Dodge to Build Additional Durango Hellcats in June

Dodge originally accepted just 2,000 orders to build the Hellcat Durango, but more will be built.

Back in January, the Dodge brand announced that the order banks for the 2021 Durango SRT Hellcat had been closed after all 2,000 allocations had been spoken for. That came as a disappointing blow for anyone who had been dragging their feet on ordering a 710-horsepower SUV of their own, but it seems that some people who tried to order one got some really bad news. Some sold orders had not been received and processed by the company before all 2,000 units slated for production had been, so although they had ordered a Durango Hellcat, they werent going to get it.

Fortunately, according to a report from the DodgeGarage, the company will have a short production run of the Durango SRT Hellcat in June with the goal of fulfilling those previously received sold orders that did not get one of the first 2,000 allocations.

“Any time you launch a limited-production vehicle and plan to build fewer units than the number of Dodge dealers across the country, you risk leaving a lot of customers very unhappy. As we finalized the production plan for this amazing SUV, we found a way to move some 6.2-liter HEMI Hellcat V8 engines from other vehicles to ensure every ‘sold order’ in our systems will get built,” said Bob Broderdorf, Director, Dodge Brand. “We didn’t want to disappoint these customers and wanted to find a way to ensure they are part of the Brotherhood of Muscle.”

Prospective Durango Hellcat Owners

When the company builds more examples of the 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat this summer, dealerships will not be accepting any orders. Instead, the company will build additional examples of the IHI-supercharged SUVs to fill those sold orders which dealers submitted after the initial batch of 2,000 units had been spoken-for.

In short, is seems that some buyers went into the dealership and filled out all of the necessary paperwork to order a Durango SRT Hellcat, but before that paperwork had been processed on the corporate end of things, all 2,000 units were reserved and the order banks closed. This basically meant that those people whose orders hadn’t gotten received in time weren’t going to get their supercharged three-row SUV.

If you were one of those people who ordered one a bit too late, you would probably be a bit upset, but imagine how pissed off you would be if you didn’t get one while some dealerships had them sitting on lots with big markups? Sadly, that is what has happened in some cases, as an inside source told us that roughly half of the initial 2,000 were for dealer stock – not for a specified customer.

Bad News for ADM Buyers

While the people whose initial order didn’t get submitted in time could search dealership inventory around the country to find a Durango Hellcat in stock, there is no guarantee that they will find one with all of the options that they want – or at the right price. Luckily, Dodge will build some additional units to fill those orders, which is great news for those disappointed buyers.

The people who are not likely to be pleased to hear about more units being built is those 2021 Durango SRT Hellcat buyers who paid a big dealer markup under the belief that only 2,000 units will be built. While we don’t expect that tons more will be built, they will end up being slightly less limited production when this is all said and done.

Photos: Patrick Rall

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Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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