Five Decades Of Hard Chargin’: The History of the Dodge Charger - Mopar Connection Magazine | A comprehensive daily resource for Mopar enthusiast news, features and the latest Mopar techMopar Connection Magazine | A comprehensive daily resource for Mopar enthusiast news, features and the latest Mopar tech Origin Of The Species In 1964, the massive and near-immediate success of both the Ford Mustang the Pontiac GTO had just about every automaker in the industry rethinking their product strategy on some level, and Chrysler was certainly among them. They weren’t caught completely off guard though – in fact, Plymouth had introduced the Valiant-based Barracuda more than two weeks before Ford made industry shockwaves with the Mustang. But when Ford’s pony car sales showed a six-to-one advantage over the Plymouth, the Pentastar folks knew they needed to revitalize their portfolio if they were going to complete in this new youthful marketplace. Above: The original ’64 Charger concept was based off of the then-current Polara. Between 1964 and 1965, Dodge would unveil two Charger concepts. The first was a one-off open roof sports car based on the Polara and powered by a 413ci V8. But its overall design was deemed too conventional, and Dodge knew they needed to turn heads with this new model. Sloping fastback rooflines were a hot ticket design feature in the mid-1960s and Mopar was keen to get another sporty car into showroom as soon as they could under the Dodge banner, as dealers had been hounding Chrysler corporate for a vehicle similar to what Plymouth dealers had with the Barracuda offering. The Dodge Charger Concept II debuted in 1965 with a dramatically different design than the first concept car, instead going all-in on the fastback design, and the new concept spurred the market interest that Chrysler had been searching for. Above: The Charger Concept II featured a long, rakish roofline, extended quarters and sharp, angular lines.
Must have been taken during Rose Festival in Portland, Oregon.... looks like a Navy vessel tied up at the sea wall on Front Street.
The Jalopy Journal
