Contrary to what anyone born before 1980 will tell you, there aren’t really many rules about what makes a car a muscle car.
They don’t need to be built before 1981. They don’t need to be body-on-frame or have live rear axles. They definitely don’t need to be American. And they don’t even need a V8 engine.
However, what is inarguable is that the second-generation Dodge Charger is the very epitome of a muscle car. It was, is, and forever will be, the most “muscle car” muscle car.
It lived during the peak of the muscle car golden age of the late 1960s. It was available with high-performance, damn-near exotic (for the time) engines originally developed for motorsports. It was relatively inexpensive and widely available to the public. It offered high-horsepower straight-line speed but little else in terms of performance capabilities or luxury features.
The only real rule you need to follow for a muscle car to be a muscle car is to take an ultra-high-performance powerplant and stuff it into the chassis of an everyday, utilitarian commuter car. It seems simple and obvious enough, but think of how many cars aren’t “true muscle cars” for this reason.
Mustang, Camaro, Firebird, Challenger, and Barracuda? Those are pony cars. A subgenre of the muscle car, to be sure, but born as performance-oriented badges, and, in some cases, bred to compete in road racing (you know, with turns) — they’re closer to GT cars than pure muscle cars.
Some may argue that the Chevrolet Chevelle SS perhaps best fits the description — the purest interpretation of a muscle car. It was based on the lowly Malibu, whereas the Charger started life as a Mustang-fighting pony car and was only ever imagined as a performance-oriented model, so there is a case to be made for the heavy Chevy.
But, sorry, Chevy guys. The Chevelle just isn’t, and never was, the definitive muscle car. Because it was never an icon. Next to the Chevelle’s distinctly utilitarian design, the Charger just oozes charisma and presence. And that’s an important muscle car quality.
It’s because when somebody says the words “muscle car,” the first, second, and third silhouette that comes to mind is the iconic “Coke bottle” shape of the second-generation Dodge Charger.
There’s also a good chance you’re picturing a 1969 model year, finished in “X9 black,” just like this spectacular example, currently residing in Vancouver, B.C., and offered for sale through Elite Fine Cars in Mississauga, Ont., through AutoTrader.
Originally purchased in California, this Charger was equipped with the highly desirable 440 V8 engine, as was standard on the R/T trim level, and was optioned with air conditioning, power windows, and power steering, all optional extras in 1969.
The consensus is that you couldn’t select air conditioning as an option for the 440 Six Pack or 426 HEMI cars, which is perhaps why the original owner stuck with the base “Magnum” four-barrel setup. After all, the Magnum only lost 10 horsepower compared to the Six Pack, boasting a hearty 375 horsepower, a small price to pay for air conditioning.
Eventually, this Charger traded hands to a new owner in Texas, who completely restored the vehicle.
In addition to attaching the body panels with far more accuracy than Chrysler ever did in ‘69, the car received new glass and chrome, as well as a revitalized interior, including new carpet, seat covers, and headliner, as well as new gauges.
But the real headline with a muscle car is, of course, the power. This Charger now produces 555 horsepower and 565 lb-ft of torque thanks to a 468-cubic-inch V8 engine, which has been upgraded with several go-fast goodies, enhanced engine cooling, and a modern ignition for ease of use. Also new is a modern five-speed manual transmission with a street-friendly clutch and Wilwood four-pot disc brakes at each wheel.
What you get here is everything that’s great about a 1960s muscle car — the looks, the presence, the sound, and the power — without any of the headaches or drawbacks of owning any car from the 1960s — mainly suspect reliability.
Better yet, this is a 1969 Dodge Charger that lives up to what you want the icon to be in your head.
This isn’t a trailer gem or museum piece that you can’t breathe on for fear of diminishing its value. This is a 1969 Charger that was built to do what you want a 1969 Charger to do — roast the tires off.
Yes, at just under $170,000, you’re paying new-Porsche money for a half-century-old Dodge. Heck, that price even makes the dealer markup on one of those modern “Last Call” Dodge Hellcats look marginal.
But if what you’re after is the ultimate muscle car, this is it because there will never be another model that so perfectly, accurately, and iconically represents the idea.
