According to a variety of sources, comments made by Sergio Marchionne indicate that the Dodge Dart will be killed off without any replacement being considered, as the company moves to focus on their hot-selling trucks and SUVs. Should this prove to be true – and the Dart is simply removed from the Dodge lineup – the smallest car sold by Dodge would be the Challenger.
It seems outrageous to think that the big, brawny Dodge Challenger could soon be the smallest car in the brand lineup, but we should keep in mind that the end of the Dart is still likely a few years away. By the time the Dart has been removed from the lineup, the next generation Charger and Challenger should be here. It has long been rumored that the next generation Challenger would be a bit smaller, more like the Ford Mustang or the Chevrolet Camaro, and if that proves to be true, the smaller Challenger would make a little more sense as the smallest car in the Dodge lineup.
Oddly, the Chrysler 200 is also reportedly on the chopping block, even though it is the bestselling car in the entire Chrysler Group portfolio. Marchionne stated that the 200 was in the same column as the Dart in terms of future considerations, so in addition to being the smallest Dodge car, the future Challenger might just be the smallest car in the Chrysler core brands – with only the slow-selling Fiat 500 ranging under the Challenger.
"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.
