Decide of the Day: 1969 Dodge Charger

What was the recent automobile for 1968? Was it the brand new Corvette? The Pontiac GTO with that nifty Endura bumper? Perhaps the Plymouth Highway Runner? Nah, the latter doesn’t actually have the type of the earlier two, so what in regards to the Dodge Charger? Sure, that’s it! Our Decide of the Day, a 1969 Dodge Charger, exhibits what was so nice in regards to the new design and the enhancements made the next yr. The Mopar is listed on the market on ClassicCars.com by a vendor in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Click on the hyperlink to view the itemizing)

It’s straightforward to select the performance-oriented Charger R/T, however that’s not what we wish to do. Fairly, we wish to discuss in regards to the Charger typically and extol the purity of the usual mannequin, which was unadorned with stripes or badges. When the redesigned Charger debuted within the fall of 1967, nobody knew what to make of it. Was it a sport coupe, like a flowery Coronet? A sporty personal-luxury automobile just like the poor-selling previous-gen Charger? No matter it was, it offered like hotcakes (as they used to say), attaining over 90,000 in gross sales. Even the Slant Six was accessible, although most had been constructed with the 318 and two 383s. High engine choice for the bottom Charger was the 330-horsepower 383, which supplied some semblance of efficiency with out being showy members of the Scat Pack just like the Charger R/T.

Dodge knew screwing with a great factor was a nasty factor, so the 1969 Charger returned with few adjustments however quite a few enhancements. Probably the most noticeable change was the taillights, which had been supposed to be launched for 1968 however wasn’t in a position to make deadline. Up entrance, the grille obtained a brand new texture and featured a divider within the center. New, slotted 15-inch solid street wheels had been a flowery choice however had been cancelled early within the mannequin yr attributable to a security recall involving the lug nuts.

Inside trim was modified for 1969 as effectively, although the massive information inside was the SE Decor Group, which included leather-based and vinyl entrance bucket seats, wood-grain steering wheel and inserts within the instrument panel, hood-mounted flip indicators, pedal dress-up, deep-dish wheel covers, gentle bundle (lights for the ashtray, glove field, and trunk, ignition gentle with time delay, and headlamp-on warning buzzer), and SE medallions on the C-pillar. Beginning on January 1, 1969, head restraints grew to become commonplace per authorities mandate.

Total, the Charger was improved, although on reflection some lovers want the spherical taillights of the ’68, which invokes an argument akin to the outdated Miller Lite commercials (“Tastes nice/much less filling”). Dodge offered virtually as many Chargers for 1969, which speaks extremely of the mannequin contemplating sporty automobile gross sales had been in a slide. That decline would really be felt the next yr, the ultimate of the second-generation Charger.

It’s not too usually you see a base 1969 Dodge Charger  on the market that hasn’t been modified, if not made into an R/T clone, however right here we’ve got one whose purity could be appreciated — it even lacks the ever-present vinyl high! Repainted within the unique Copper (code T5) with Tan vinyl inside, the Dodge is powered by a 330-horsepower 383 four-barrel paired to a 727 TorqueFlite automated. “It has a Certain-Grip rear finish, energy steering, and energy brakes,” says the consignee. “The engine compartment is extraordinarily good, right, and detailed to a high-level, in addition to the underside and trunk of the automobile.” I additionally spy 14-inch street wheels, extra generally generally known as Magnum 500s.

As E-bodies have gotten loopy with costs, the Charger has adopted go well with. Maybe you’ve been chasing an R/T however take a look at if you see the asking costs, so that is the subsequent neatest thing. Take a look at the pics of the underside and also you’ll see that is about as clear a Charger you’ll discover, so the $98,000 asking worth is for somebody who needs a spotless Charger to point out whereas appreciating the purity of the usual Charger’s design.

Click on right here for the ClassicCars.com Decide of the Day.