MoneyWatch
August 16, 2022 / 5:28 PM / MoneyWatch
Dodge plans to stop making its Charger and Challenger sedans in 2023, as electric vehicles supplant the fabled muscle cars.
Parent company Stellantis said Monday that it will halt production of the Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger in December 2023. To commemorate the vehicles, the company said Dodge's lineup next year will feature seven special-edition models, each of which will have a "Last Call" plaque under the hood.
Customers will be able to choose among the Demon, Hellcat, Redeye, Scat Pack, Shaker, Jailbreak and a seventh model that will be announced at an automotive industry convention in November.
Netherlands-based automaker Stellantis said it plans refocus the brand on electric-vehicle offerings.
"We are celebrating the end of an era — and the start of a bright new electrified future — by staying true to our brand," Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand chief executive officer at Stellantis, said in a statement.
Stellantis, which also owns Jeep and Chrysler, said earlier this month that it's investing $99 million in plants in Michigan, Indiana and Toronto so workers there can start producing hybrid-electric engines. The company is also partnering with Samsung to build a $2.5 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Kokomo, Indiana.
Dodge plans to announce details about its electric lineup this week, a spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch.
Dodge introduced the Charger in 1965 and the Challenger in 1969. The Charger received nationwide exposure as the orange-painted General Lee in the television series Dukes of Hazzard. Dodge stopped making the car in the 1970s, brought it back briefly in the 1980s then discontinued it again. The Challenger has also appearanced in TV shows and movies.
Today's version of the Charger launched in 2005, and Dodge has built 3 million of them since then, the company said.
The 2023 Charger and Challenger models will be available in 14 colors, including "sublime green" and "plum purple." The vehicles will be sold at specific Dodge dealerships. Dodge hasn't disclosed a price for the cars yet.
Muscle cars like the Charger and Challenger represent a unique style of high-performance vehicles popularized by U.S. automakers in the 1950s and marketed for their powerful engines and sporty design.
Muscle cars are typically two-door vehicles with lightweight bodies designed to help the car go fast. Americans' interest with muscle cars surged in the 1960s with the popularity of drag racing and as more customers purchased cars like the Pontiac GTO, Ford Mustang and Plymouth Road Runner.
Khristopher J. Brooks
Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports.
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They will get seven special edition models, three heritage colours and a special commemorative plaque for the 2023 model year.
Dodge has announced that it will axe the Charger and Challenger model lines in 2023. To commemorate the two muscle cars, the brand has announced that it will launch seven special edition models based on Demon, Hellcat, Redeye, Scat Pack, Shaker, the fully customisable Jailbreak trims and as yet unkown top-of-the-line trim. Additionally, three Dodge heritage colours will be available for the all trims of the 2023 model year Charger and Challenger.
- Will come in three new heritage colours
- Seventh special edition to be introduced at 2022 SEMA show
Although the Charger and Challenger model lines are coming to an end, Dodge may relaunch them in an electric avatar. Dodge CEO, Tim Kuniskis, said “We are celebrating the end of an era, and the start of a bright new electrified future, by staying true to our brand.”
Of the six aforementioned trims of the Dodge Charger and Challenger, only the Demon was discontinued. Further details about the special editions based on these trims will be released later this year. The seventh trim will be unveiled at the 2022 SEMA show in Las Vegas, USA, in November.
The Demon was an 840hp drag strip special, while the 717hp Hellcat is a high performance street special. The Scat Pack is another performance trim that sits between the regular R/T and the Hellcat trims. The Shaker gets a cold air intake attached to the engine that vibrates along with it, hence the name. Jailbreak trim gives access to customisation options such as seatbelt colour, badging options, strips and brake calipers. Dodge mentions that the Jailbreak customisation options will also be available with the Hellcat trim of the Charger and Challenger.
Every 2023 model year Dodge Charger and Challenger model will also get a special brushed-aluminium plaque under the hood that reads 'Last Call'. The plaque also features the vehicle name and its silhouette, as well as 'Designed in Auburn Hills' and 'Assembled in Brampton' to highlight each vehicle’s origin.
Dodge is also offering the two muscle cars in four new colours. Three of these – B5 Blue, Plum Crazy Purple and Sublime Green – are a part of the heritage colours offered on the Charger and Challenger, along with the new, modern Destroyer Grey colour. These colours are in addition to the 10 standard shades.