Time for a show lets see the 71-74's

[JDmac72chrgr]

71/72 B-bodies are like curves of a fine looking woman, smooth sexy curves in the right places. 1969 GTO is the GM version imo.
It all started, imo, with the 63-64 E-type. SMOOTH CURVES

Born in 64, so I'm with you @Tomcat!!

 

[Triplegreen500]

Neighbor when I was growing up had an e-type. Sex. On. Wheels. Amazing design.

 

[JR_Charger]

Yep. I get it all the time at the car shows.
Quote: Nice roadrunner but the real nice ones are the earlier ones 68-70.

I see it all the time with 3rd gen Chargers. The guy who has to let the world know he prefers the 68 Charger. I admire that guy's commitment to the arts, because the 2nd gen is a literal work of art from a designer who suffered plenty to create his masterpiece and who died with the credit going to the boss who tried to destroy his work. But the 3rd gen is a better car and a better race car and hey, it's a happening!"

 

[JR_Charger]

I don't see how anyone can criticize the styling, keeping in mind there were some things Chrysler wasn't going to do again, like the flying buttress rear window that was terrible at NASCAR.

From the future looking back, I think it's difficult to appreciate how radical the 3rd gen must have looked at the time, because so many of it's features became standard. Fuselage styling became the norm, the laid back windshield with rounded corners became the norm. The lack of a vent window behind the a-pillar became the norm.

One thing people always comment on is the length of the nose - is it actually longer on the 3rd gen than the 2nd gen? They look similar in pictures, although the 2nd gen appears to be a "mid-cab" car and the 3rd gen is a "cab-rearward" car. I'm not sure how Chrysler did that, unless the 3rd gen's trunk is shorter.

 

[whayden2003]

I don't see how anyone can criticize the styling, keeping in mind there were some things Chrysler wasn't going to do again, like the flying buttress rear window that was terrible at NASCAR.

From the future looking back, I think it's difficult to appreciate how radical the 3rd gen must have looked at the time, because so many of it's features became standard. Fuselage styling became the norm, the laid back windshield with rounded corners became the norm. The lack of a vent window behind the a-pillar became the norm.

Yes. It’s hard to believe in one model year it went from the 68-70 styling to the 71 and up. It must have been a crazy time.

 

[JR_Charger]

Yes. It’s hard to believe in one model year it went from the 68-70 styling to the 71 and up. It must have been a crazy time.

Sales shot up in 71, and everything I've read says that people loved the 3rd gen styling at the time. Clearly our perspective has shifted over the years. Now the older car looks more radical. Strange but true.

 

[Photon440]

Sales shot up in 71, and everything I've read says that people loved the 3rd gen styling at the time. Clearly our perspective has shifted over the years. Now the older car looks more radical. Strange but true.

Well, you have to remember that after 1970 the two door Coronet was gone, so if you wanted a Dodge two door intermediate sized car, the Charger or SuperBee were the only choice so that probably helped sales as well.

 

[JR_Charger]

You know what's disgusting is when you try to find the sales data for 2nd and 3rd gen Chargers and can only find it for modern Chargers.

 

[hanks73340]

Stranger yet, is the 1973 Dodge Charger sold over 118K units that year and is considered the largest sales of any of the generations.

 

[T2R9]

Stranger yet, is the 1973 Dodge Charger sold over 118K units that year and is considered the largest sales of any of the generations.

Yeah, the SE was really popular. It had the style to do it at the time.

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

Oil embargo had big influence too. People were going "luxury" over brute force. Motorheads were having families and wife wanted comfy cars while dudes still wanted muscle looks but not a big gut hit when filling tank & ins $$$. THEN there's epa, enough of that here. Which leads to Cordoba based cars before the K-cars.

 

[T2R9]

 

[YY1]

...and also the 71 body was supposed to be introduced for 1970!

So the 70 cars were "stop-gap", and the "next gen" body was delayed a year.

 

[JR_Charger]

...and also the 71 body was supposed to be introduced for 1970!

So the 70 cars were "stop-gap", and the "next gen" body was delayed a year.

Because of that fact I've been wondering if the fake door vent on the 70 R/T was originally meant for the 3rd gen -

But it also goes to show how badly the 2nd gen was doing at NASCAR if Chrysler was willing to ditch what many consider the best looking design of the muscle car era after only 2 years of production.

I really wish I could find a book on the development and aerodynamics of the 3rd gen. It must have been a hot topic within Chrysler if they were trying to rush it in after only 2 years of the 2nd gen. The 3rd gen's own production run lost a year at the beginning due to an auto workers strike, and may have been clipped at the end by the oil crisis and rising insurance rates. If those things hadn't happened, could it have made a 6 or 7 year run?

 

[YY1]

If you look at B and C body styling, a pattern was developing of a 2 stage, 4 year cycle.

For C bodies, look at the 65/66 fury which got a major makeover on the same underpinnings for 67/68. Then 69/70 and 71/72.
The strike didn't interrupt the refresh pattern for C bodies.
B bodies were a year behind, but 66/67 and then major makeover on basically the same underpinnings for 68/69.
It continues for 71/72 then 73/74 on similar but revamped underpinnings.
A bodies (cheaper car for tighter budgets) started a 3 year cycle- 64/65/66 and then 67/68/69. 70/71/72 also fits but now it's a 3+3 cycle going to 73/74/75, but held over for 76.

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

71 Winged cars built in Mass, LOVE EM!!!

 

[The Capitan]

340 4 speed with A/C. Got it for $1000 in 93 from The Tradin Times.

 

[Tomcat]

71/72 B-bodies are like curves of a fine looking woman, smooth sexy curves in the right places. 1969 GTO is the GM version imo.
It all started, imo, with the 63-64 E-type. SMOOTH CURVES
View attachment 1536419
Born in 64, so I'm with you @Tomcat!!

I have to say, I've never had any interest in foreign cars, however, I have always found that body style Jag very attractive, and even considered buying one to convert to V8 long years back, though it never materialized. I don't guess I ever made the connection that those smooth curves are what draw my attention to that car..... it is sweet!

 

[JR_Charger]

If you look at B and C body styling, a pattern was developing of a 2 stage, 4 year cycle.

For C bodies, look at the 65/66 fury which got a major makeover on the same underpinnings for 67/68. Then 69/70 and 71/72.
The strike didn't interrupt the refresh pattern for C bodies.
B bodies were a year behind, but 66/67 and then major makeover on basically the same underpinnings for 68/69.
It continues for 71/72 then 73/74 on similar but revamped underpinnings.
A bodies (cheaper car for tighter budgets) started a 3 year cycle- 64/65/66 and then 67/68/69. 70/71/72 also fits but now it's a 3+3 cycle going to 73/74/75, but held over for 76.

So you think the 3rd gen would have only gone for 4 years regardless?

I wonder what the 4th gen would have looked like if the muscle car era had continued.

340 4 speed with A/C. Got it for $1000 in 93 from The Tradin Times.View attachment 1537418View attachment 1537419View attachment 1537420View attachment 1537421

Now that's a screaming deal!

 

[Photon440]

1975 Charger III concept car.