1966 Dodge Charger Hardtop

Before HEMIs, Wedges and Dual-Quads, even before there was a Chrysler Corporation, there were the Dodge Brothers. Horace and John Dodge opened a precision machining shop in Detroit in 1900. They were good at their craft and enjoyed a reputation for quality. Soon they were building engine and chassis parts for Ford and Olds. In 1914 they introduced their first car, the Model 30, featuring an all-steel body and 12-volt electrical system. Little could they have imagined the muscle cars that would bear their name a half century later. Both brothers died suddenly in 1920 and their company was eventually acquired by Chrysler. By the mid-1960s, all manner of factory muscle cars were pulling holeshots off the assembly lines and starting lines of America.

Into this environment Dodge steered the 1966 Charger; a mid-size B-body Coronet with a sporty fastback roofline, hideaway headlights and bucket seats. Engine options ranged from a mild 318 CID to the outrageous 425 HP 426 Hemi. The Charger sold well, won on the NASCAR tracks and made Dodge a formidable player in the 1960s muscle car narrative.

The current owner undertook a complete restoration, himself; including doing substantial chassis work, rebuilding the 361 V-8 and Torqueflight transmission as well as spraying his own paint. The rear houses a 3.23 gearset and is original save for new seals and wheel bearings. The car still has drum brakes on all four corners but a dual master cylinder and power brakes have been added for safer driving.