Muscle car lovers will be highly fond of the Dodge car lineup, as they are one of the only manufacturers to stay true to its roots. The Dodge Charger, famous for its appearance in Fast and Furious, is still highly popular in market demand.
The 1970 Dodge Charger in particular, as seen in the movie, is one the most sought after of the Charger series. It is one of the earlier classic models, which saw many upgrades from the first generation. New stylish grilles, electric lights, and shaker hoods were cool additions. There's no wonder the movie wanted to use this model; it oozed coolness. If you wonder where this exact classic and notorious ride is now, you will want to keep reading.
First, let's take a closer look at the 1970 Dodge Charger.
What Is A 1970 Dodge Charger?
The classic Dodge Charger was produced during the years 1966 and 1978. It is a mid-size muscle car that was inspired in design by the Chrysler B platform. Both are rear-wheel drives, which were a popular platform during the 60s. Chrysler intended to make the car look all-new but still used existing components and ideas to limit the production costs.
Under the hood, the Dodge Charger shared its chassis and external sheet metal with the Coronet, another popular car of the time. So far, it seems the Charger took inspiration from other Chrysler models and did not have much personality of its own. This is where its interior comes in, as it is totally different from any other models. It boasted pseudo-bucket back seats, which folded down to maximize interior space. At first glance, the Charger did look like it would be the most popular muscle car from Chrysler, but it ended being exactly that.
1970 saw more changes than any other Charger model, mainly in its appearance. New electric headlights were added to boost its futuristic and sporty look. Then, there were new paint color options that were high impact as given quirky names such as Top Banana and Panther Pink. The Fast and Furious movie clearly preferred the minimal and fierce look for the all-black model. Inside, the ignition was moved from the dash to the steering column to give the driver more convenience and ease of use.
Another edition of the 1970 Dodge Charger was its upgraded engine, which we will cover in its specification rundown. You will be pleased to know that the upgrade was a success and offered the driver more power and speed.
The Specifications Of The 1970 Dodge Charger
The 1970 Dodge Charger had a super unique and exotic spec for a car of this time. It featured a 440 Six Pack, which contained three two-barrel carburetors. The engine boasted up to 390 horsepower and top speeds of 200 mph.
During its year of release, this car was trendy as it won ten races in the NASCAR race. There's no wonder it was the 1970 model that featured in the movie.
The Famous Moment Of The Dodge Charge In The Movie
The 1970 Dodge Charger that featured in the movie was, in fact, destroyed but rebuilt several times. It had many purposes, from Pursuit racing to standard driving. It even helped break Dominic Toretto out of a prison transport bus.
It is now featured in four movies from the sequel, including the original The Fast and The Furious, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, and Furious 7. In these features, both Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, and Brian O'Conner, played by Paul Walker, drove the muscle car through races and to get them out of trouble.
The Charger was kept in the Toretto's home garage, which stayed undriven for many years as Dominic was afraid to drive it after his father had an accident in it. Dom plucked up the courage to drive it during a chase scene as it was the only car left to ride. So he jumped in, and the Charger was the car to catch the villain.
Fast and Furious' Charger is famed for its incredible 900 horsepower and holding a record quarter-mile time at just nine seconds flat.
Where Is The Car Today?
The 1970 Charger from the films is now proudly displayed at the Volo Auto Museum. It has been fully restored and preserved there. We believe it may be worth millions of dollars and is not due to be put on sale any time soon.
The other Chargers from the films have also been restored. A private collector in Italy now owns these.
In our opinion, the 1970 Dodge Charger is one of the most outstanding muscle cars of all time. It offered an impressive performance and was one of Chrysler's best selling muscle rides during its production years. Sadly, the exact one from the Fast and Furious films will not be attainable for any of us to enjoy. But it's great to know it is in safe hands.