Although Dodge was late to the party of muscle cars, it has manufactured some fantastic and classic muscle cars.
In 1964 the muscle car era started, and every company was introducing muscle cars to steal the show. Ford introduced the iconic Mustang, Pontiac came up with GTO, and Chevy introduced Chevelle. But Dodge was sitting idle on the inventory of old cars; although they had engineering excellence and everything they need, they were careful in investing or spending their resources.
The Dodge Boys made their entry into the muscle cars sector, and they mobilized their resources to produce their fleet of best muscle cars.
In this article, we’ll discuss the top 8 classic muscle cars produced by Dodge. So, let’s get started!
Dodge challenger is one of Dodge’s classic muscle cars, and three generations of Challenger have been produced so far. But we’ll talk about the first generation from 1970-74 because it was the best classic muscle car. The Challenger 70’ model was introduced in late 1969, and it was Dodge’s response to Ford’s legendary Mustang. Dodge Challenger featured a longer wheelbase, luxurious interior, and larger dimensions.
The car was available in three different body styles, including a 2-door coupe, hardtop, and convertible. Challenger was a rear-wheel-drive, and the engine was placed in the front of the car. The exterior of the vehicle was designed by Carl Cameron. The car featured a variety of engines, with the lowest capacity engine of 3.2 liters to the highest capacity engine of 7.2 liters. The overall performance and design of the Challenger make it one of the best classic cars by Dodge.
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The 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona was to win NASCAR races, and the car became a success in the NASCAR arena. Dodge Charger Daytona won its first title in 69’ Talladega 500, and overall, it won 22 races in the 1969-70 NASCAR season. Moreover, the Dodge Charger Daytona became the first car to break the 200 miles per hour record at Talladega.
Dodge Charger Daytona came in a single-body 2-door coupe and was developed on Chrysler B-platform. It featured a 7.0L Hemi V8 and 7.2L V8 Magnum engine that delivered the power of 390 and 425 HP, respectively. The car was available in 4-speed manual and 3-speed automatic transmission.
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Dodge Dart is one of the classic muscle cars produced by Dodge’s brother from 1959 and 1976. Although the Dart was discontinued in 1976 in North America, its production extended even after 1976 in different markets. The name Dart first appeared in the Chrysler car show, and the name was modified later as Dart Diablo. The fourth generation of Dodge Dart (1967-76) was the best when it comes to classic muscle cars by Dodge Dart.
The car body was based on Chrysler A-body, and it was available in five different body types through the different years. For example, a 4-door sedan was available in 1967-76, and a 2-door hardtop was available in 1967-76. From 1968 to 1976, different up-gradation was made in GT, GTS, Swinger, and Demon variant of Dart. The car was available in four and 3-speed manual and 3-speed automatic transmission.
Dodge Coronet Super Bee, commonly known as Super Bee, was intended to be a cheap muscle car based on Chrysler’s B-body platform. The shape and design of the Super Bee were taken from the 1968 Coronet convertible, and that is the reason why it is called Coronet Super Bee. Super Bee was first introduced in 1968 in a Detroit auto show.
Compared to the Coronet convertible, the Super Bee is approximately 29-Kg heavier. Dodge Coronet offered Super Bee with a Hemi engine. In the mid-year, the three two-barrel carburetor 7.2L engine with a power rating of 390 BHP was introduced. The 70 models of the Super Bee were redesigned and featured twin-looped front bumper. The 71’ model was built in two different body styles, which included a 4-door station wagon and sedan.
Dodge wanted to get into the 1964 show circuit. In a hurry, they tarted-up a full-sized convertible Dodge Polara with a 426 wedge, and the public didn’t like it. In 1965 the Dodge made the second attempt, and it was called the “charger 273.” Limited units were produced by the Dodge brothers, but that didn’t hit the chords either. The muscle car arena was getting filled; Other car manufacturers were coming with high-performing muscle cars, and the Dodge brothers needed something to steal the attention.
In 1966 after years of hard work, the first beautiful “Dodge Charger” muscle car arrived. The Dodge Charger was mid-sized, and it was based on Dodge Coronet. The Charger’s 1966 variant was available in a 2-door body design and featured a four bucket seat interior. The base engine was a 5.2L V8 engine with 3-speed manual transmission. 1974 Charger had a larger shape and wore new quarter windows.
If you trace back the name of Dodge Coronet, it goes back to 1949, and it went through five generations of upgrades, and finally was discontinued in 1959. In 1965 the Dodge re-introduced the Coronet 426 Hemi as a powerful mid-sized muscle car. Dodge produced over 200,000 units in 1965, making it one of the most popular muscle cars sold by Dodge in 1965.
The car was designed on a B-body platform. It was available in six different body styles, including wagon, sedan, hardtop, coupe, and convertible. Various engines were used under the hood of varying body styles, including 3.7L Slant-6 I6, 4.5L LA V8, 6.3L B V8 Magnum, and 7.0L Hemi V8, etc. The car featured a 3-speed manual & automatic and 4-speed manual transmission.
Dodge Dart 426 Hemi from 1962 to 1965 is one of the best muscle car produced by Dodge. To be precise, 1962-65 was the third generation of Dart 426 Hemi. It featured a wheelbase of 111-inches while the wagon body type had a wheelbase of 106-inches. The longer wheelbase, as compared to the previous variants, delivered more legroom.
The third generation Dart 426 in 1962 was an instant hit and the company sold more units of 62’ Dodge Dart than Lancer. The car remained popular until 1976, when its production was halted. Dodge Dart third generation was available in five different body styles, which included a wagon, sedan, hardtop, and convertible.
From 1962 to 65, Dodge Dart featured 2.8L Slant-6 I6, 3.7L Slant-6, and 4.5L V8 engine. In 1965 new performance variant of the 273 engine was introduced that featured 10.5:1 compression, a 4-barrel carburetor, and an aggressive camshaft. Other options in the 1965 model included larger wheels, upgraded suspension, and factory-installed AC.
Dodge Polara was the first muscle car produced by Dodge, and it was introduced in the 1960s in the United States of America. It was a full-sized muscle car and had an FR layout; the Polara was replaced by Dodge Monaco in 1973. The first generation of Dodge Polara (1960-61) was available in six different body styles, and it featured two-speed automatic and 3-speed manual transmission.
The second generation of Polara (1962-64) was redesigned, and it was smaller and lightweight as compared to the first-generation model. Dodge Polara’s second-generation featured a 5.9-Liter V8 engine that delivered a power of 305 HP. The second generation was available in six different body styles and featured 2-speed automatic and 3-speed manual transmission.
In the third generation of Polara (1965-68), the car was again switched back to a full-size, and it was offered in full range bodies such as station wagons, sedans, and hardtops. Polara featured 7.2, 7.0, 6.8, 6.3, and 5.2-liter V8 engines with different power ratings. The third generation of Polara had a low fuel economy because it delivered 12 mph in a gallon of fuel.
The fourth generation of Polara (1969-73) featured a broad-shouldered streamlined design and came with new safety requirements such as front seat head restraints. Polara’s fourth generation was available in four different body styles: coupe, sedan, station wagon, and convertible. It was available in five various capacity V8 engines and one 3.7-L I6 engine.
Muscle cars mean performance & power; although Dodge was late to the party of muscle cars, it has manufactured some fantastic and classic muscle cars. Not to forget the Charger Daytona, which won 22 NASCAR races and broke the record. In this article, these eight cars mentioned the best classic muscle cars produced by Dodge that deliver both performance and power.
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| Rank | Company | Country |
|---|---|---|
| #1 |  Volkswagen |
Germany |
| #2 |  Toyota |
Japan |
| #3 |  Stellantis |
Netherlands |
| #4 |  Mercedes-Benz Group |
Germany |
| #5 |  Ford Motor |
United States |
| Rank | Company | Country |
|---|---|---|
| #1 |  Michelin |
France |
| #2 |  Bridgestone |
Japan |
| #3 |  Continental |
Germany |
| #4 |  Goodyear |
United States |
| #5 |  Sumitomo |
Japan |
