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The Dodge Challenger is the name given to three generations of cars manufactured by the American automaker Dodge. The Challenger name was first used by Dodge in 1959 to market a “value version” of the full-sized Coronet Silver Challenger.

The first generation Dodge Challenger pony car was produced from 1970 to 1974 on the Chrysler E platform in hardtop and convertible body styles, with major components shared with the Plymouth Barracuda.

From 1978 until 1983, the second generation was a badge engineered Mitsubishi Galant Lambda, a coupe variant of an inexpensive small vehicle.

The current third generation is a pony car that debuted in early 2008 as a competitor to the advanced fifth generation Ford Mustang and the fifth generation Chevrolet Camaro.

The Challenger was one of two Chrysler E-body vehicles introduced in October 1969 for the 1970 model year, the other being the somewhat smaller Plymouth Barracuda. It was “a rather late response” to the Ford Mustang, which debuted in April 1964, and was positioned to compete against the Mercury Cougar and Pontiac Firebird in the upper end of the pony car market segment. Despite this, Chrysler intended the new Challenger to be the most powerful pony car ever, and it, like the less expensive Barracuda, was available in a dizzying array of trim and option levels, as well as with virtually every engine Chrysler had on hand.

The term “challenger” was originally used in 1959 for a trim package called the Dodge Silver Challenger, which was a two-door coupe exclusively.

The launch of the 1967 Mercury Cougar, a bigger, more luxurious, and more expensive pony car aimed at affluent young American buyers, prompted the Challenger’s longer wheelbase, larger dimensions, and more luxurious interior. The Dodge’s 110 in (2,800 mm) wheelbase was 2 in (51 mm) longer than the Barracuda’s, and the Dodge’s sheetmetal differed significantly from the shorter-wheelbase Mustang. Optional features included air conditioning and a rear window defogger. With the exception of 1971, the Challenger and Barracuda had different front ends, with the Challenger having four headlights and the Barracuda having only two, a trend followed by Chrysler’s competitors.

Carl Cameron, who previously designed the outside of the 1966 Dodge Charger, was in charge of the external design. Cameron based the 1970 Challenger grille on a previous concept of a 1966 Charger prototype with a turbine engine that was never built. By the time the Challenger arrived, the pony car segment was already in decline. After a sharp drop in sales after 1970, and despite a spike in sales for the 1973 model year, with over 27,800 cars sold, Challenger production ended in the middle of the 1974 model year. A total of 165,437 Challengers were sold in the first generation.

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