[Dodge Brothers] Part Gaijin - The History of the Dodge Challenger

Contrary to many people’s belief, the first car to be adorned with the ‘Challenger’ name was not the beloved 1970 Challenger. Instead, it was the 1959 ‘Silver Challenger’, a special version of the 1959 Coronet. This ‘Silver Challenger’ was a large coupe that was only available in silver. This special edition was offered with two engine choices, the praised inline-6 230 CID that produced 135hp or the 255hp ‘Red Ram’ 326 CID V8. Powerplant choices didn’t end there, as you also had the choice to order it with a column shift three speed manual or a two speed ‘Powerlite’ automatic transmission for $189 more. Performance options ended there, but what made this edition special was the fact that other options such as a Push-Button AM radio and a rear view mirror were offered at such a low price ($86.50 for the AM radio and $6.45 for the mirror). The low price of those options made the Silver Challenger a great bang-for-your-buck, as the options you could get were only 64.5 dollars more expensive than a base model coronet.

However, after this name blundered, Studebaker got hold of it to use it in an entry version of their Lark model. Meanwhile, the ‘Muscle Car’ territory was starting to get action-packed, as Ford had changed the automotive view forever with the Mustang, starting the ‘Pony Car’ craze.

Technically speaking, the first one to start the Pony Car market was Dodge with the introduction of the Barracuda model, just two weeks before Ford introduced the Mustang and the world went nuts. Ford’s sub-brand Mercury developed a longer version of the ‘stang that they named the Cougar. In order for Dodge to not fall behind, they too made a longer version of the ‘cuda, which they named the Challenger, car that would be debuting for the first year of the 1970’s decade. This model would mark the beggining of a car that is still loved around the world and that is now able to break 10 seconds on a quarter mile in stock form.

1970 Dodge Challenger, the first generation.

Based on the Barracuda platform, the new Challenger saw in increase in wheelbase by two inches in order to expand interior space. The design was based on a previous sketch of a car that would be powered by a turbine, and although the turbine didn’t quite make it, it left the designers with a base for a new car. This new car was introduced in 1969’s fall for it to be sold in the 1970 model year. According to Edmunds’ Inside List “Both the Challenger and Barracuda were available in a staggering number of trim and option levels [and were intended] to compete against cars like the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, and to do it while offering virtually every engine in Chrysler’s inventory.” This vast engine choice (Listed below) didn’t guarantee nothing for Chrysler because their competitor to Ford’s Mustang was introduced very late, 4 years late to be exact.

1970 Dodge Challenger engine choices:

225-cubic-inch I-6; 145 horsepower
318-cubic-inch V-8; 230 horsepower
340-cubic-inch V-8; 275 horsepower (290 horsepower in T/A trim)
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

The 1970 Challenger was also available in a big brochure of trims, all available with transmissions to be chosen by the owner. Available trims were two, the T/A (Short for Trans-Am, in order for them to not get into trouble with Pontiac) and the R/T (That stands for Road and Track). The T/A cars were built in order for the Sports Car Club of America to give Dodge the permit to race in their Trans-Am caring series. Homologations for the Trans-Am meant that in order for one car to be allowed to race, 2400 road-going T/As had to be made. Obviously, the road car wasn’t the same as the race cars, but the road going T/As still were powerful cars, producing a paper number of 290hp, although the engine made around 350hp, from the modified 340 engine. The people at Chrysler fitted three double-body carburettors on the 340 and called it the 340 Six Pack. Unfortunately, the T/A wasn’t very competitive in the SCCA races and it was pulled out of the market in 1970.

Although the T/A was a powerful car, the omnipotent R/T was the car with the legendary HEMI 426 fitted in the engine bay. The 426 produced 425hp (It just goes like that sometimes) and came at an extra cost of $1228 and required strengthening of some parts to handle the torque that it produced. All of the R/T trim cars got a reinforced suspension just like the 440 and the HEMIs. The latters came with 15 inch rims, and other (now standard) features such as assisted steering and front disc brakes remained as optional.

The standard hood for the R/T models had two air intakes that didn’t divert air directly to the air filter, and by paying an extra $97, owners could ask for a mixed air intake positioned directly on top of the air filter and through an aperture in the hood. This gave the R/T challenger the “Shaker” nickname because the intake moved with the engine revs.

Below, a list of the produced Challengers in the 1970 year:
Hardtop 6 cylinder: 9.929 units.
Hardtop V8: 39.350 units.
Sports Hardtop 6 cylinder: 350 units.
Sports Hardtop V8: 5.873 units.
Convertible 6 cylinder: 378 units.
Convertible V8: 2.543 units.
Hardtop R/T V8: 13.796 units.
Sports Hardtop R/T V8: 3.753 units.
Convertible R/T V8: 963 units.
Challenger T/A: 2.399 units.
440/375HP R/T Hardtop: 2.802 units.
440/375 R/T Sports Hardtop SE: 875 units.
440/375 R/T Convertible: 163 units.
440 Six Pack R/T Hardtop: 1.640 units.
440 Six Pack R/T SE: 296 units.
440 Six Pack R/T Convertible: 99 units.
426 Hemi R/T Hardtop Torqueflite: 150 unts.
426 Hemi R/T Hardtop 4 speed: 137 units.
426 Hemi R/T SE Torqueflite: 37 units.
426 Hemi R/T SE 4 speed: 23 units.
426 Hemi R/T Convertible Auto: 4 units.
426 Hemi R/T Convertible 4 speed: 5 units

The facelifted 1971 Challenger

For the 1971 model year, Dodge gave the Challenger a facelift, changing the grille, adding color-coded bumpers and decorative slots to cool the rear brakes, together with new adhesives. Changes in the trim options were quite big, as the T/A trim was no longer available due to Dodge’s retirement from the Trans-Am racing series, leaving behind only a promotional maneuvre to sell it again. The R/T trim also saw cuts, as the convertible option was no longer available. The trimming didn’t end in the available trims (See what I did there?) as performance figures were also affected by new standards set by the EPA. The 375hp 440 cubic inch powerplant was dropped, and so the Six Pack 340 cubic inch lump in the T/A Challengers was also removed from the brochure. Engines removed were those two only, but the Magnum engine was de-tuned to 300hp (Producing 375hp in earlier models) by lowering the compression ratios. However, the Six Pack 440 V8 producing 390hp together with the range-topping 426 HEMI were still available.

Those significant changes in trimming options marked a very bad year for Challenger sales, in which the number dropped by over 60%. Desperate to try and reverse this, a small group of salesmen at Chrysler commissioned a special run of 50 cars to replicate the Pace Car that would be used in that years’ Indy 500. Those cars featured the 426 HEMI together with a convertible roof, white interiors and a “HEMI Orange” finish. This desperate attempt at luring more people into buying them played out almost fatally. The Pace Car driven by Eldon Palmer, an Indiana car dealer, crashed into a temporary grandstand full of photographers. This was caused due to Palmer setting up a cone as a reference for his braking zone, someone unknowingly removed the cone and he braked too late. Fortunately, the photographers were only injured and no death was mourned that day.

The 1972 model year of the Challenger was even worse than that of the previous year. The ‘Facelift’ given to it included a new -more boxier- grille looking downwards. Many journalists agreed on calling it ‘Sad looking’. If the poorly implemented facelift was anything to go by, the engine choices were basically nonexistent. With only three engines to choose from (A 225-cubic-inch Slant Six with 110 horsepower, the 318-cubic-inch V8 with 150 horsepower and the 340-cubic-inch V8 with 240 horsepower) sales were even worse. Even more options were taken away from the buyer, and since the convertible sold very poorly, they decided to remove it altogether with the R/T variant. The removal of the convertible version didn’t mean no direct sunlight when inside the car, as buyers could order their Charger with a sunroof (by paying $400 more, that is). A ‘Rallye’ variant was offered in order to replace the R/T trim, but it was only offered with a 150hp. When compared to the second year this model was definitely a far cry from what the car started off as.

1972 wasn’t the year in which the Challenger stopped its downhill run, as for the 1973 the Rallye variant was dropped, and many of the cars had left the factory with the underpowered 150hp 318 lump. The U.S. government dictated new rules again, those rules stated that the car required ‘five miles-per-hour’ bumpers (According to a forum member in Focaljet.com “the 5mph bumper law is so that if someone hits you, or you hit a stationary object, there will be no structural damage to the car.”). Those bumpers meant the only modifications done to the exterior of the car. Meanwhile, inside of it your only choice of seating material was grained vinyl, although a new gauge cluster design took from the past years’ ‘Rallye’ variant was available to order. Under the hood, things didn’t improve at all, the 6 cylinder engine was no longer available and the 150hp 318 V8 engine came as standard. This meant that the only other choice you had when it came to powerplants was the 240hp 340 cubic inch V8.

This year didn’t allow for many modifications, but although the Rallye trim was no longer sold, customers could still spec themselves one if they chose the right options (Bear in mind, this was possible because the 1973 had only one difference on bodywork, that one being the bumpers).

The end of a generation, 1974

For 1974, insurance prices set by the several companies begun skyrocketing, which led to several more safety equipment being added to the car.

Apart from the safety features equipped to the car, not many more features were given to it. The 318 150hp V8 still came as standard, but the 340 V8 of old was replaced by the 360 V8 for those that wanted a more ‘powerful’ version of the car, having 245hp on tap (‘powerful’, I dare say, because the power bump was of only 5hp).

As you can see, the 1972-73-74 years for the Challenger were failed attempts at trying to stop the bad sales of it, which led to a cease in production of the model, it is estimated that around 188,600 Challengers were sold. Albeit brief, the Challenger had definitely left a stamp on the Muscle Car segment.

A JDM 'Muscle' Car? 1978-1984 Challenger 'X'

After a four year halt, Chrysler decided to give the ‘Challenger’ name a rebirth. To achieve this, they made it possible thanks to a classic example of badge-engineering. The car they utilized for this was the Mitsubishi Galant Lambda, the car that would later be known as the father of the mythical ‘Evolution’ badge was first known as a Challenger. As expected, engine choices were very far from the likes of the 426 HEMI and the ‘Six Pack’ V8. Instead, the only engines available were a 1.6l I4 and a 2.6l ‘HEMI’ I4 producing 104hp. Those Lambdas were sold under two names, one being the Plymouth Sapporo, aimed at a more luxurious market. The other name was the ‘Dodge Colt Challenger’, headed to the performance-wise market. These model orientations lead the Colt to be available in a ‘sportier’ color palette, such as the grey-black-orange one seen in the above picture, or a grey-red one. What it lacked in the engine department could be ‘forgiven’ in the equipment part. Both the Colt and the Sapporo had advanced features for the time, such as a remote opening trunk, map lights and electronically controlled mirrors.

But, credit where it’s due, the Challenger may have been a slow and awful car, but since it was a Mitsubishi after some de-badging it meant that it had some improvements under the hood. The car had Mitsubishi made engines (1.6 L 4G32 I4 and 2.6 L 4G54 I4 codes for your personal research), and this meant that the small sized engines were prone to vibrations. Mitsubishi were pioneers in the development of balancing shafts, and so with the captive import Chrysler made, they were one of the first companies to sell a car with this kind of technology in it.

This rebadged Mitsubishi kept on selling until 1984, year in which another captive import by Chrysler/Mitsubishi, the Conquest, hit the market.

2006, the rebirth of a dead name.

After a halt of almost 30 years, Dodge took the motoring world by surprise by presenting the above concept in 2006 at the Detroit Motor Show, and after repeated plea by both consumers and journalists, the new iteration of the legendary ‘Challenger’ name hit the roads.

Built on Chrysler’s RWD LX platform (Also shared with the Chrysler 300 and the Dodge Charger) and powered by a potent 6.1l HEMI engine in its top trim level. It being built on the LX platform meant that the car could (and did) receive many components from other brands under the DaimlerChrysler alliance. The third generation received the Mercedes-Benz W220 S-class control arm front suspension, the Mercedes-Benz W211 E-Class 5-link rear suspension, the W5A580 5-speed automatic, the rear differential, and the ESP system, to name a few.

Similar to the 1970’s car, it was also available in a variety of trims for the 2009 year, listed below, together with a short description.

Challenger SE: Base model, powered by a 3.5l V6 producing 250hp and 250lb-ft of torque, achieving a top speed of 250kph (155mph) via a 4-speed automatic gearbox.

Challenger R/T: Bringing the R/T name back, owners get a 5.7l V8 producing 372hp and 398lb-ft of torque. Paired with a 6 speed manual ‘box, this propels the R/T to a top speed of 142 (electronically limited) miles-per-hour.

Challenger SRT8: Having the same engine as the R/T version, this one packed a revised suspension, Brembo brakes, bi-xenon headlights and sport seats.

For 2015, a beefier version of the Challenger was prepared by the people at Street and Racing Technologies. It is called the Challenger SRT Hellcat, and a 6.2l HEMI supercharged V8 belting out 707hp sends power to the rear wheels via a 6 speed manual TREMEC gearbox or an 8 speed automatic cog-shifter. This trim gave you access to two keys, a black one, intended for daily driving and commutes, and a red one. The red one unleashed the 707hp, being able to propel you to a top speed of 202mph, also dispatching the quarter mile within the 10 second mark, getting it done in 10.85 seconds.

For 2018, the car was revised and a new Hellcat ‘Widebody’ was made public. As the name clears, it features an enlarged track width, courtesy of fender flares made borrowed from the Demon to fit the bigger 305mm section Pirelli P-Zero tires.

The latest iteration of the Challenger name is this, the SRT Demon. It utilizes the same engine as the Hellcat, but this time stroked to 6.2l, with power receiving a power increase of 133hp, raising it to a total output of 840bhp to create this drag machine. It can run a quarter mile in 9.65 seconds and reach 60mph from a standstill in 2.3 seconds (2.0, considering the one foot rollout). It is also the fastest non-electric car to reach 60mph from a stop, the only production car to pull off a wheelie, the hardest launching car ever (1.5Gs of force when properly launched) and it was banned from racing the moment it set a ‘lap’ time.

The Challenger was a car initially made to compete with brands like Ford or Chevy, fast forward almost 50 years and it’s now that the original sought after brands are trying to compete with the likes of the Demon and Hellcat. Sure, companies like Roush and Hennesey may give the Demon or Hellcat a run for its money, but it’s the classic “Stock vs. Tuned” case, and fairness is law everywhere. Will other OEMs ever make a car like the Demon? We’ll never know, hopefully so. Burnt rubber and speeding fines, this is what the Challenger is known for.

That’s the history of the Dodge Challenger.

Also make sure to read KPS Lucky’s post about the Challenger’s brother, the Charger.

This was CTzen Sir GT-R, and until then, peace out.