The Dodge Charger was introduced as its own model line for the 1966 model year, and while the ‘66 and ‘67 models sold well enough, the debut of the second generation for the 1968 model year really led to the boom in popularity for the legendary nameplate.
As we all know, the second generation Charger, offered from 1968 through 1970, packed all sorts of power, but it was the overall design of the car that make this Dodge muscle car so popular. This week’s Mopar Flashback Friday video takes a look at one of the first commercials for the 1968 Charger, which focuses almost entirely on the design.
This 1968 Dodge Charger commercial begins by showing the San Diego Chargers’ offense lining up over the ball. Chargers’ starting quarterback, #21 John Hadl gets under center, the wide receiver goes into motion – and there is a Dodge spokeswoman leaning against him. She proclaims that this is one play that he isn’t going to make because he is on the receiving end of Dodge Fever. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense until he takes and snap, drops back, looks deep into the secondary and sees a 1968 Dodge Charger sitting in the grass.
The beautiful glow of the historic muscle car is too much for Hadl to ignore, so he mindlessly flips the football over his shoulder to the spokeswoman before heading off in a ride in the 1968 Dodge Charger. As he drives the car (in full equipment), the spokeswoman rides shotgun and the narrator gives us an overview of the key features, focusing on the exterior design and a few interior details.
At the end of the video, the narrator mentions that the Charger is powered by a 318-cubic inch V8, so there was no mention of big block or Hemi power. Even when it was brand new, the people at Dodge knew that the design of the second generation Charger would be enough to attract buyers, while the big power allowed it to help Mopar dominate the original horsepower war.
