Miss American Teenager Charger

[Ghoste]

Copied and pasted from elswhere.


Crawling through Carlisle as a kid, I used to gravitate to old car brochures and magazines. Among the old literature were old dealer albums (too expensive, although kicking myself for not snapping 'em up) and postcards. Postcards? Who wants those?

But, among those promotional photos, you'll little nuggets like this Miss American Teen-Ager item that appeared on DodgeCharger.com.

As any Charger fan knows, the car was redesigned in 1968 to become the proverbial swan, clearly one of the most beautiful American cars of the 1960s. Being one of the stars in Steve McQueen's Bullitt certainly didn't hurt! The Charger was mildly facelifted for 1969, with a different grille and full-width taillights, giving Charger fans their "tastes great/less filling" moment as they are divided on which year they prefer, never mind that 1970 Chargers have their own fans too.

As the sponsor of the the 1969 Miss American Teen-Ager Pageant, Dodge gave the winner a brand-new Charger. In this case, it was Fran Garten of Great Neck, Long Island. You can tell it's a base Charger from the grille (no R/T medallion), so this "T7″ Copper car could be equipped with any of the following: 225 "Slant Six," 318 two-barrel, 383 two-barrel, or 383 four-barrel. And if you take a gander at the C-pillar, it looks like there may be SE badges present.

That means this Charger was equipped with the "A47″ Special Edition Decor Group that included leather and vinyl front buckets, wood-grain steering wheel and instrument panel inserts, hood-mounted turn signal indicators, pedal dress-up, deep-dish wheelcovers, and the "A01″ Light Package.

The story goes that Fran appeared at the Detroit International Auto Show in 1969 and that's where the card owner's mother obtained the card and the autograph. Where Fran or the car is hasn't been determined, but who knows what could be found with the power of the Internet?

[don duick]

thanks for posting always love this nostalga. Notice the height of the front ?. Looks like a new car was this the standard height?
and she doesn't look like a teenager

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Well, the car is definitely better looking than her.

[myk]

thanks for posting always love this nostalga. Notice the height of the front ?. Looks like a new car was this the standard height?
and she doesn't look like a teenager

Maybe it's a slant 6? 

As for the girl, old school photography makes a lot of things look strange...

[Ghoste]

I don't think she looks that old??

[Patronus]

Well, the car is definitely better looking than her.

Once again, no class. 

[Mike DC]

thanks for posting always love this nostalga. Notice the height of the front ?. Looks like a new car was this the standard height?
and she doesn't look like a teenager

It would surprise most of the hobby if they could go back in time and see these cars new.  Even most of the "stock resto" cars have their front ends set visibly too low nowadays.  


The paint finish is another one.  It's ALWAYS too shiny now.  

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Well, the car is definitely better looking than her.

Once again, no class.  

That may very well be true, but my observation still stands.

[Drache]

FYI here she is in 1968:

[A383Wing]

looks like the drivers side of the hood is closer to the grille than the passenger side....probably from too many butts sitting on it

[EccentricMagpies]

Well, the car is definitely better looking than her.

I don't think so.

[66FBCharger]

According to a 1969 article about her, she was 17 at the time. The article also said the idea behind the Miss American Teenager pageant was more about accomplishments achieved by these young ladies more than beauty.
I wonder if she kept the car for any length of time.

[Brass]

Well, the car is definitely better looking than her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-hasZYbuZY

[rt green]

really? i thought Gertrude Buckmaster from Big Buttocks North Dakota won. i better look that up.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Well, the car is definitely better looking than her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-hasZYbuZY

Am I to blame that she looks like a waitress from Mel's Diner.        

[rt green]

maybe thats what miss teen america gets you in life.

[crj1968]

Ugh.  

Vera, right?

[Davtona]

Well, the car is definitely better looking than her.

Once again, no class.  

Ya post a pic of yourself from junior high. That should be good. 

[chargerman69]

T7 copper with white top just themway i wood take it