Image courtesy of Stellantis
Yesterday’s story on Dodge’s celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Charger got me thinking about my favorite version of this model. Opinions can be quite impassioned when it comes to certain Chargers, so the case I’ll lay for myself will be well reasoned but unconvincing to some.
When I was in kindergarten at Arden Montessori, I knew a kid named Herbie Matter who sometimes was picked up by a friend and his mom. I can’t say I knew the other kid from other interactions or extracurriculars (and I never again saw him after leaving Montessori for elementary school), but I certainly can recall his mom driving a really neat car: a 1969 Dodge Charger. It was one of the bronzes that was popular (likely “T5” Copper metallic, like the car in the above lead image), and I’d bet it was just a regular 318 car. Imagine being five years old and noticing a car is attractive!
In 1st grade, my friend T.D. Dittmor (another kid lost to time — he moved to Wichita when the school year finished) told me about a television show called “The Dukes of Hazzard.” I don’t remember what was described to me, but I do remember I wanted to watch it. Unfortunately, my bedtime was at 8 p.m. and the show was at 9. My parents worked out a deal with me that if I watched the show, I had to forego the following day’s Saturday morning cartoons. That was a difficult proposition, so I alternated between the two. Of course, the star of the show was that pesky 1969 Dodge Charger.
By then, I was familiar with Chargers enough that I didn’t like the taillights of the ’68 (I had probably seen one on the street), and the wrap-around bumper/nose of the ’70 was ugly (I had a picture in my Consumer Guide used car book). I also had seen the first-generation Charger at Montessori because the father of some kid named Paul (who always dressed up as a cowboy) sometimes picked him up in a 1966-67 Charger. I found it attractive (hidden headlights and fastback style go a long way), but it was not as irresistible as the second-generation Charger.
So why the 1969? Clearly my two experiences made an imprint on me, and I have carried it with me to this very day. I can tell you that about 25 years ago, I saw a 1968 Charger at a show and noticed the taillight bezels had this nicely rendered turbine look to them. And as recently as last year, I heard those taillights were supposed to mimic exhausts. That completely changed my paradigm on 1968s, yet I still prefer the ’69 for its taillights. The split grille is just fine with me, though it is not a feature that’s a clincher. Other aspects of the 1969 seem to be an improvement, such as the way the interior is trimmed (common among many Mopars between 1968-69). The mid-year V21 hood stripes are kinda groovy, too. And the 1969 Charger R/T has a cleaner look as it lacks those goofy tacked-on door scoops that the ’70 has.
Yet the 1970 Charger has its own charms. Not only did the V21 stripes carry on into 1970 (though they’re a different design), but I also dig the V24 engine call-outs in a font that screams “pop culture 1970!” And then there’s the addition of blue stripes for R/Ts, which look as great as the traditional “Bumblebee” or the new-for-1970 longitudinal stripes. High-back buckets are a nice, contemporary improvement that go hand-in-hand (pun not intended) with the new Hurst Pistol Grip shifter. In fact, the right ’70 would make me forget about the ’69, especially if it’s “FM3” Panther Pink with a white stripe and vinyl top.
So how would I spec out my dream ’69? I’m going to forego the Daytona and talk about regular Chargers here: Charger R/T, “W1” White with Red Bumblebee stripe and matching interior, though I could go with “A4” Silver with matching red trim. Inside, a console and that twisted four-speed would be mandatory. I am content to settle for the 440 Magnum even though it’s common to dream about the 426 Hemi.
Which Charger moves you, and how would you spec it out?
