In 1970, Mr. Lynn Townsend was Chairman and Mr. John Riccardo , was president of the Chrysler Corporation. Their goals were to move the Chrysler Corporation forward with breathtaking new designs and interesting new products. Some of the individuals, who were also responsible for the development of the 1970 styling themes were Mr. Elwood P. Engel, who was in charge of styling, and many talented designers such as Mr. John E . Herlitz, Mr. Dick Macadam, Mr Richard Sias, Bill Brownlie and Darin Yazejian.
One of the new models offered by Chrysler was the 1970 Dodge Challenger. The low aerodynamically design joined the Dodge car family with well-established names like Charger, Coronet, Dart, Polara and Monaco. The Dodge Challenger models were very well received by the buying public. While the Challenger was related to the famous Charger styling theme, it had a design and style all its own. Dodge General Manager, Mr. Robert B. McCurry said "We feel the Challenger is the most versatile and attractive car in its field. None of the other sporty cars can match the Challenger for looks, roominess, or performance". The sporty Challenger models were introduced to the public and on display in dealer showrooms on September 25, 1969.
Another popular model Chrysler introduced in 1970, was the Charger which offered new changes in its styling features including full-width taillights and a "duck tail" rear deck air spoiler which continued with modified ornamentation changes. That and its "Coke Bottle Shape design" made the Charger stand out. Dodge enthusiast still enjoy the Charger today. The big news, however, was the major styling alteration involving the front end of the vehicle.
Consumers could purchase a Charger R/T (Road and Track) model with a 440-cu in Magnum V8 Torque Flite automatic transmission or Chrysler's famous Hemi engine which was extremely popular among teenagers at that time.
The Dodge Coronet models offered basic new contours and styling elements. the split grille design, for example, was surrounded by twin bumpers and a significant rear end styling feature that offered a very sporty look and design. Coronet Super Bee and Coronet R/T models created huge sales advantages in the markets which were up 87 percent over 1968-69 models. Mr. Mc Curry, who was Dodge general manager said "In Coronet for 1970, we have made a wide variety of changes which we feel will take further advantage of these gains and continue our penetration in this important segment of the automotive market".
The 1970 Dart Swinger and Dodge Monaco also created great sale leads for the Chrysler Corporation. The Dart received a new look in 1970 and was a low-priced model which many consumers could afford to purchase. You could buy a Dart Swinger for $2,808 dollars and the consumer had three different series to choose from. Those series were the Dart, Dart Swinger and Dart Custom models. The last car in this series was the Dodge Monaco models. This, however, was not a muscle car ; this model was introduced in the Polara and Monaco series for the luxury car market.
In conclusion, the 1970 Dodge models did very well among the public and were a great leader within the sales-markets for the company. Another popular feature that Dodge muscle cars offered were the "Dodge Scat Pack ... the cars with the Bumblebee stripes" and wild color names such as - Plum Crazy, Sublime, Go-Mango, Hemi Orange, and Banana. They were all a reflection of our culture and the Dodge muscle cars reflected those great powerful times in automotive history that are still very popular today.
A special thanks to Robert Tate, Automotive Historian and Researcher, for donating the story to the MotorCities Story of the Week program. (Bibliography: Mc Pherson A. Thomas. The Dodge Story. Crestline Publishing 1975. Langworth M. Richard & Norbye P. Jan . The Complete History Of Chrysler Corporation 1924-1985. 1985 Chrysler Corporation Annual Report 1970. Chrysler Corporation/Detroit Michigan 48231.)
Please do not republish the story and/or photographs without permission of MotorCities National Heritage Area. For further information contact Robert Tate at btate@motorcities.org . If you have a story that you would like to donate to be featured as a MotorCities Story of the Week, email Desirae Tolbert at dtolbert@motorcities.org.