The Dodge Scat Pack May Be Making a Comeback

The Chrysler Group recently registered the trademark for the Scat Pack name, leading some people to believe that the Dodge Scat Pack and the associated enthusiast club could be returning after a 42 year hiatus.  The re-invention of the Scat Pack could lead to new enthusiast-aimed marketing campaigns, Dodge Scat Pack apparel and collectables, a Dodge newsletter and maybe even some low cost special edition packages – all of which would help improve the performance theme of the Dodge brand.

The original Scat Pack was introduced in 1968 for the Dodge brand and the first grouping of vehicles included in the Scat Pack program featured the Charger R/T, the Coronet R/T, the Coronet Super Bee, the Dart GTS and the Dart Swinger 340.  These vehicles teamed up for special print ads and marketing material that used a colorful bee fitted with tires instead of legs and an engine mounted on his back.  In addition to some posters that have become huge collector’s items in the Mopar world, Dodge offered up various wearables like shirts, hats and jackets.  Finally, while the original Scat Pack cars didn’t get any performance modifications, they did get some stripes and Scat Pack emblems like the one shown here.

In 1970, the Dodge Scat Pack got a little bigger with the addition of the new Dodge Challenger R/T and the Dodge Charger Daytona – which was technically a 1969 model year vehicle.  1970 also saw the introduction of Scat Pack Club.  For $3 a year, Scat Pack Club members got a membership card, a free Direct Connection catalog, an embroidered patch, a club sticker, access to special Scat Packages that ranged from appearance upgrades to high performance engine packages and two different publications – Dodge Performance News monthly and Dodge Scat News Quarterly. These both offered fans news on fast moving Dodge products from the both professional racing world as well as information on how to make their own cars faster.

The Scat Packages from Mopar were (in my opinion) the most exciting part of this program with something for all Dodge lovers from mild to wild.  Those who just wanted their already-powerful Scat Pack cars to have a more unique look could opt for simple dress up packages while those owners who wanted lots more power could pick Mopar performance packages that added things like intake/carb/headers or the six pack intake manifold.

In 1971, the Dodge Charger Super Bee replaced the Coronet Super Bee in the Scat Pack and with the introduction of the new Dodge Demon 340 – that model also joined the Scat Pack lineup.  Unfortunately, 1971 was also the final year for the Scat Pack.

The modern Scat Pack could take a very similar approach with a club program that includes amenities like a newsletter, a membership card, a sticker and maybe a shirt or something in addition to a modern Scat Pack vehicle lineup.  The Charger R/T, Challenger R/T, Dart GT, Durango R/T and perhaps the SRT variants of the Charger (including the Super Bee) and the Challenger could be included in this new Scat Pack lineup – helping to emphasize the performance aim of the modern Dodge brand with something as simple as some decals or stripes on the vehicles.

Source: Automotive News

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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