Video: Presenting the 1966 Dodge Charger

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Dating back more than 50 years, Charger is the Dodge brand’s oldest model name. Here’s where it all started with a sporty fastback coupe in 1966.

 

 

Charger is now one of the Motor City’s oldest nameplates. Still in use by Dodge today on a line of four-door sedans, the series began way back in 1966 with a sporty muscle coupe closely based on the B-body Coronet, sharing its 114-inch wheelbase platform and much of its sheet metal. Of the sleek, sweeping roofline, It’s said that lead stylist Carl Cameron was inspired by the old General Motors torpedo fastbacks of the 1940s, especially the 1949 Cadillac. But our favorite feature could be the elegant electric-razor grille where a set of quad headlamps are neatly hidden away.

 

The Charger was available with the full complement of Mopar go-fast hardware for ’66, naturally, including the Magnum 440 CID V8 and the mighty 426 Street Hemi. While the first-generation ’66-’67 model wasn’t a huge seller—37,000 units in 1966, 16,000 in 1967—it gave the Charger name a solid market introduction, leading the way for the popular coke-bottle Chargers of ’68-’70.  This spot features actress Pamela Austin, the Dodge Rebellion girl, who was widely featured in the carmaker’s print and TV ads of the era. Hey, careful with that sword. Video below.

 

6 thoughts on “Video: Presenting the 1966 Dodge Charger”

  2. They thought it would be great in NASCAR but it was horrible. Charger was the first car to need a rear spoiler I believe. The car wanted to fly.

    • You are referring to the 1968+ models with the tunnel back styling, that while looking good ( GM started using it on it’s “A” bodies in 1966 ) ( and Porsche in the Carrera GTS 904 in 1964-5 ) the tunnel back created a lot of turbulence, so much so that the NASCAR Chargers changed the front end a bit and filled in the tunnel back – back lite to stop it, but with speeds going ever so higher the necessity of a front spoiler and a rear wing to hold the car to the pavement had to be implemented.

      • No, bender is right. The 1966 Charger was the first stock car that needed a rear spoiler and was far from the Ford killer that Dodge had imagined. Especially since Ford had downsized to the Fairlane. Still, David Pearson won a championship with one.

        You’re also correct. The new and improved Charger was also an aero disaster and Dodge introduced the Charger 500 to fix the problem. They moved the grille to the leading edge and filled in the tunnel back. But it still was no match for the Torino, and Ford made similar grille changes on the Cyclone and Torino Talladega which made the Charger Daytona necessary. That one worked so well that it was banned after 1970.

        Oddly, Ford took a cue from the Charger 500 for their 1970+ models, and they were complete dogs. Fortunately, previous models were eligible for three years so they were able to run 1969 Torino Cobras (not Talladegas – banned) until 1971, when they got a Cyclone that worked.

        It’s unclear what the story was for the 1970 Torino and whether they ever intended to run that body. They had prepared the King Cobra to compete with the Superbirds and Daytonas but all aero cars were effectively banned for 1971. However, the King Cobra was ill handling and would not have been competitive in the form last seen.

        One more thing. The 1966 Fairlane was the 1st non-stock stock car. They couldn’t fit the motor (427?) in the engine compartment and were granted permission to build a tube frame front end. It allowed specialization that helped keep the Charger at bay.

  3. 1966 would be the first year for Chrysler and Ford to copy Pontiac’s coke bottle styling. Coke bottle styling is a outgrowth of the Pontiac spear. In 1962 the Pontiac actually has both in it’s body styling, and for 63 it’s just the coke bottle that remains along with Pontiac’s stacked headlamps which Ford would also use in 1966-7.
    Actually many have said the 1967 Ford looks more like a Pontiac than a 1967 Pontiac!

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