car's overall profile, with its long hood and short deck, harkens back to the heyday of American muscle cars. Signature elements, such as round headlights set into a split front grille, and rectangular taillights that stretch across the rear, emphasize its classic roots.

The Challenger's powertrain options emphasize both performance and variety, ranging from a 3.6-liter V6 engine, producing up to 305 horsepower, to a variety of V8 engines, including a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 and a 6.4-liter Hemi V8. For high-performance enthusiasts, Dodge offers the SRT Hellcat and Hellcat Redeye models, featuring a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8 engine, delivering 707 and 797 horsepower, respectively. These options offer a broad spectrum of power and performance, appealing to both casual drivers and muscle car enthusiasts alike.

Dodge Challenger (1970 - 1974)

The Dodge Challenger made its debut in the fall of 1969 as a 1970 model. While it shared Chrysler’s “E-body” short-deck, long-hood platform with the third-generation Plymouth Barracuda, Dodge Challenger’s wheelbase was two-inches longer, creating more interior space.

The Dodge Challenger was originally offered as a two-door hardtop or convertible, in base, SE (Special Edition), R/T (Road/Track) and T/A (Trans-Am) trim. But it was the range of powertrain choices that was truly remarkable:

• 225-cubic-inch I-6; 145 horsepower

• 318-cubic-inch V-8; 230 horsepower

• 340-cubic-inch V-8; 275 horsepower (290 horsepower in the T/A)

• 383-cubic-inch V-8; 290 horsepower

• 383-cubic-inch V-8; 330 horsepower

• 383-cubic-inch V-8; 335 horsepower

• 426-cubic-inch HEMI V-8; 425 horsepower

• 440-cubic-inch V-8; 375 horsepower

• 440-cubic-inch V-8; 390 horsepower

Driveline choices for various engines included Chrysler’s TorqueFlite automatic transmission and a three- or four-speed manual which could be equipped with a Hurst “pistol-grip” shifter. Big-block Challengers could be ordered with a heavy-duty Dana 60 differential equipped with limited-slip differential.

Even the paint schemes said “performance,” with colors including Plum Crazy and HEMI Orange, accented with “bumblebee” stripes. Customers could further customize their cars with twin-scooped hoods, “shaker” hoods, and rear deck wings.

Befitting the brand’s performance heritage, the Dodge Challenger went racing in its first year. For the street, it was offered in the limited-edition T/A model to meet homologation requirements for Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Trans-Am racing. The T/A was one of the first production vehicles to offer different size tires in the front and back; E60 x 15-inches front and G60 x 15-inches rear.

In 1970, Sam Posey drove the lone Trans-Am racing Challenger, prepared and run by Ray Caldwell’s Autodynamics Race Shop. While he didn’t win a race in the No. 77 car, Posey finished fourth overall in points.

Drag racers including Dick Landy and Ted Spehar also campaigned Challengers in the National Hot Rod Association’s new Pro Stock class. In 1970 and 1971, the HEMIowered Challengers (and Plymouth ‘Cudas) virtually ruled the class.

On the big screen, a 1970 Challenger R/T starred in the film Vanishing Point, a high-speed pursuit movie that has become a cult favorite with muscle-car fans. The movie was remade for television in 1997. Other 1970 Dodge Challengers have been seen in films including Used Cars, Natural Born Killers and Phantasm I and II; and in television shows including Mod Squad.

For the 1970 model year, just over 83,000 Dodge Challengers were sold.

In 1971, designers made subtle styling changes to the Dodge Challenger, providing new treatments to the taillamps and grille. The single-taillamp design from 1970 became two distinct lights for 1971, and a new-for-1971 twin-inlet Challenger grille was painted silver on standard models and black on R/Ts. Challenger R/T models also received a set of fiberglass quarter-panel louvers. An additional coupe model with fixed quarter windows was added to the lineup.

As in 1970, a wide range of trim levels, exterior colors and striping options made the Dodge Challenger easy for customers to create a special car. However, for 1971, Dodge dropped the T/A (it was no longer racing in Trans-Am), SE models and R/T convertible.

New EPA emission standards led to some powertrain changes; the optional 375-horsepower 440-cubic-inch was eliminated, as was the Six Pack-equipped 340-cubic-inch powerplant. The 383-cubic-inch Magnum engine was detuned to 300 horsepower by lowering the compression ratio for improved emissions. However, a 390-horsepower six-pack 440 V-8 was available, and the 425-horsepower 426-cubic-inch HEMI still topped the vast engine offerings.

A Dodge Challenger paced the Indianapolis 500 race in 1971. Dodge produced 50 Challenger convertible pace car replicas; all painted HEMI Orange with white tops and interiors.

With escalating insurance rates and new EPA emissions mandates, more changes came to the Dodge Challenger in 1972. Also, SAE revised the torque and horsepower rating test from a “gross” to a “net” as installed in the cars. This reduced all ratings 20–30 percent, making them non-comparable to previous ratings.

Only three engines were available in the 1972 Dodge Challenger: the 225-cubic-inch Slant Six with 110 horsepower, the 318-cubic-inch V-8 with 150 horsepower and the 340-cubic-inch V-8 with 240 horsepower. All were equipped to use the then-new unleaded fuel.

With convertible sales in steady decline over several years, the 1972 Dodge Challenger was offered in hardtop form only. The sun roof had become a more popular alternative, and was offered as an option for just over $400.

New front-end styling in 1972 featured a larger “egg-crate” grille. It was painted argent for standard Challengers and black on the Challenger Rallye performance model, which replaced the R/T. The Challenger’s taillamp design included twin lights on each side, with the center panel painted the same color as the grille. The Rallye model was also equipped with four small scoops on the front fenders.

Beginning in 1973, the federal government mandated new bumper-impact standards that resulted in the only changes to the Dodge Challenger exterior — five-miles-per-hour bumpers equipped with large rubber guards that extended out from the bodywork.

Inside, grained vinyl was the only available seating material, but a new instrument-cluster design was part of the Rallye option package. The Rallye was eliminated as a separate model, although customers could create one with options.

Under the hood, the six-cylinder engine was no longer available; the 150-horsepower 318-cubic-inch V-8 was standard, with the 240-horsepower 340-cubic-inch V-8 as the only option. With insurance rates for performance cars skyrocketing, more safety equipment led the short list of changes for the 1974 model-year Dodge Challengers.

Inside, lap and shoulder belts were equipped with an inertia reel. In addition, there was a federally mandated seatbelt-ignition interlock, which prevented the car from being started if the driver or passenger didn’t buckle up.

The Dodge Challenger offered a different engine option for 1974. With the 318-cubic-inch V-8 still standard, a 360-cubic-inch V-8 producing 245 horsepower replaced the 340-cubic-inch V-8 as the only option. In April 1974, Challenger production ceased. Over a five-year span, approximately 188,600 Dodge Challengers were sold.

Dodge Challenger (1978 - 1983)

In 1978, Dodge decided to revive the line. However, it outsourced manufacturing to Mitsubishi, which built the second-generation Challenger on its own four-cylinder coupe body. In fact, the automaker sold the Challenger as the Mitsubishi Galant Lambda GSR in Japan. In other markets, it was known as the Mitsubishi Sapporo or Mitsubishi Scorpion.

Plymouth also built an almost-identical car with the same trim options and called it the Plymouth Sapporo. Chrysler did the same with its Sigma model in Australia.

Instead of targeting the muscle car market with its revival of the Challenger, Dodge had its eyes set on the coupe market and rivals like the Honda Prelude, Nissan 200SX and Toyota Celica. You could still see remnants of its muscle car days, but it looked like a compact version of its former self. The same angular lines and frameless hard top were there, but the size was significantly reduced.

The second-generation Challenger looked like a sportier, zipppier model. The exterior featured bright colors and tape stripes, and it had much more subdued trim than the first-generation Challenger.

Since the new Challenger was designed for luxury and not power, it didn’t have as much going on under the hood as the first-generation models. The new Challenger came with either a 1.6-liter SOHC or 2.6-liter SOHC engine, both four cylinders. The 1.6-liter put out 77 horsepower, while the larger engine produced 105 horsepower. Buyers also had the choice between a standard five-speed manual transmission or an optional three-speed automatic transmission.

Though the new Challenger did not live up to the strong performance of the previous generation, it did stand out in another way: Its innovative counter-rotating balance shifts to tame vibration from the engine.

Previously, four-cylinder engines were not built at the 2.6-liter size because it produced too powerful vibration. Mitsubishi came up with the Silent Shaft balancer to mitigate the effects of the vibration and to create a smoother ride. The second-generation Challenger was actually one of the first cars on the American market to have this technology, which has since become widespread. In fact, the technology has been licensed for use by other car manufacturers.

Because the second-generation Challenger was designed to be a personal luxury vehicle, it focused more on interior features than it did engine performance.

Some interior features included what was at the time a premium stereo, a trip computer and an overhead console with a digital clock. Soft chimes sounded when the door opened or the ignition turned rather than harsh buzzing sounds from previous models. The dash featured an array of gauges and controls to create a relaxing and convenient ride.

The upholstery on the Challenger included memory seats and premium fabrics. Above all, this was a car that was meant to look good and be comfortable.

The second generation of the Dodge Challenger lasted through 1983, so the model got a few updates over the years, but not many. The once optional 2.6-liter engine became the standard feature for the 1980 model, giving it more power to match its luxury design. In 1981, designers tweaked the exterior to give it a more formal roofline with a stronger profile. The new look won over buyers for the next two years, but after that, sales fell flat. The second generation of Challengers was retired in 1983, and few from this era remain.

Dodge Challenger (2008 - 2023)

The 3rd generation Dodge Challenger, introduced in 2008, is a contemporary reinvention of the classic American muscle car. Drawing heavily from its 1970s predecessor, this generation seamlessly blends retro styling with modern engineering and technology, capturing the essence of the muscle car era while catering to the demands of today's automotive market. In this in-depth article, we explore the history, special editions, updates, and legacy of the 3rd generation Dodge Challenger.

The 3rd generation Challenger marked Dodge's return to the muscle car market after a long hiatus, following the discontinuation of the 2nd generation Challenger in 1983. Unveiled at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, the new Challenger sought to recapture the spirit of its 1970s predecessors, offering a blend of classic design, powerful engines, and modern features.

The 3rd generation Challenger's design pays homage to its roots, featuring a wide, aggressive stance, bold lines, and a long hood with a short deck. The car's front end is characterized by a distinctive split grille with round headlights, echoing the design of the original Challenger from 1970. Rectangular taillights stretch across the rear, contributing to the car's classic muscle car profile.

Dodge offers a range of color options, including heritage hues such as Plum Crazy, Go Mango, and Sublime, further connecting the 3rd generation Challenger to its predecessors. The overall aesthetic bridges the gap between retro styling and modern sophistication, making the Challenger stand out on the road.

Inside, the Challenger combines retro-inspired styling with modern technology and comfort. The cabin offers a spacious layout, accommodating five passengers, with options for leather upholstery, ambient lighting, and a driver-focused cockpit design. The dashboard features an array of analog gauges, paying tribute to classic muscle cars, while integrating modern conveniences such as a touchscreen infotainment system, ranging from 7 to 8.4 inches, offering navigation, media controls, and connectivity options such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Challenger's interior also includes a variety of comfort features, such as heated and ventilated seats, dual-zone climate control, and premium sound systems, making it suitable for both daily commuting and long road trips.

The 3rd generation Challenger's powertrain options cater to a wide range of drivers, from casual enthusiasts to performance aficionados.

• 3.6-Liter Pentastar V6: The base SXT model comes equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 engine, producing up to 305 horsepower, providing a balanced blend of power and efficiency.

• 5.7-Liter Hemi V8: The R/T model features a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine, delivering 375 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque, offering a significant performance boost over the V6.

• 6.4-Liter Hemi V8: The Challenger Scat Pack model is equipped with a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine, producing 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque, positioning it as a formidable sports car.

• 6.2-Liter Supercharged Hemi V8: The SRT Hellcat and Hellcat Redeye models offer a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8 engine. The Hellcat delivers 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, while the Hellcat Redeye produces an astounding 797 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque, making it one of the most powerful production cars on the market.

All engine options are paired with either a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic transmission, offering drivers a choice between traditional muscle car feel and modern convenience.

Throughout its production run, the 3rd generation Challenger has been offered in several special editions, further enhancing its appeal:

• SRT Hellcat and Hellcat Redeye: These high-performance variants feature unique styling cues, including a widebody kit, aggressive graphics, and larger air intakes. The Hellcat Redeye also offers additional upgrades, such as a more advanced cooling system and upgraded suspension, making it a track-ready car.

• Daytona Edition: The Challenger Daytona Edition pays homage to the classic Challenger Daytona models, featuring unique graphics packages, rear spoilers, and special badging. It also includes performance enhancements, such as a sport-tuned suspension and larger brakes.

• 50th Anniversary Edition: In 2020, Dodge released a 50th Anniversary Edition Challenger to celebrate the model's milestone. This edition featured gold badging, exclusive interior trims, and unique color options, including Gold Rush, Frostbite, and Hellraisin, making it a collector’s item for muscle car enthusiasts.

Over its production run, the 3rd generation Challenger has received numerous updates to keep it competitive in the modern automotive market:

• 2015 Refresh: In 2015, Dodge introduced a facelift for the Challenger, featuring a new front grille design, LED halo headlights, and revised taillights. The interior also received an update, with a reconfigured dashboard, new gauge cluster, and an improved infotainment system.

• Performance Packages: Dodge has continued to offer various performance packages for the Challenger, including the Dynamics Package, which adds upgraded brakes, suspension, and tires, and the Widebody Package, which provides flared wheel arches, wider tires, and improved handling.

The 3rd generation Challenger has had a significant impact on both the muscle car market and American automotive culture. Its design, inspired by its 1970s predecessors, has resonated with enthusiasts, helping to revive the muscle car segment. The Challenger's blend of classic styling, modern engineering, and versatile performance has made it a popular choice for a broad spectrum of drivers, from casual car owners to performance aficionados.