1962 Dodge
Print #MO-1
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Early '60s Mopars weren't on the cutting edge of automotive styling. But for Mopar lovers, that was part of the charm. The cars looked like something at an accountant of the day might drive, but with a Max Wedge 413 big-block engine under the hood, early '60s Mopars were the ultimate sleeper cars of their day.
It must have been a lot of fun opening the hood of a plain-Jame Mopar and showing off the awesome-looking 420 horsepower 413 Max Wedge engine. Many a competitor only saw the back end of these Mopars on the drag strip and at stop lights all over America.
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1964 Dodge Polara
Print #MO-15
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Before Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins became Mr. Chevrolet, he successfully raced Mopars. Bill built Hemi engines and drove for Bud Faubel of Chambersburg, Pa.
Using 7-inch cheeter slicks, the amazingly stock-looking Hemi Dodge set the National Record in A/FX class with a 11.39 et @124.30 mph at Cecil County Drag-O-Way in 1964.
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1969 Charger Daytona
Print #MO-6
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Print #MO-6Talk about BOLD! Chrysler blew everyone away with their ultimate NASCAR warrior, the Charger Daytona. The Charger had been Dodge’s NASCAR racer since ‘66 with the big-block Fords running very close for years. Race car aerodynamics was exploding with new ideas in the mid-to- late ‘60s and the designers at Chrysler were paying close attention. They made a huge adjustable wing for the back of the car and a new nose clip in the shape of a big wedge with rounded off sides. Since car makers had to sell what they raced, there was a street version that people either loved or hated.
There’s no doubt about it, this car was over the top! The Charger Daytona was available with either a 440 Magnum or 426 Hemi engine. For the street, either power plant was more than enough. But the Hemis were notoriously hard on drive trains and many of the winged Dodges were ordered with the less expensive, easier to live with 440 engine. The following year, Plymouth got into the game with their winged warrior based on the Road Runner body, called the “Superbird.” Like the Dodge, it was a love-it or hate-it kind of car.
But by ‘71 the party was over. muscle cars quickly were becoming socially unacceptable and NASCAR was pulling in the reins on the winged machines. The Chrysler winged cars was a classic example of racing advancements filtering down into production cars. Today, Eclipses, Celicas, and Civics can be seen sporting big wings on their rear deck lids... shades of NASCAR circa 1969-70.
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1967 HEMI Plymouth
Print #MO-4
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This was Plymouth’s Hemi offering for Mopar fans. Like the Dodge Charger, this was the car of choice for the Plymouth NASCAR racers. Although the belvedere didn’t have the sexy good looks of the Charger’s fastback roof-line, the car had a serious, business-like, “don’t mess with me” kind of look. And with a 426 Hemi under the hood, best call it, “Mr. Hemi Belvedere.”
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1967 Dodge Charger
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In the ‘50s and ‘60s, Chrysler styling was a “love it or hate it” kind of thing. Many of their cars looked pugish. With “sex appeal” as a growing aspect of advertising and styling, Chrysler took a stop-gap measure on their big Dodge Coronet model by making a long, straight fastback roof-line. The end result looked very good for its day. And with a 440 Magnum or a 426 hemi under the hood, few dared you on the stop-light grand prix.
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1967 HEMI Charger
(Color)
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A tribute to the hottest setup offered by Dodge in 1967, the Hemi Charger. While the Charger wasn’t a small car, the Hemi had more than enough torque and horsepower to get the big machine hauling. The Hemi Charger was Dodge’s Number one car of choice for NASCAR racing for years.
Every Mopar fan should have one of these!
CLICK HERE and go to the
"Mopar Shirts Section."
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1969 Road Runner Profile
Print #MO-5
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This was marketing brilliance! Word on the street scene was that a lot of guys were being put off by the rising prices of muscle cars and all the extra stuff that was being tacked on. Now, Brock Yates says that the Road Runner was his original idea and that he spilled it to the Plymouth designers once in casual conversation.
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1969 Road Runner
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Who's head the idea fell out of isn't really important. The Road Runner fit the bill and filled the gap between the expensive muscle cars and regular cars. For not much more the the price of a Satellite model, Mr. Customer could have a Road Runner with a stout 383 engine, heavy-duty suspension, fat tires on rally-wheels, and one of the coolest names of the ‘60s, “Road Runner.”Finally, younger, Mopar fans could buy a very cool genuine muscle car without all the extra frills but with most of the thrills. Of course a set of headers and glass packs definitely helped the cause. |
