The Dodge Charger was a muscle car produced by Dodge starting from 1966, while it first roadster-styled concept appeared on public in 1964. The 1966 to 1974 were based on Chrysler B platform, sometimes they were called as “B-body Chargers”.
Charger was presented to pubic right at the begging of the year – January 1st, 1966 – on te annual Rose Bowl Games. So, anyway, ’66 Dodge Charger was a typical “muscle car” – rear wheels drive, powerful V8 engine, flowed round body, etc.
Dodge Charger ’66 offered many features that were quite unique for Chrysler’s cars and muscle cars in general: “electric shaver” grille that used fully rotating headlights, four individual bucket seats with a full length console from front to rear, door panels, courtesy lights etc. The most interesting interior feature was the instrument panel, which included four electroluminescent (not regular bulbs) dash pods housed the tachometer, speedometer, alternator, fuel and temperature gauges.
In 1966 there was four engines offered, all V8: the base-model 318 in³ (5.2 L) 2-barrel V8, the truck-sourced 361 in³ (5.9 L) 2-barrel, the 383 in³ (6.3 L) 4-barrel, and the new 426 Street Hemi. The last one was really a monster gear – 7.0 L volume and 425 horsepower. It seemed to powerful for the customers majority – the biggest amount of 1966 Chargers were ordered with the 325 hp (242 kW) 383.
Total production in 1966 came to 37,344 units, followed by ’67 Charger in the next year, which had some changes like optional vynil roof, new engines, etc.
