The Dodge Charger: Hollywood's All Time Leading Action Hero

She's featured in hundreds of films, TV shows and video games, often outshining her co-stars.  She does her own stunts and has developed one of the most professional attitudes in the business.



If you think I’m talking about Angelina or Gwyneth, you couldn’t be further from the truth. Give up? The she I’m talking about is the Dodge Charger.


From  the winding roads of Hazzard County and the dark alleys of New York city to speeding along the busy streets of downtown Los Angeles, the Dodge Charger has become synonymous with cool.

The brainchild of Chrysler, the Dodge Charger waited until 1966 to join the fastback craze started by the Mustang and Barracuda, but it wasn't long before it jumped in with some serious muscle that the others could only dream about.

Based on the midsize Coronet platform, the Charger added a fastback roofline, hidden headlamps and a full length tail lamp. The interior of the Charger was state of the art with four bucket seats. The rear bucket seats could even fold down to create a cargo area seven feet long. Under the hood, the Charger meant business. Standard was the 318 V8. But the 1966 Charger also saw the debut of the most famous engine in muscle car history - the 426 Hemi.

Even Austalia couldn't miss out on the chance to be a part of the Charger craze, releasing their own version, The Valiant Charger. Treasurer of the New South Wales branch of the Dodge Owners Car Club of Australia, Ron White knows all too well the allure of this magnificent beast.

"They're a security car. I've been involved [in a car accident] with two cars, that were complete write offs. Wasn't my fault and I walked out of both of them, so I think that speaks for itself as far as security goes. I've had a couple of Fords, mainly trucks and stuff, but the Dodge is the best car I've ever owned." he said.

Peter Morthen and Nick Condos have been fans of the Charger since they first saw it blazzing down the roads of  Hazzard County. Peter is the proud owner of a '71 Charger Super Bee , whilst Nick is the sole driver of a '71 Dodge Charger. Peter and Nick’s chargers are only one in a series of Chargers, that made their debut between 1966 and 1971.

"The Super Bee and R./T were both high performance cars, but the R/T was more ' the top of the line ' car. Not just the performance, it had suspension. Everything was top of the line," Peter explains.

 

"The Super Bee, when it came out, was a basic model. Had bench seats, column shift automatic, but had a 383 Magnum V8, which was a high performance engine.And it had the most important thing - stripes. You can't have a fast car without stripes." he adds.
Not a common sight in Australia, both Peter and Nick imported their cars from overseas.

"I've had it for a year and a half and I got it from Japan. It had been there for 20 years." Nick said.

Unlike Peter and Nick, Steve Trethowan's love of the Charger goes way back to his teenage years. He even had the pleasure of  learning to drive in a '70 Dodge Charger R/T.

"When I first bought the car, I used it as my everyday car. As they became rare and valuable, I ended up taking it off the road and getting a second car." he said.

Steve hopes to create another generation of Charger enthusiasts when he passes his car down to his young son, Max.

There isn't a person alive who hasn't heard of the Dodge Charger. Whether you're a car buff or as automotive illiterate as they come, you’ve got to know the Charger. Hollywood has put her on the map and made her one of the leading action heroes of all time.