WTF happend to the design after 70?

[odcics2]

I remember when they had the 1971 Detroit Auto Show...
Saw the new 71 Charger and it made the 70 look like an old mans car.

Now, look around!  Old men ARE driving them!   

[ws23rt]

IMO--The name Charger was just another name until 1968.      In 69 -the car was refined a bit.  In 70 Dodge messed with it a little but it still had the look that was Charger.
In 71 dodge made another car and chose to use the name of a car they decided to stop making.  Since then the charger name keeps coming back without the car under it.
I always found it odd that they kept the name only.
Come on dodge--you made another new car why not give it its own new name?
BTW what was up with the name "Charger super bee" in 1971?  All I saw was confusion from dodge at the time.

[Fitz73Chrgr]

The 66/67 chargers were ugly IMO the 68-70 looked sexy, then 71-74 just looked odd.

What was dodge thinking with there designs lol

So...which year do you own?

Probably a 2006.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

What was dodge thinking with there designs lol

Way to introduce yourself!
[/quote]



Regardless, he does bring up a valid point.     

[Bad B-rad]

I remember when they had the 1971 Detroit Auto Show...
Saw the new 71 Charger and it made the 70 look like an old mans car.

Now, look around!  Old men ARE driving them!   

Having been born in 1980, I was not around to see or experience the cars as some of you, so to hear this perspective is really, cool.
I never knew the 71-74 Chargers looked so new, and "hip" as compaired to the previous gens, when they first came out.
Most of my life people only cared about 68-70.
So when i owned my 74(1997-2003) they didnt make any parts for it. Because most pepole didnt care for them.
Same as my 66(2002-2014ish) no respect and no parts.

I used to have a kick ass (Moog)poster that showed all the Winston cup winners,cars, and all the Chargers were there!!!

[Todd Wilson]

The way I understand the 71 Charger  it was designed with Nascar in mind.  After the Hemi was banned in winged cars they needed some new aero dynamic help. The 71 Charger even had some wind tunnel time in its design stages.........


Todd

[Nacho-RT74]

What happened?


They improved it.

This is THE answer... you can like it or not. But that's a fact.

If you drive every gen Charger one after the other, I can bet you will really feel like a part of the car when you are on a 3rd gen and not just sat behind the wheel of a car.

I do like the 2nd gen more, yes, but honor to the truth.

3rd gen Chargers ( like 71/74 Satties ) are a C body Fuselage design tendency

[DAY CLONA]

What happened?


They improved it.

This is THE answer... you can like it or not. But that's a fact.

If you drive every gen Charger one after the other, I can bet you will really feel like a part of the car when you are on a 3rd gen and not just sat behind the wheel of a car.

I do like the 2nd gen more, yes, but honor to the truth.

3rd gen Chargers ( like 71/74 Satties ) are a C body Fuselage design tendency

I've driven just about every Charger generation produced from 66 to present day production, I've worked on/modified/restored Chargers from 66 models thru to the 80's models, I never get the "but have you driven a __________" and it's supposed to automatically convert you to endearing that model/year/etc, etc I don't have to drive a Volvo or Prius to know I have ZERO interest in it...

Personally I look at automobiles like art, what pleases my eye, what I have a desire for, and that's what I purchase, I don't care how I may feel like "part of the car" or not, I don't care if the car rides like a cement mixer or a magic carpet...as far as horse power/handling/braking/etc, that can be all enhanced/modified,  ....but ugly, is just that, no modifying that, ... that being said the 66-7 is rather unique and can be made to look really Boss with the right stance/color/look, 68-70's are the finial word regarding Chargers with the 70 being the pinnacle, everything after that just dosen't exist for me...esp the 4dr variation of today

[Kern Dog]

If everyone preferred the 68-70 models, imagine how much more expensive they would be.

[Baldwinvette77]

if in some parallel universe the 2nd gen charger continued until 74 and what became the 3rd gen charger was the continuation of the 2 door coronet i don't think people would hate them so much, i mean it would have worked out since the coronet was only available as a 4 door after 71 

[Nacho-RT74]

Personally I look at automobiles like art, what pleases my eye, what I have a desire for, and that's what I purchase, I don't care how I may feel like "part of the car" or not, I don't care if the car rides like a cement mixer or a magic carpet

me too, but if you can get both ( handling an look ), better

if in some parallel universe the 2nd gen charger continued until 74 and what became the 3rd gen charger was the continuation of the 2 door coronet i don't think people would hate them so much, i mean it would have worked out since the coronet was only available as a 4 door after 71 

who knows... But who is hating 3rd gens ?... I meant, You can like better or not, but I don't think hate is being talked

On a side note, Coronet got back in two doors by 75, then called Charger Sport on 76

[XH29N0G]

2nd gen is what I remember my dad driving as the family car.  Petty's 3rd gen is what I remember seeing on TV when my dad would watch the races.   

[moparstuart]

68 was perfect they all went down hill from there   

[Ghoste]

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, no.

[Bad B-rad]

68 was perfect they all went down hill from there   

Oh come on, if we are gonna hate on Chargers, lets hate on the Cordoba/Chargers, I think we can all agree we dislike them the most,(IMO)!!!!

Petty's STP Charger is freaking awsome, it was at the Nats one year, and looks like it would be a BLAST to drive!!

[XH29N0G]

                                                     NOOOOOO! 

Lets not hate on the Cordoba - 

Remember the: "I know my own needs, and what I need from an automobile, and I know what I get from this new Cordoba."  Ricardo Montalban. 

Even that brings back memories I don't want to tarnish.

Can't we choose something some other manufacturer made.

[RECHRGD]

The Córdoba came with Corinthian leather interiors, until they ran out of Corinthians.

[Benji]

Yeah, after first Corinthians and second Corinthians there were no third Corinthians. 

Benji

[Bad B-rad]

                                                     NOOOOOO! 

Lets not hate on the Cordoba - 

Remember the: "I know my own needs, and what I need from an automobile, and I know what I get from this new Cordoba."  Ricardo Montalban. 

Even that brings back memories I don't want to tarnish.

Can't we choose something some other manufacturer made.

OK, Ok, OK, I guess your are 100% right, No trashing 4th gen but in the same token, no trashing the  Shelby' s GLH/GLHS, or the modern Hemi's.
(even though one is NOT RWD, and the other has 4 DOORS)
Plus the Cordoba/Chargers, gave me the 11.75 rotors, and brackets, to put the BIG disc brakes on my 69 Charger.
I think it was also the first  to have a Daytona tribute model. That had nothing in common with the original Daytona Charger.

[ACUDANUT]

68 was perfect they all went down hill from there   

Is that why you cloned a 70 vert ?

[DanielRobert]

I love the 71-72 charger with the swept quarter window. The rake of the front window and slight curve to the A pillar looks awesome. And the R/T tail light bezels? Whats not to like?  It is a rather offensive way to introduce yourself to the site called Dodge Charger. Maybe he's a Ford guy

[Scaregrabber]

Truth is that back in 70 the 68-70 Chargers were starting to look pretty old and behind the times compared to other automakers offerings. The 71 looked right in style when they came out. VW might have kept making their POS and selling it but that didn't work for other automakers.

[ACUDANUT]

I love the 71-72 charger with the swept quarter window. The rake of the front window and slight curve to the A pillar looks awesome. And the R/T tail light bezels? Whats not to like?  It is a rather offensive way to introduce yourself to the site called Dodge Charger. Maybe he's a Ford guy

Amen. 

[moparstuart]

68 was perfect they all went down hill from there   

Is that why you cloned a 70 vert ?

we are talking dodge chargers   , if you wanna talk plymouths they perfected them in 70   

[maxwellwedge]

The Córdoba came with Corinthian leather interiors, until they ran out of Corinthians.

They were all the Rich Corinthians....poor Corinthians need not apply.