The Dodge Challenger was late to the pony car wars when it originally debuted as a 1970 model. But it was gorgeous. Wider and longer than the competition, with a perfectly proportioned and elegantly sculpted short deck/long hood body, and available as either a coupe or convertible, it was an instant American icon. And it was powered by legendary engines ranging from Chrysler's thrifty slant-6 up through the awesome 440 Six-Pack and 425 Hemi V8s. The original Dodge Challenger had star quality, and Hollywood noticed.
The original Dodge Challenger starred in the 1971 cult classic film Vanishing Point, and private eye Mannix drove one on TV. But that wasn't enough to overcome a rising tide of insurance costs and the torpedo of a fuel crisis. So production ended after the 1974 model year. Still, the Dodge Challenger name had some magic left in it.
In fact, the Dodge Challenger name was first revived back in 1978 when it came adorning a made-in-Japan-by-Mitsubishi rear-drive coupe powered by a choice of two four-cylinder engines. It's one of those cars that even people who bought one have a hard time remembering it ever existed. And yet the glamour of the original Dodge Challenger persisted.
The Dodge Challenger returned as a concept vehicle at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. Though wholly new, the look of the Challenger Concept was completely reminiscent of the original, from its four round headlights and rectangular grille through the slight uptick in the character line along its sides and the full-width taillights. The press went nuts and the crowds were frenzied; this was a true revival of the Dodge Challenger.
The Dodge Challenger returned to production during the 2008 model year as a machine virtually indistinguishable from the concept car in appearance. Built atop a slightly shortened version of the same platform that underpins the Charger sedan, the revived Challenger is significantly larger than the original but retains muscle-era hallmarks like rear-wheel drive and the availability of a Hemi-branded V8. It may have an all-independent suspension and loads of airbags, but it's undeniably a Dodge Challenger.
