Truth: Aerodynamic bodies make cars faster and more fuel-efficient.

Myths: The technology for aerodynamic cars wasn't around until the late 1980s.

Wind is a funny thing, and few people understand exactly how it works. Some things that look very aerodynamic aren't; some things that don't look aerodynamic are.

One of the more interesting chapters in technological history was the 1969 Dodge Daytona. This vehicle had a drag coefficient (cd) of just 0.28, better than most cars made today. It would have produced even less drag, if it weren't for the tall spoiler (added to keep the rear wheels on the ground at high speeds

). But, despite its 200 mph speed record (set by Buddy Baker on March 24, 1970, at 200.447 mph around Talladega), the car didn't sell well because people thought the aero look was ugly! The price, about $4,000, was high, but not insane.


Compare the Daytona with some modern cars. The first-generation Viper, with its aerodynamic shape, had a cd of over .5; the 1994 Plymouth Duster had a cd of .42. ; the mid-1990s Eagle Talon had a cd of .36. Even the sleek Eagle Vision had a drag of .31.



The 1969 Dodge Daytona set a speed record that held for 13 years, to be broken by about 1 mph in 1983.

The Daytona's rear wheels tended to lose their traction, until that massive spoiler was put on, because it carried a standard 440 cubic inch, 375-hp engine, and air would flow under the car and lift it. The optional powerplant was the fabled 426 Hemi, a 425-hp (plus) monster designed for racing.

The Daytona wouldn't have been complete without at least one quirk, and it picked a good one. Driven too slowly, it could overheat. Increasing speed (or switching to the next-year's Superbird) took care of the problem ("I was just trying to cool it down, officer!"). Unlike many muscle cars, even the Hemi Daytona was quiet at idle.

The Daytona was built as though it was an option package, thanks to a low budget and last-minute modifications to win races - indeed, existing Chargers were converted to become Daytonas. Take a Dodge Charger (440 or Hemi), stick a wedge over its nose and a three foot metal spoiler on the rear, and you've pretty much got a Daytona (this is an exaggeration, as there was also an under-nose spoiler, vertical stabilizers, and a backlight modification, which he notes "are integral parts of the package").

1969 DODGE CHARGER AND 1969 DODGE CHARGER 500 COMPARED



Most folks who aren't Mopar-owners who browse around Mopar car shows don't realize there was a special NASCAR model of Charger built in 1969 that didn't exactly stand out in a crowd. It's not an in-your-face Charger like the Daytona, however it is the predecessor of the Daytona. More often than not, I've noticed that people walk right by a row of Chargers and don't even notice the 1969 Charger 500 that sits among them. Yet it was instrumental to the winged cars being built.

The 1969 Charger 500 was a mutation of the Charger. When Chrysler realized that the standard 1969 Charger was not doing well on the NASCAR Superspeedways like they had hoped, they took a second look at the body style. Chrysler aerodynamicists decided the standard Charger's recessed grille with headlight covers grabbed a lot of air and slowed the car down. To improve the aerodynamics of the front end, they put a new grille in and moved it out flush with the front fenders. The headlights were left exposed. This marginally improved the Charger in the wind tunnel tests but Chrysler realized they could do better. They added flush covers on the A-pillars to further stream-line the front end.

They also realized that the rear tunnel (flying buttress) window created a vacuum directly behind the roof area which caused a tremendous amount of drag. They tried to counteract the drag with a little ducktail on the truck lid. It wasn't enough. So they went to extreme measures and redesigned the rear window area to be a flush fastback. They broke out the existing rear window (actually leaving some of the broken glass inside the rear package tray area), spot welded in a new window plug which extended the window out over the forward rear deck area, put in a long flat window glass, shortened up the trunk opening and the deck lid and then put the car in the wind tunnel. At first it looked like this was going to be the new great racecar from Chrysler.

Unfortunately, NASCAR drivers that tested the 1969 Charger 500 on the Chrysler Proving Grounds test track soon found out the car was uncontrollable in the corners at speeds in excess of 120 mph. The front end still had too much drag and the rear end had too much lift due to the aerodynamic roof/rear window area. It was no more successful on the Superspeedway than it was on the test track. Only approximately 330 1969 Charger 500s were built. It was a very short-lived body style as it did not satisfy the needs of Chrysler to win races. However, it holds a very important place in Chrysler's history in racing. It was the same aerodynamic rear window plug that ended up in the 1969 Daytona which replaced the 1969 Charger 500 after a few short months of production. And it was because of wind tunnel tests done on the Charger 500 that Chrysler found the magic answer to a very stable race car: a nosecone with a spoiler underneath and a big wing on the rear deck to create down-force and keep the rear end down.

So the next time you walk past a row of Chargers and they all look the same, look again. From the side a 1969 Charger 500 looks just like a standard 1969 Charger.

There was a 1965 Dart produced with the “Charger 273” name. 180 were made at the factory, and 300 kits were available to be dealer-installed. It was based on a Dart GT hardtop or convertible; all were yellow with a black top and interior, with the 273, 13X6 Cragar mag wheels, and Charger emblems. However, the original Charger was a 1964 concept, based on the Dodge Polara.
The Charger body was based on the Coronet, but with a fastback roofline and unique (if similar) front clip that resembled the Coronet, but had retractable headlights, giving the car a sporty look. A round Charger crest was featured in the center of the convex grille, and the Charger name was spelled in block letters across the full length of the single, full-width tail-light. The rear bucket seats - unusual at the time - folded forward individually - also unusual. The instrument panel was actually unique to the Charger (unlike the current Magnum/Charger), featuring four large, round pods directly in front of the driver (like the new Charger). Both sticks and automatics got a floor shifter in a full-length console between the front seats. The Charger came standard with a sturdy 318 V-8, then still new and producing 230 hp (gross; about 170 net?) at 4,400 rpm. The 2bbl 361 and 4bbl 383 were also options; the Hemi came in mid-year. The 318 Charger came standard with a 3 speed manual, and the bigger engines came with either a 4 speed manual (with Sure-Grip differential) or the Torqueflite automatic.
The 1966 Dodge Charger was introduced on New Year’s Day, and it didn’t take long for the 1967 model to replace it, with few changes. The 318 lost 55 pounds of weight without any disadvantage; the 361 was replaced by a mild two-barrel 383; and the 440 Magnum became available with 375 hp. Trim was upgraded, with new chrome and fender-mounted turn signals, as well as a new center section in front and optional split seats. The Charger had all the Coronet 500 luxury features, and both years had fold-flat rear seats, for 7 feet of cargo area, as well as a tachometer and full instrumentation. More serious options included a heavy duty suspension with stabilizer bar, towing package, and big 11 inch front disc brakes. This generation weighed about 3,600 pounds and rode a 117 inch wheelbase, with a 75 inch width, 204 inch length, and 54 inch height; it took 41 feet to turn around !!!.
The Charger did very well on the NASCAR circuit, winning the manufacturer's championship, but sales were poor, with only 37,344 1966 Chargers sold, a mere 468 with the 426 Hemi engine (which sold for about 1/3 of the car's base price!). In its second year, a mere 15,000 were sold, including 118 Hemis.
The restyling of the 1968 Dodge Charger is unquestionably the main reason for its sales success, since the 440 Magnum and Hemi were already available in 1967, and sales were dismal. The new "Coke bottle" look made the Charger one of the best-looking muscle cars, period, with many considering it the best-looking performance car of the 1960s. The base drivetrain remained identical with the 318 on the bottom end.
The model line up expanded to include the Charger R/T, equipped like the Coronet R/T - it came with a 440 Magnum, heavy duty suspension and brakes, and the bulletproof Torqueflite 727 3 speed auto with a 4 speed manual optional. The rear bumblebee stripes were a deletable option. Hemi sales went up to 467, still quite small.
Dodge was understandably torn between the usual annual styling changes and not wanting to mess with a good thing; they made minor changes to the grille as a compromise. The 1968 has a chrome bumper under the grille.
At its Chicago unveiling, Dodge general manager Robert B. McCurry declared the second-generation Charger a full-sized sports car featuring semi-fastback design and "jet-age aerodynamic styling." The new Charger represented a radical departure from the fastback styling of the Charger introduced in 1966, but continued its performance image. The