Three, Very Special ’69 Dodge Chargers Prove Mopar Is Eternal
Dodge trio embodies the true legacy of the Charger name.
One of the biggest reasons the Dodge Charger became an icon for the Mopar fans of the world was the amazing machines that Dodge produced in 1969. After a few years of sluggish sales, Dodge rolled out a series of upgraded and limited-run Chargers that would solidify the nameplate’s position in history. These three legendary machines are the R/T, the 500, and the Daytona. Thanks to Garage Kept Motors, we have a huge gallery of gorgeous shots to share with you as we explain the true significance of these historic cars.
Charger R/T
The R/T variant, designed for use on the Road and the Track, offered a high-performance package that made the Charger more competitive in the exploding muscle car segment, and Dodge still uses the name to this day. The Charger R/T was also chosen to be used in the Bullitt chase sequence, making it forever an icon of automotive enthusiasts.
For American auto companies, NASCAR is always important. After a poor performance in the 1968 NASCAR season, Dodge ran the Charger through a wind tunnel. They found the car had pretty poor aerodynamics, and made several body changes to create the Charger 500. This is one of the rarest models in the lineup with just 392 ever built.
And then finally, thanks to a need to push the performance of the Charger 500 even further, Dodge rolled out the unmistakable Charger Daytona. The long nose and massive rear wing created the template that would become the Plymouth Superbird. It may look silly compared to the normal Charger’s strong lines and muscular stance, but you can’t argue with the results.
Aerodynamics
During testing, the Daytona was clocked at more than 200 mph, and the aero changes gave the car nearly 2,000 lbs of total downforce. Despite massive demand for the car, Dodge only produced about 540 of these performance monsters.
If you built a museum dedicated to the Charger nameplate, these three cars are the centerpieces. They laid out the future of the Charger, and in many ways for Dodge itself. Of course, trying to find any of these cars in museum condition on their own would be difficult. To grab all three would be nigh-on impossible. That is what makes this collection at Garage Kept Motors all the more impressive and exciting.
Not only because we have all three of these cars together, but they are also for sale. All three painted in that perfect shade of Charger red, all three completely and meticulously restored. This level of perfection doesn’t come cheap, with an asking price of $400K for the trio, but for the true Mopar enthusiast there may be no greater set of cars.
If you love the photos and want to see even more, make sure you hit this link to Garage Kept Motors’ website. They have more than 400 picture available for your eyeballs, and they are all beautiful.
Photos: Garage Kept Motors
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