1973 Dodge Dart

Between 1960 and 1976, the Dodge division of Chrysler produced the Dodge Dart, a lower-priced full -size car in the beginning, which eventually transformed into a compact car. This was a car known for its dependability, which no doubt contributed to its long production run. For the 1973 model year, many changes appeared, mostly on the front end of the car. Here’s a more in depth look at the 1973 model year Dodge Dart Custom.

New fenders and a new grill and hood gave the Dart a facelift in 1973. The Custom had three engine options, and of them, the largest was the 318 cubic inc engine. This eight- cylinder engine was rated at 150 horsepower at 4,000 rpm. The standard transmission was a three-speed manual, but a three-speed automatic was also available. With room enough for five people to sit relatively comfortably, this car was wonderful for new drivers who wanted to go for a drive with friends or for parents whose idea of a family car did not include a station wagon.

Just a few years later, in 1976, the Dart saw its final production year. Over the course of its lifespan, the car was used as a police vehicle and a taxi in addition to its general use by the public.

Do you own a Dodge Dart Custom? What are your favorite aspects of the car?

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A More Recent Classic

The Dodge Viper is perhaps not one of the oldest or most successful Dodge models, but it is noteworthy indeed when looking at the history of the company. Production began on the Viper in 1991, a time when pop music sensations were taking over American youth, and image was beginning to mean everything to the new car buying generation. The V10 engine under the hood offered a great deal of power and allowed the car to go 0-60 in a blinding 4.6 seconds. With a top speed of 164 miles per hour, this was a car that could certainly get you where you needed to go.

Since the engine had originally been designed for trucks, it was at first too heavy to use in a flashy sports car, which ultimately led to its improved design, made from an aluminum alloy material, which effectively reduced the engine’s weight. Since there were no outside door handles, the roof and rear windows were sacrificed so that the vehicle could be accessible. Needless to say, the car was certainly not suitable to rainy areas. There was an available soft top roof, but it was designed with the idea of indoor storage in mind more than functionality to protect against the elements on the road.

After a brief break in production in both 2007 and 2011, the Viper is again available in a new model for the 2012 model year.

 

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2012 Charger Fever Weekend

If you happen to find yourself in a discussion about classic Dodge motor vehicles one of the first models that is going to be mentioned is the Dodge Charger.

In the very beginning the Charger was offered as an option package that could be ordered with the Dart GT; this was back in 1965, and there were a very limited number of these vehicles manufactured so they are rather rare today.

During the next model year the Dodge Charger became a model in its own right and its reputation grew over the next decade-plus as one of the true muscle cars of the classic era of late 1960s and 1970s.

The Dodge Charger is actually in production right now and time will tell if these cars become true classics like the muscle cars that we remember from back in the day.

If you are someone who owns a classic Dodge Charger or if you would simply enjoy checking out a bunch of vintage Chargers all assembled in one place you may want to consider attending the 2012 Charger Fever Weekend.

After the success of the 2011 Charger Fever Weekend people who were fortunate enough to be in attendance immediately started looking forward to this year’s installment, and it promises to be the best Charger Fever Weekend ever.

We are giving you an early heads-up so that you have plenty of time to plan ahead. The 2012 Charger Fever Weekend is going to be held on September 1st and 2nd and the location is right smack dab in the middle of America’s heartland: El Dorado, Kansas.

One of the cool things about the Charger Fever folks who are putting on the event is that there are very adamant about welcoming everyone. Even if your car isn’t finished, by all means bring it out to the event and have the time of your life.

To learn more about 2012 Charger Fever Weekend simply visit the Charger Fever website.

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Dodge Model 30

When you talk about the true pioneers of automobile manufacturing in the United States Dodge is going to be right near the top of the list. It all started out back in 1900 when the Dodge Brothers Company was founded as an entity that would manufacture components that would be utilized to build motor vehicles. The company subsequently started making their own vehicles and it became part of the Chrysler Corporation in 1928.

The big story during the early days of the 21st century was the Ford Model T. Henry Ford wanted to develop a car that was affordable to the masses, and through the use of assembly-line technology he was able to do so with the wildly successful Model T.

Of course, it has always been monkey see monkey do in Detroit so Dodge came out with their competitor to the Ford Model T in the form of the Dodge Model 30. These cars, which were intended to be a step up from the Model T in terms of quality, made their debut in 1914; the Model T was introduced in 1908.

The Dodge Model 30 was a success early on and it contained a couple of innovations that are quite notable as they became standard fare in the industry.  Prior to the introduction of the Dodge Model 30 motor vehicles were for the most part constructed with wood framing, and you can imagine the limitations of this. The Dodge Model 30 was constructed entirely of steel and this was a feature that set it apart from the competition at that time.

In addition to the all steel construction the Dodge Model 30 was built with a 12-volt electrical system instead of the 6-volt that was commonly utilized at the time. As for power, the Dodge Model 30 was capable of churning out 35 horsepower as opposed to the 20 horses that the Model T was capable of.

The Dodge Model 30 set the stage for many great things to come, and such a fine antique car would certainly make a welcome addition to the collection of any classic Dodge fan.

 

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A Shooting Star: The Dodge Polara

It is interesting to observe how the automotive industry has paralleled the times within which the vehicles are manufactured from a marketing perspective.

Given how technologically advanced we are these days it’s easy to lose sight of the excitement that people were experiencing during the 1950s when the “space race” was under way between the United States and Russia. Celestial matters were on the minds of many people, and this was not lost on people intent on selling American cars.

As a result, the names of new models often reflected this growing interest in space and space travel. One such vehicle was the Dodge Polara which was named after the star Polaris.

The Dodge Polara was introduced for the 1960 model year as the top-of-the-line full-size car offered by the Dodge division of Chrysler. The first generation of the Polara lasted for just two years, 1960 and 1961. During this time the car was offered as a two-door coupe, a two door convertible, a four-door sedan and a four-door station wagon. The cars were 217 inches long and had a 122 inch wheelbase.

Hints of the “Forward Look” design that was pioneered by Virgil Exner back in 1957 were still evident in 1960 on the Polara with the signature “jet pod” taillights and tailfins though they had been trimmed down a bit.

The second generation of the Dodge Polara was introduced for the 1962 model year and the car got a whole new look.It was downsized and it was smaller and lighter and classified as an intermediate car rather than a full-size vehicle. The Dodge 880 then became the top-of-the-line full-size car within the Dodge line.

The Dodge Polara remained in production through the 1973 model year. After that it was replaced by the Dodge Monaco, but the Polara made its mark and it is a model that is of particular interest to many classic Dodge fans.

 

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Classic Dodge Marketplace

We like to take a look at the classic Dodge models that we all know and love as part of our agenda here on the blog, and as we all know there are countless examples to examine.

But at the same time, we also like to pass along information that is useful to classic Dodge fans beyond simply putting the cars themselves under the microscope.

With this in mind we will let you know about classic car shows and cruises that are of interest to people who love collectible Dodge automobiles and trucks. And when we hear about good Dodge car clubs we will give you a heads-up about them as well.

And, if we come across any websites that are good marketplaces for classic Dodge fans we will let you know. Along these lines if you have not already heard about this site you will be pleasantly surprised when you visit FossilCars.com.

This site is a turnkey resource for anybody who loves old cars. They have countless classic cars for sale, and if Dodge is your focus they have got you covered. Buyers can get lost for hours checking out the muscle cars, pony cars, hot rods, and virtually every flavor of motor vehicle ever concocted by man.

And on the other end of the spectrum, if you like to restore and then sell classic Dodge cars and trucks the Fossil Cars website can be an invaluable partner. They’ve got the infrastructure, they draw the traffic, they connect buyers with classic car finance companies and classic car transport resources and you reap the benefits.

If you want to decide for yourself if all that we are saying is true, there’s one way to do it: Visit the Fossil Cars website. If you are a classic Dodge fan you will certainly be in your element.

 

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Visit The Walter P. Chrysler Museum

When you are a big fan of classic Dodge automobiles you have a built-in hobby that you can indulge in many different ways.

Being able to work on collectible Dodges is a lot of fun if you are so inclined as you get to build on your knowledge base, keep yourself busy, and eventually enjoy the fruits of your labors.

Other people prefer to shop around for classic Dodge models that have already been cherried out by the motor heads, and there is certainly nothing wrong with this.

And regardless of where your specific passions lie you can always get a lot of enjoyment out of getting together with other people who love classic Dodges as much as you do as you shoot the breeze, share information and stories, and build new memories. This can be done by going to car shows and classic car cruises, joining car clubs, and participating in online forums.

Road trips are also a lot of fun for classic Dodge fans, and if you enjoy packing up the car and heading toward an exciting destination you should schedule a trip to the Walter P. Chrysler Museum.

The Walter P. Chrysler Museum is located on One Chrysler Drive in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is open every day of the week except Monday, and it is open from 10 am until 5 pm except for Sunday when the hours of operation are noon until 5 pm.

This fantastic treasure trove of history has a number of classic Dodge vehicles in its collection, including a 1957 Dodge Sweptside Truck, a 1915 Dodge Brothers Touring, and a 1939 Dodge Deluxe Town Coupe along with many other Chrysler Corporation classics.

If you are a true classic Dodge fan a visit to the Walter P. Chrysler Museum is a must. To obtain all of the details simply visit the Chrysler Museum website.

 

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The Dodge Custom 880

In the automotive industry of the 1960s in America there was constant competition among the Detroit “Big Three” and it is interesting to watch the way that each of these companies responded to the actions of one another.

There was no shame in being a “copycat” as it were. If one of the three came out with a design that struck a chord with the public you can be sure that the other two would have their own versions before you could blink an eye.

With the above in mind Dodge came out with the Custom 880 in fall of 1961 for the 1962 model year. Chrysler wanted its Dodge division to have a full-size offering to fill a void, and they caught wind of a rumor that General Motors was going to reduce the size of Chevrolet full-size models. In response, they hoped to beat Chevy to the punch with the smaller Custom 880 (its length was 213.5 inches) but in fact the rumor turned out to be false and Chevy actually made their full-size 1962 models a bit bigger than the 1961 line.

The engine that was standard in the Dodge Custom 880 was a 361 cubic inch overhead valve V-8 that was rated at 265 hp. The car was available with a three speed manual or a three speed automatic and it was offered in a number of different body styles. You could purchase a hardtop with either two or four doors, a four-door sedan, a convertible coupe or a station wagon. In all, 17,500 examples of the 1962 Dodge Custom 880 were sold and this was considered to be a success by the company.

The 880 remained in production through the 1965 model year when 23,700 of them were produced. In all, there were a total of 101,200 Dodge Custom 880s built so if you find one today you have located a relatively rare classic Dodge.

 

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1954 Dodge Royal 500 Convertible

The 1950s were a golden era in the history of the automobile in the United States. The war years were behind the country and people were taking to the roadways with great gusto. Because the automobile was steadily playing a more more prominent role in the lives of Americans things like drive-in movies and drive-in restaurants became all the rage.

We have seen this unique period in American history depicted on television shows like Happy Days and in movies like American Graffiti. The cars of the 50s were something special indeed and they are extremely popular among a certain breed of collectors to this day.

For those of us who have a special place in our hearts for Dodges the 1954 Dodge Royal 500 convertible is quite an extraordinary find. These cars were a special addition to the regular Dodge Royal convertible line.

The official pace car the 1954 Indianapolis 500 was a 1954 Dodge Royal 500 convertible, and these cars were truly something special and they are quite rare. There were only 701 examples of the car produced among the total of 2000 1954 Dodge Royal rag tops, so as you might imagine if you can find one for sale you’re going to have to dig deep into your wallet to pay for it.

These cars were 196 inches in length with a 114 inch wheelbase, and they weighed in at 3575 pounds. The engine inside the 1954 Dodge Royal 500 convertible was the OHV V8 that was capable of delivering 150 hp.

The sticker price on the 1954 Dodge Royal 500 convertible was $2632. To put this in perspective in terms of relativity, according to the United States Social Security Administration the average annual wage for Americans in 1954 was $3156. Clearly, these cars were not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but as we all know you get what you pay for.

Dodge Challenger: 1970-1974

The Ford Mustang set unprecedented sales records shortly after its introduction in 1964 and before long everyone wanted a shot at some of that “pony car” market.

General Motors came on strong with the Chevrolet Camaro and the Pontiac Firebird and Chrysler had the Plymouth Barracuda, which actually made its debut a couple of weeks before the Mustang but didn’t make the same impact.

On the surface it would seem as though Chrysler wanted to take a further step into the pony car market when they came out with the Dodge Challenger for the 1970 model year. However, historians note that they intended the Challenger to be more powerful than the typical pony car, aiming to compete more with the Mercury Cougar than the tamer, less luxurious Mustang.

The Challenger was offered in many different styles and part of the concept was to offer it with the option of any engine Chrysler had available at the time. During the first generation of the Challenger that lasted from 1970 through 1974 there were no less than eight different engines offered.

On the lowest end of the scale there was the 198 cubic inch Slant-6; toward the middle there were 340 and 360 cubic inch V8s; and at the top-end of the power scale there was the 426 Hemi V8 and the 440 cubic inch RB V8. As far as transmissions were concerned you could get the three or four-speed manual or the three-speed TorqueFlite automatic.

There were almost 80,000 Challengers sold during the first model year of 1970, but sales declined significantly after that. In 1971 sales plummeted to 26,299. If you’re looking for something rare, there were just 963 examples of the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T convertible produced. By 1974 sales dwindled to just 11,354 units and the first generation of the Dodge Challenger had come to an end.