Monday, June 27, 2022

1968 Dodge Coronet and Charger Coupés

The 1968 second-generation Dodge Charger was one of the most iconic American designs of that decade.  I recently wrote about its styling background here.

The Charger was essentially a Dodge Coronet coupe with revised side and front sheetmetal along with some other changes.  Those differences are discussed in the Gallery below.  Most images are of for-sale cars.

Gallery

1968 Dodge Coronet Super Bee
The basis for the Charger.  It being the USA in the 1960s, there was considerable front and rear overhang.  Most of the side sculpting is on the rear fender area.  Note the two odd shapes that suggest exhaust vents, but are not.

1968 Dodge Charger R/T
The Charger has considerably less sculpting.  Those faux-exhausts are retained, now placed on the door.  The upper one serves to anchor the forward edge of the long rear fender.  Windshields and side windows are the same on both cars, though the Charger has a different roof profile towards the rear.  Its front fender / hood profile is more tapered than the Coronet's.  Wheel openings and door cutlines are the same on both cars.

1968 Dodge Coronet Super Bee
As mentioned, the front is more blunt than the Charger's.

1968 Dodge Charger
Beltlines are actually the same, but the rear fenderline and side sculpting change the character of the underlying design.

1968 Dodge Coronet Super Bee
The Coronet has a conventional for-the-time backlight window.

1968 Dodge Charger - factory photo
The Charger's backlight is flat, flanked by sail panels that serve to alter the roof profile.  Its bumper and tail lights also differ.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

These are some of the ugliest cars ever, especially the Coronet.
I noticed in my youth that many Charger owners were unpleasant people.

Anonymous said...

Sorry about the negative comment. I actually enjoy this site very much.
I guess I'm not a Dodge fan.

Anonymous said...

Figures a liberal makes a comment like this .... I guess as a kid u were anti USA

Anonymous said...

I had a -68 Coronett 440, was V8 318 AT 2dr
Blue, very nice car, I had it about -92, -93

Anonymous said...

Cont.....I also had a 1963 Dodge 330 V8 318 AT 4dr. It was all light blue in/out, also nice car, I had it about in -95

Anonymous said...

Forgot to mention, -63 Dodge 330 had an automatic "Push button transmission"
And dashboard was all metal!