Extended Auto Warranty Ratings
History of the Hemi Charger
1966 to 2008 and Beyond
The Charger is born.
When the Charger name first appeared in the Dodge lineup, this high end trimline of the Dodge Dart was powered by a meager 180 horsepower, 273 cubic inch engine, and it struggled with its intended competition, Fords new Mustang. However, the Charger name was far more popular than the trimline, so in 1966 Dodge gave the Charger a body and soul of its own.The gearheads of the mid 1960s were quite taken by the fastback body style, so Chrysler began with the B-body platform, adding a fastback layout that seemed to stretch back forever over a set of long quarter panels. The front end got a set of dual headlights that hide away under the slotted chrome grill. The Charger was intended to be a four seat sports car, and the interior follows that trend thanks to a four bucket seat layout, and to add extra functionality to the sport minded seating the rear seats fold down, allowing the trunk to extend into the passenger area for added cargo room. The body and interior gave the physical presence of the new 1966 Dodge Charger, but the soul was provided by what was packed under the hood. The entry level engine of the Charger was a 230 horsepower 318 V8, with the 383cu big block making 335 horsepower being the first upgrade. The premium engine for the 1966 Charger needs little introduction, as when someone says the word Charger, word association will lead almost every automotive enthusiast to reply Hemi.
The 1967-1967 Hemi Charger
The Hemi engine had been introduced by Chrysler in the 1951 and saw its introduction to the Dodge lineup in 1953 in the Coronet. Measuring just 241 cubic inches and making only 180 horsepower, the early Hemi was mild in comparison to the 426. Based on the success of the smaller displacement Hemi engines, Chrysler began working on a high performance model for their racing program, and in 1963, the first 426 Hemi was tested and in 1964 the Hemi began tearing up the NHRA and NASCAR. The 1966 birth of the Hemi Charger marked the first time that the touted 426 Hemi was available in a production street car, and with a stated horsepower of 425, the Hemi was well known to be underrated from the actual power output that was much closer to 500. The 426 Hemi option in the 1966 Charger was 1, 000 dollar upgrade over the $3, 122 base price, and considering that high price, only 468 Hemi Chargers were made in that first year. The Charger was not just intended to be an insanely quick street car, but use in the NASCAR program was a focus during development due to the ban on the Hemi engine from the 1965 NASCAR series. Those efforts proved to be a success as David Pearson piloted his Hemi powered 1966 Charger to a Grand National Series championship. The Charger was a hit on both the track and the street, and the 426 Hemi was a big part of that popularity. The Charger had the spirit of a performance car, but Dodge packed it full of luxury items such as front and rear center consoles, leather interior, air condition, power windows, and full interior carpeting. It was truly the ideal car for someone who wanted a high performance car without compromising comfort.
(Photo Courtesy of DodgeForum.com)1967 saw the introduction of another performance engine to the Charger lineup, as the 440 Magnum was offered as the standard engine in the Charger R/T, but with only 375 horsepower, the Hemi was still the most powerful engine. Other than the new engine, there were no major changes to the Hemi Charger in 67, but sales dropped to just 118 units. One of the other major reasons attached to the low sales of the Hemi (other than the 30% price increase over the 383) was the difference in the warranty. Chrysler was one of the pioneer companies in offering a 5 year/50, 000 mile warranty, but this was not available on the Hemi Charger, which came with only a 1 year/12, 000 mile warranty and there was a stipulation on the Hemi Charger (and most other vehicles at the time) that any evidence of abusing the vehicle (such as drag racing or other closed circuit racing) immediately voided the entire warranty. Chrysler was so serious about this, that company representatives were sent to drag strips around the country to record the license plates and vehicle identification numbers of Chrysler products at the track.
The 1968-1970 Hemi Charger
When the 1968 Dodge Charger was released to the public, it was exactly what everyone had been asking for out of Dodges flagship performance car. The Chargers projected sales figures were in the 35, 000 ballpark, but by the end of the 1968 model year over 96, 000 Chargers had been sold, which included 467 Hemi Chargers. The new body style has commonly become known as the coke bottle design, and the long, flowing body became an icon of the muscle car era. There were cues of the original Charger, like the fastback and hide away headlights, the 1968 body style was more rounded than the previous generation. The 1968 426 Hemi received a few upgrades in the form of a camshaft with more duration and stronger valve springs, as well as a revision to the oiling system, as some owners complained of the Hemis heavy oil usage; but even with these upgrades Dodge still advertised only 425 horsepower.
(Photo Courtesy of DodgeForum.com)
The 1969 Charger saw the addition of the Charger 500 trimline, which had a different grille than the other Chargers and the rear window was flush, was designed in accordance with NASCAR regulations on production, and these changes had been needed for the race teams so 67 lucky buyers were able to order a 1969 Dodge Hemi Charger 500. Dodge also introduced another race-ready model in 1969, and the Dodge Charger Daytona has grown to be one of the most well known performance cars of all time thanks in part to the unique front fascia and huge rear spoiler which were both shared with the Plymouth Superbird. The standard engine of the Daytona was the 440 Magnum, but there were 70 Hemi powered Daytonas sold in 1969.
(Photo Courtesy of DodgeForum.com)
The Final Hemi Charger?
When the 1971 Chargers were rolled out, they had received another huge facelift. The front end featured a wrap around integrated bumper, similar to those seen on the Pontiac GTO during that era. Power was down with all of the engines except the 426 Hemi, as a looming fuel crisis and climbing gas prices, combined with new government restrictions on engine emissions began to suffocate the performance market. Ford and GM adapted their performance cars with vehicles like the Camaro and Mustang going to route of 4-cylinder models in the 70s, but Chrysler would eventually opt to remove the models altogether but not without a fight. The 1971 Hemi Charger had an even fuller figure look than the previous generation Charger, and the options of the R/T and Super Bee, either of which could be selected with the Hemi. There were a total of 85 Hemi Chargers sold in 1971, with 13 of them being automatic transmission Super Bees, 9 of them being 4-speed manual transmission Super Bees, 33 of them being automatic R/Ts, and 30 of them being 4-speed manual R/Ts. The fastback style had become even less extreme, and was nearing a coupe more than a fastback, but overall, the original look of the 1966 Hemi Charger was preserved through the 1971 Hemi Charger, and these cars, although low in production, made a name for themselves that will never fade.The Charger would go on with production in 1972, but the Hemi would be gone, and by the 1978 model year, the Chargers most powerful engine was a 200 horsepower 4 barrel carbed 360 small block. The Charger would then return as a front wheel drive compact in the 1980s, but once those faded away, the Charger name seemed to simply go away.
The New Hemi Charger
June 2005- Amidst rumors and sketches of the return of the Dodge Charger, Chrysler Corporation announced that the mighty Charger would be returning to the lineup. A few years prior, the Hemi had returned in the form of a 5.7L motor in the Dodge Ram, but portions of the news of the new Dodge Charger included a Hemi model. Over time, the news became official; the Dodge Charger would be back and the 2006 Charger would return to the world the Hemi Charger.
The 2006 Dodge Charger was offered with a 2.7L and 3.5L V6, but the most commonly chosen engine would be the 5.7L Hemi making 345 horsepower. Some Mopar faithful were unhappy about the fact that the Charger was offered only as a sedan, but that hardly slowed sales any. Following the vintage theme through the trimlines, the Charger Daytona offered 350 horsepower although the current spoiler sits some 3 feet lower than the original. Also featuring a suspension and tire upgrade, the 2006 Hemi power Dodge Charger Daytona R/T was offered in Go ManGo!, Top Banana, and TorRed. The biggest news for the 2006 Charger was the SRT-8 trimline, which like the original Hemi Chargers, came packed with a 425 horsepower Hemi. Now measuring 6.1L (the 426 measured 7.0L), tests have proven that the 425 rating is still fairly low, and even though this new Charger is a sedan devoid of a manual transmission option, the 2006 Hemi Chargers quickly made a name for themselves among the top performance cars of the day.2007 gave us another classic trimline as the Charger Super Bee returned. Packed with the SRT-8s 6.1L Hemi, this 425 horsepower beast featured the classic Super Bee badging, along with interior, exterior, and brake system upgrades. Offered only in Detonator Yellow, all 1000 units are identical to each other. The Daytona R/T was back for 2007, this time offered in only Sublime and Plum Crazy, with the same options as the 2006 Daytona models.
2008 brings about more of the same, with the SRT-8 Charger leading the way as far as performance, and the popularity of the Charger has continued to grow even with continuously climbing gas prices. The Daytona R/T is back once again, offered now strictly in Hemi Orange, and the Super Bee is offered in B5 Blue. There is little indication as to what is coming in the future for the Hemi Charger, as so much attention has been shifted by both Dodge and Dodge enthusiasts to the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT-8, which offers almost all of the options of the Charger in a coupe form. There have long been rumors of a larger displacement Hemi finding its way into the Charger, but as of 2008, those remain just rumors even though Dodge offers a 392 cubic inch Hemi making 500+ horsepower, but most rumors suggest that will become either the premium engine in the Dodge Challenger or possibly power the replacement for the Dodge Viper which has officially ended production. While only time will tell what is to happen with the model, the Dodge Charger has managed to stay popular even during long periods of non-production, and thanks to the powerful Hemi engine, the Dodge Charger has become one of the most sought after cars in the American muscle car market.
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