The legendary Dodge Charger muscle car, 1968-70

The restyling of the 1968 Dodge Charger is unquestionably the main reason for its sales success, since the 440 Magnum and Hemi were already available in 1967, and sales were dismal. The new "Coke bottle" look made the Charger one of the best-looking muscle cars, period, with many considering it the best-looking performance car of the 1960s. The base drivetrain remained identical with the 318 on the bottom end. Dodge wrote, “This is no dream car. It’s a real ‘take-me-home-and-let’s stir-things-up-a-bit’ automobile.”

The model line up expanded to include the Charger R/T, equipped like the Coronet R/T - it came with a 440 Magnum, heavy duty suspension and brakes, and the bulletproof Torqueflite 727 3 speed auto with a 4 speed manual optional. The rear bumblebee stripes were a deletable option. Hemi sales went up to 467, still quite small.
The 1968 sales were far higher than expected; product planners assumed they would sell 20,000, but 96,000 were built, and the market might well have taken more. The Charger was a runaway success.
For the next year, Dodge was understandably torn between the usual annual styling changes and not wanting to mess with a good thing; they made minor changes to the grille as a compromise. The 1968 has a chrome bumper under the grille, the 1969 has a chrome center divider in the grille, and the 1970 has a rectangular chrome bumper around the grille

1969 Dodge Charger

Mopaully wrote that MoPar Muscle Feb/Mar 1991 listed the following 1969 production figures: 392 Charger 500s, 67 Hemi 500s, 433 Daytonas with 440, 70 Daytonas with Hemi. Sales were already down, though, with only 69,000 built - still double the 1966 sales.
The Charger was left virtually untouched, and for good reason. They added a center grille divider, and recessed taillights. The backup lights moved to below the rear bumper.
The Charger 500, with a Coronet grille and a flush rear window, was built by Creative Industries; 500 were sold in accordance with NASCAR rules. The main reason for the Charger 500 was to eliminate aerodynamic problems that hurt it in comparison to Ford's lower-power but more slippery racing models. Chrysler had an ace up their sleave, though: the product of extensive wind tunnel testing, the Charger Daytona included a massive rear spoiler and an aero nose. No other car could match it for top speed (200 mph), with its standard 440 and optional Hemi. Its looks, notable today, were not appreciated in 1969.

The slant six was actually added to the range — or this year, though only about 500 were sold. Slant-powered Chargers, if left unmodified, would have been fairly slow (even modified, they had quite a bit of weight to push around).


For 1969, Dodge refined Charger, using a new grille and tail light treatment to bolster the sporty image. New vinyl roof treatments and exterior colors were optional, to appeal to the youthful driver. Engineering innovations ranged from manual tilt seat adjusters and easier rear door lock buttons to improved brake adjusters and headlights on warning buzzer.
A new optional Special Edition decor group for Charger and Charger R/T models was added. It featured leather bucket seats, wood-grain steering wheel, and wood grain inserts on the instrument panel. These cars are identified by SE name plates on the roof pillars. The Special Edition package also included bright trimmed pedals, deep dish wheel covers, and a light group including time delay ignition light and hooa mounted turn signal indicators.





Dodge also had a Charger for the Scat Pack. The Charger 500 was designed for the performance-minded driver; the rear window was slanted more, to be flush with the trailing edge of the rear window pillars; the grille was flush mounted instead of recessed, to improve airflow; and headlights were fixed, not concealed. The 500 was powered by the 426 cubic inch Hemi engine. It was built to meet a NASCAR requirement to allow Chargers to race on the stock car circuit; flush mounting provided a tremendous aerodynamic advantage which was to culminate in the Charger Daytona.

An even wider array of vinyl top choices were optional, adding tan, green, black, and white. The standard engine was the 318 cubic inch V8, but buyers could drop down to the slant six; only 500 did. Two optional 383s were sold, with two and four barrel carburetors. In the Charger R/T, which accounted for 21 percent of 1968 Charger sales, the 440 C.I.D. Magnum, 375 H.P. power plant was standard and the 426 C.I.D., 425 H.P. Hemi was optional.


Dodge also built in 1969 the Dodge Charger Daytona. This model was built specifically for the Daytona 500, and other stock car races. The Daytona marked a concerted effort by Dodge and Chrysler Corporation to take back the NASCAR limelight from Ford. The Daytona featured a wind cheating billet shaped front cap instead of the standard grille, hidden headlamps, front spoiler, flush backlight, and a huge rear deck spoiler. Compared with the Charger 500, the Daytona was about 20 percent more aerodynamically efficient. Dodge built 505 Charger Daytonas, just enought to beat the NASCAR stipulated 500 unit limit to qualify as a production model. Standard engine in the Daytona was the 440 cubic inch V-B, the 426 Hemi was optional.
At the Daytona's first outing at Talladega, Alabama, piloted by Richard Brickhouse, the Daytona won handily. Charger also won at the Daytona 500, driven by Bobby Isaac. Dodge won 22 Grand National races that season, but failed to nab the NASCAR manufacturers’ trophy.



Chrysler started experimenting with aerodynamics in the 1920s, but not until 1969 did they release the most aerodynamic car of its time — one whose drag coefficient was not matched for many years, yet was built on an existing model with relatively few changes. This was the Dodge Charger Daytona, to be joined in 1970 by the Plymouth Superbird.



The 1969 Dodge Daytona had a drag coefficient (cd) of just 0.28, better than most cars made in the 1990s. It would have produced even less drag, if it weren't for the tall spoiler (added to keep the rear wheels on the ground at high speeds). But, despite its 200 mph speed record , the car didn't sell well, even for its limited production, largely — according to sages of the time — because people thought the aero look was ugly. The price was around $4,000, the engine was a 440 or Hemi, and the top speed was practically unbeatable in a production car.

The first-generation Viper, with its aerodynamic shape, had a cd of over .5; the 1994 Plymouth Duster had a cd of .42. ; the mid-1990s Eagle Talon had a cd of .36. Even the sleek Eagle Vision had a drag of .31, considerably higher than the 0.28 of the 1969 Charger Daytona. That car set a speed record that held for 13 years, to be broken by about 1 mph in 1983.

1970 Dodge Chargers

The success of the American Dodge Charger caught the attention of international product planners. While the Charger was far too large and thirsty for South America, the Valiant and Dart were not, and the Charger look was adapted to the A-body platform — hideaway headlights and all — as much as they could swing it. Production was fairly low but many Chargers still remain in South America.

For 1970, the Charger received only minor changes, except for the 500 model, no longer needed for racing with the Daytona  making speed; as happened all too often, the performance name was converted to a trim level, with a standard 318, sitting between Charger and Charger R/T. The Charger's length increased by one inch. The least expensive Charger came with a bench front, while all the others came with bucket seats. The SE package was still available, with the optional bucket seats. Unlike other Chrysler intermediates, the Charger did not have standard 15" wheels.
In 1970, a Dodge Charger Daytona made history at Talladega Speedway when Buddy Baker became the first driver to be clocked at more than 200 mph for a lap on a closed course. That speed record was held for a good number of years.

1970 Dodge Charger
Max track, width	59.7, 76.6		Hip room, f/r	60.6 / 60.4
Height	53		Shoulder room, f/r	58.1 / 58.1
Wheelbase, length	117, 209.7		Front brakes	11 x 3 drums
Headroom, f/r	37.4 / 38.4		Rear brakes	11 x 2.5 drums
Legroom, f/r	41.4 / 34.1		Wheels/tires	14.0 x 6 F70

New features for the 1970 Charger included a front bumper which completely encircled the grille and new full width tail lights, and the Federally mandated ignition switch buzzer to remind drivers not to leave their keys in the car. The R/T got simulated scoops on the door, and a longitudal stripe instead of  the rear bumblebee stripes.

Engine options remained the same, except for the addition of the hot 440 6 pack (three double-barrel Holley carbs monted on an Edelbrock intake manifold). The Charger R/T’s base 440 required premium gas but pumped out a whopping 375 (gross) horsepower at 4,600 rpm, and 480 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm. A single Carter four-barrel carb was used on these models; the cam timing was identical to the Hemi, with 268° intake duration and 284° exhaust duration.

Total Charger production for 1970 was 49,768 vehicles, of which 10,337 were Charger R/Ts. While still a big seller compared with the 1966-67 Chargers, sales fell to a bit over half of what they had been in 1968, and were less than half of 1969’s gangbuster performance. 

The standard Charger came with the 225 slant-six or 318 V8, with a three-on-the-tree manual. The interior had a vinyl bench seat, deep-pile carpet, three-spoke steering wheel with a separate horn ring, heater/defroster, cigarette lighter, self-adjusting brakes, fiberglass belted tires, heavy duty suspension (using torsion bars and a front sway bar), rear bumper guards, concealed headlights, and quick-fill gas cap. The parking brake was foot activated.

The Charger 500 added vinyl bucket seats, a clock, and wheel-lip mouldings. The R/T made the clock optional while adding the 440 V8 with four-barrel carb and dual exhaust; automatic; heavy duty drum brakes; F70 14 inch wheels with white sidewall tires; the R/T handling package; simulated walnut instrument panel; three-speed wipers; and a bumblebee or longitudinal stripe.

The Charger SE was more of a luxury package and had leather and vinyl front bucket seats, a simulated walnut steering wheel, pedal dress-up, lighting group, deep-dish wheel covers, simulated walnut instrument panel, and vinyl map pockets.

Options included air conditioning, cruise, front center cushion with fold-down armrest (for bucket seats), headlight time delay, locking gas cap, luggage rack on the rear deck lid, sunroof, left remote control mirror, right side mirror, power brakes, steering, and winddows, rear seat speaker, a variety of AM and FM radios (with an optional stereo with 8-track player and three speakers, all in the instrument panel), rear shoulder belts, rear window defogger, six-way manually adjustable driver's bucket seat, three-speed wipers, tinted glass, and hood insulation. There were also numerous appearance options. 

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