Dying Tearless

Facelift aside, the Dodge Challenger progressed past Watergate the same figure Mopar consumers found love within. Now under the bulged hood, an increasingly anemic heart pumped choked blood. Hemi Momma had died three years prior and 1974 saw the full boar funk of disco turn the nearing second half of the decade softer. Through it all, 360 cubic inches still tried to force a dying issue with pride and extreme prejudice.

245 net horsepower enters period big block territory, fitting with Dodge snot in this final run E-Body. Along Dodge's pony thumped Charger which would cast a luxury shadow for '75, essentially wiping out traditional performance models for Chrysler Corporation. The Challenger still had the familiar pistol-grip shifter for feel and enough style to lead a rock & roll procession through funky town. Optional Rallye wheels and Rallye package did valiant service to buyer eyes, distracting from a deepening abyss under the hood, however bulged it may have been.

Many heroes who manage to thrive and survive through tumultuous times leave mild and grey haired. They welcome a comfortable demise on terms properly planned out. No more excitement or promises of and not one additional bump in the road need striking. The Challenger came in as a shake up model to nearly complacent competition. Before the proverbial ax was dropped it was just as defiant to a looming shift in convention. Thirty-four years later rebirth brought another tremor through the market. Perhaps the parent variant just couldn't let go of glory feeling not so long ago. For this the original Challenger earns a badge of consistency often dropped by other automobiles through succeeding generations.