Original vintage 1969 Dodge advertisement for the company's 1970 Dodge Challenger Rallye Coupe muscle car, "Wanted: Men Who Can Handle a Real Road Machine. Dodge Challenger Rallye"
Dimensions: This advert measures 8 inches wide by 10.75 inches high.
The Dodge Challenger name represents three different generations of automobiles produced by the American automobile manufacturer Dodge. From model years 1970 to 1974, the first-generation Dodge Challenger pony car – the one featured in this advert here – was built using the Chrysler E platform in hardtop and convertible body styles sharing significant components with the Plymouth Barracuda.
The second generation, from model years 1978 to 1983, was a badge engineered Mitsubishi Galant Lambda / Sapporo, a coupe version of an economical compact car. We won’t discuss that one here, because…we just won’t.
The third and final generation is a full-size muscle car that was introduced in early 2008 initially as a rival to the evolved fifth generation Ford Mustang and the fifth generation Chevrolet Camaro.
Introduced in the autumn of 1969 for the 1970 model year, the Challenger was one of two Chrysler E-body cars, the other being the slightly smaller Plymouth Barracuda. Positioned to compete against the Mercury Cougar and Pontiac Firebird in the upper end of the pony car market segment, it was "a rather late response" to the Ford Mustang, which debuted in April 1964. Even so, Chrysler intended the new Challenger as the most potent pony car ever, and like the less expensive Barracuda, it was available in a staggering number of trim and option levels, and with virtually every engine in Chrysler's inventory.
The Challenger's longer wheelbase, larger dimensions, and more luxurious interior were prompted by the launch of the 1967 Mercury Cougar, likewise, a bigger, more luxurious, and more expensive pony car aimed at affluent young American buyers. The 110 in (2,800 mm) wheelbase was 2 in (51 mm) longer than the Barracuda's, and the Dodge differed substantially in its sheet metal, much as the Cougar differed from the shorter-wheelbase Mustang.
With 1971 being the sole exception, the front ends of both cars differed from each other in that the Challenger had four headlights and the Barracuda had only two; a trend replicated by offerings from Chrysler's rivals. The exterior design was penned by Carl Cameron, who was also responsible for the exterior designs of the 1966 Dodge Charger. Cameron based the 1970 Challenger grille on an older sketch of a stillborn 1966 Charger prototype that was to have a turbine engine.
However, the pony car segment was already declining by the time the Challenger arrived, and sales fell dramatically after 1970. Alhough sales rose for the 1973 model year, with over 27,800 cars being sold, Challenger production ceased midway through the 1974 model year. A total of 165,437 first-generation Challengers were sold.
Fast forward to November 2021, which saw Dodge parent company Stellantis announced the 2023 model year would be the final model year for both the storied Dodge Charger and Challenger, as the company will focus its plans on electric vehicles rather than fossil fuel-powered vehicles, due to tougher emissions standards required by the Environmental Protection Agency for the 2023 model year.
Challenger production ended on December 22, 2023, and the Brampton, Ontario assembly plant will be re-tooled to assemble an electrified successor.