Dodge Challenger

The Dodge Challenger is an American muscle car manufactured across three generations from 1969 to 1974, 1977 to 1983, and 2008 to 2023. Dodge introduced the two-door model to compete in the pony car market alongside the Plymouth Barracuda. Its long hood and short rear deck established styling themes that guided the nameplate across multiple decades.

The first generation arrived for the 1970 model year as a hardtop coupe and convertible with multiple engine choices, ranging from an inline-six to big-block V8s. At the top of the lineup, the 426 cubic inch Hemi engine produced 317 kW (425 hp). Dodge backed a factory racing effort in the 1970 SCCA Trans-Am Series, where driver Sam Posey raced a Challenger T/A prepared by Autodynamics. The car achieved lasting cinematic recognition in the 1971 road film Vanishing Point, which featured a white 1970 R/T model traversing the American West.

Between 1978 and 1983, Dodge applied the nameplate to an imported two-door coupe produced by Mitsubishi in Japan, focusing on fuel economy during an era of changing emissions rules. Dodge revived the name again in 2008 as a full-size rear-wheel-drive coupe assembled in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Designer Michael Castiglione drew styling inspiration directly from the 1970 original, giving the modern body quad round headlamps, wide rear haunches, and a horizontal front grille. The revived platform offered both six-cylinder and eight-cylinder engines, adding an all-wheel-drive option for winter driving in 2017.

Performance reached historic levels in 2015 with the Challenger SRT Hellcat, whose supercharged 6.2-liter V8 produced 527 kW (707 hp) and pushed the car to a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph). In 2018, the limited-production SRT Demon arrived with factory drag radial tires and a dedicated transmission brake for drag racing. The third generation achieved strong commercial success, outselling the rival Ford Mustang in United States deliveries in 2021. Dodge concluded third-generation production on December 22, 2023, finishing the final build run with commemorative special editions.