Why do they call it a Charger?

jct said:
then why do ppl put on the 300 dog house on the magnums and no body thought of putting the magnum dog house on a 300, i think that would look hella sexy
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It is common enough in history for a car to be made to appear to be something more valuable than itself... not so common the other way around...
DALSPR14465.jpg

Leake Auction Company | Cadillac taste, Chevrolet budget? 1957 El Morocco sells for $140,000
https://www.leakecar.com/2014/04/30...olet-budget-1957-el-morocco-sells-for-140000/
I know its not a C body...

I have been interested in the story of these ever since I was a kid and discovered they existed... I like when there is a known history behind small automotive ventures, almost makes it feel like they had a chance.
 
TheFearlessFury said:
Lately I've started to wonder why dodge calls this a Charger? When you think about it they have absolutely nothing to do with the classic Dodge Charger. It doesn't even remotely resemble the old Charger like the new Challenger looks like the classic Challenger. And to my knowledge they never made a 4-door Charger before this one.

Was it because Chrysler didn't think the new Dodge Coronet would sound as good? I feel like that would have been a more accurate name to give it.
DODGEChargerSRT8-2294_7.jpg
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IMO, which is pretty worthless, they had a recognized and desired brand name... they simply were smart enough to use it on a performance oriented offering.

Thanks to Vin Diesel... They already had recognition from the Honda crowd, I think it was likely smart marketing on their part.

The Magnum name on a wagon does little for me, but ties that car into corporate history too...

How many Town and Country owners have the world around them believing they love minivans until the car is presented?

Others have done worse... think Mustang
Original
Trevor_Berge_1.jpg


70s
588053187_tp.jpg


And if you really liked the Fox body...
Ford_Fairmont_sedan_2.jpg


Remember when they wanted this to be a mustang... I recall looking at a prototype model kit thinking WTF
1989_ford_probe_gl_ellenwood_ga_99422192719978196.jpg
 
cantflip said:
It is common enough in history for a car to be made to appear to be something more valuable than itself... not so common the other way around...
DALSPR14465.jpg

Leake Auction Company | Cadillac taste, Chevrolet budget? 1957 El Morocco sells for $140,000
I know its not a C body...

I have been interested in the story of these ever since I was a kid and discovered they existed... I like when there is a known history behind small automotive ventures, almost makes it feel like they had a chance.
Click to expand...
Wow, I've never even heard of those. Interesting car.
 
They brought back the "Dart" name a few years back too and it shares very little and looks nothing like the Darts of old. The new Darts look more like the early 2000s Neons if you ask me.

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GJS said:
What f***ing little part of me feels bad for that little bastard child of (arguably) the WORST decade of American automotive history?
I want to gauge that part of me out with a rusty spoon.
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When i bought my new 83 Shelby Charger it was the quickest thing mopar made at the time.
A sad decade indeed!
 
Love everything about the LX platform. Not to mention that the metric cars will spank the piss out of the old school "muscle cars".
 
cantflip said:
It is common enough in history for a car to be made to appear to be something more valuable than itself... not so common the other way around...
DALSPR14465.jpg

Leake Auction Company | Cadillac taste, Chevrolet budget? 1957 El Morocco sells for $140,000
I know its not a C body...

I have been interested in the story of these ever since I was a kid and discovered they existed... I like when there is a known history behind small automotive ventures, almost makes it feel like they had a chance.
Click to expand...

Same with me, loved that very short lived ElMorocco concept. There was a rather in depth article in one of the early Collectible Automobile mags in the 80s. Time to dig that out again I guess.
 
I may have read the same article if it was from the early 80's. I recall seeing them in one of those "encyclopedia of automobiles" type of books... Gee it was a lot harder to find information about odd stuff before the internet... now it's just hard to determine what information is accurate.:)
 
Who in this thread has driven a modern Charger? They are great cars with nice attention to detail, fit and finish. The 370hp HEMI will smoke the tires and the 8 speed tranny can get you close to 30mpg on the highway. What's not to like? It doesn't look like a car from 50 years ago? Boo hoo! I heard the same BS from the GTO crowd when I bought my '05. "It doesn't look like a GTO!" "How can they call it a GTO?!" I'll tell you what, that '05 drove and accelerated harder than any GTO ever produced. The torque curve on that LS2 was so flat, it would roast the tires halfway through second gear (Automatic 4 speed). All the nay sayers are usually tire kickers who have to spout off negative comments to justify the fact they would never invest in any new car. Rant over...LOL. Besides, both are great looking cars, IMO. FWIW, the Goat would destroy the Charger in a straight line but the Charger is a much more refined car.















Just thought I'd throw this one in as it is one of my favorites. Me, behind the wheel of my '64 GTO with my neighbor driving my '05 beside me. It was for a photo shoot for an Australian magazine.

 
sl_line.jpg
The missing continuity is the Problem, if there would have been a continouus Evolution over the last 50 years noone would cast doubt on the justification of the GTO or Charger moniker.
 
cm23uoc said:
View attachment 102274 The missing continuity is the Problem, if there would have been a continouus Evolution over the last 50 years noone would cast doubt on the justification of the GTO or Charger moniker.
Click to expand...
I agree with your comment, but the car you chose has remained essentially the same over time. No mistaking it over it's period of refinement rather than evolution.
 
That's right, there are in General no such big breaks with European models I guess as with US-models, where a top line moniker became gradually degraded and substituted by another model, even changing in some instances over from C to B or A bodies.

But despite the skin deep continious Evolution of the SL for example (the 190 doesn't even belong in this scheme in my opinion) the General public mocked the 230 SL as sort of the successor of the thinly disguised competion 300 SL (which stood for super lightweight) with tube Frame and direct injection.
 
The guys over on another site have beaten this to death. Along with "why don't they bring back Plymouth?". Wasn't the Charger concept car from about 15 yrs ago, that every one drooled over, a four door?
 
cm23uoc said:
That's right, there are in General no such big breaks with European models I guess as with US-models, where a top line moniker became gradually degraded and substituted by another model, even changing in some instances over from C to B or A bodies.

But despite the skin deep continious Evolution of the SL for example (the 190 doesn't even belong in this scheme in my opinion) the General public mocked the 230 SL as sort of the successor of the thinly disguised competion 300 SL (which stood for super lightweight) with tube Frame and direct injection.
Click to expand...

A car like the SL also has the advantage of being a niche car within a luxury brand. I could make a case that the Cadillac Eldorado remained a 2 door luxury coupe throughout its entire run. Much easier to stay "true" when Joe Lunchbox isn't your target demo AND the name is a typically Germanic kludge of letters/numbers that inspires very little emotion.

Charger had to follow the market. When it moved from loud muscle to isolated luxury, and when it re-appeared as a sport front-driver. By 2006, the idea of a performance sedan was more "normal" than a coupe to US buyers.
 
So..... what year charger would one pursue to get an entry level hotrod?
 
I remember seeing one of those GTOs a decade or so ago. I barely paid any attention to it. They looked so much like the Sunfire that I thought they were just a front drive four or V6. I had no idea they were a V8 car.

LOL, I took my driver's test in a six cylinder '81 Fairmont similar to the one a few posts ago. I actually kind of liked them, especially the 2-doors. One of my buddies had a two door with a four banger/4-speed combo. I thought about buying one and stuffing a 351W in it. Seemed like the sheet metal on them and the Mustangs of that era was very thin.

Nova was another name that went away then came back on something that resembled a Hyundai Pony and had nothing in common with the original car.

th

th
 
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