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 m***ive 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 a**** 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
