While it has been over three decades since Dodge has sold a Coronet in a dealership, the Coronet name rests as one of the longest running nameplates in the Dodge brand history. Introduced in 1949 and running through 1976, the Coronet was available for 27 years but the most well known Coronet models in today’s collector’s market come from the mid 1960s to the early 1970s. Sharing a great many mechanical features with the Dodge Charger, the Coronets sold in the 1960s were among the highest performance muscle cars available in the US with packages like the Super Bee.
Before the Charger arrived in 1966, the Dodge Coronet was the go-to car for Mopar lovers looking to go fast and the early to mid 1960s era Coronets have become major players in the collector’s market. In fact, the 1965 Coronet has become so popular that someone went to the trouble to create a 1965 Coronet golf cart complete with the front end, the rear end, the side lines and even the proper dash board layout. Following in the style of many drag cars from that era, the ’65 Coronet golf cart has wide rear tires, skinny front tires, a straight front axle and a Hurst shifter poking through the floor.
Enjoy the gallery below of some of the Dodge Coronet models from the 2013 Mopar Nationals including the awesome ’65 Coronet golf cart.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
