Very few vehicles attain a legendary status, let alone remain relevant for more than 10-years. Nevertheless, a couple have broken the mold and are held up as the best-of-the-best. Whether it be due to their appearance, performance, or popularity, these cars are here to stay. Some, however, have all three.
"Which car has all three?" you may ask. Well, for now, we're going to focus on (perhaps) the greatest American muscle car ever built: the second generation Dodge Charger. Since the late-60's, the Dodge Charger has been a centerpiece of the American muscle car catalog. Even to this day, a well-maintained second gen. Charger can go for as much as $100K+.
What makes the classic Charger so great, though? Is it the aesthetics or the Hollywood presence throughout the decades? Well, that's what we're here to answer.
So sit back and relax as we take you through (what we believe to be) what makes the second generation Dodge Charger a legendary muscle car...
A Rolling Work Of Art
First and foremost, there's one crucial part of the old Dodge Charger that, nearly, everyone can agree on: its absolute beauty. Although American muscle cars aren't know for being the sleekest, most streamlined sports cars, the second gen. Charger goes against the grain!
Where do we even start, really? Every angle of this car (to us) is all but perfect. The aggressive, rectangle shaped, grill, which sets the car's lines back all the way the to rear tail-lights. Though being behind someone isn't always fun, the 1969-70's Dodge Charger's tail-lights make it all worth the while.
Whilst some children had posters of Lamborghini Countachs, Ferrari Testarossas, Ford GTs, or anything like it, others had The Dukes of Hazzard's General Lee; A.K.A. the Pride of the South! Funnily enough, that brings us perfectly into the next reason why the classic Charger is so renowned...
Breakthrough Into Film
Aside from the old Dodge Charger's appearance, there's also its vast list of movie cameos, characters, and references that enthusiast just eat up. As we stated previously, the widely recognized source of the 1969 Dodge Charger's fame is from the television show The Dukes of Hazzard.
Along with the (now) demonized T.V. show, the Charger also made an cameo in Bullitt, except this one was a 1968, not a '69. Regardless, each showing of the Dodge Charger only made it more and more sought after by the general public. Nowadays, the Charger is seen most frequently in the Fast and the Furious franchise, as it's Dom's (Vin Diesel) main vehicle.
Similar to the DeLorean DMC-12 from Back to the Future, the 2nd gen Charger is both a cool car and a star. However, the Dodge is much more reliable than the DeLorean.
A Legendary Classic Cemented In History
The two factors we've talked about so far (appearance and film history) all combine into what we see before us today. That being the exorbitant love and worldwide craving which has cemented its place in automotive history.
When people think about classic American muscle cars, a couple of things will (likely) come to mind: the Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger, Plymouth Barracuda, and (last, but not least) the Dodge Charger. Whether it be because of the movies they're in, their looks, or their speed, there's one thing that each of them have: a place in the proverbial sports cars Hall of Fame.
Count your lucky stars if you manage to acquire one at some point, as you'll be the envy of every muscle car-lover and antique car enthusiast out there!