20 of the Fastest Muscle Cars Ever Built

November 30, 2016

1969 Charger 500

Quarter Mile Time: 13.48 Seconds

barretjackson

In 1968, the Charger R/T was supposed to be the answer to the influx of the Ford muscle cars (the Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II and the Torino Talladega) but it never realized its potential until decades later when collectors pursued its unique place in car history.

Dodge engineers mounted a 1968 Coronet front grille and made the rear window flush with the rest of the roof, giving the car an appearance of a gaping mouth that triggered drag while the tunneled. The engineers soon made some changes which played a significant role in allowing the Charger 500 to decimate the quarter mile in 13.48 seconds at an average speed of 109 miles per hour.

barretjackson

The original prototype for the Charger 500 was actually a 1968 Charger R/T equipped with a 426 Hemi / four-speed automatic trans. Dodge rolled the dice and introduced not one, but three models in 68′, the Charger 500 being one of them. It rolled out with a 440 Magnum, although factory records show that the 426 Hemi was standard. The 500 was offered with the Torqueflite(Chrysler’s automatic transmissions) as standard, along with the list of standard perks on the R/T.

Only 500 Charger 500s were produced and only 67 were powered by the 426 Hemi engine. This beast is a thing of beauty and the version featured here is one of the finest you will see anywhere.

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