50 Years Of The Dodge Challenger And A Special Edition

By Dave Ashton

It’s hard to believe that the iconic Dodge Challenger is now 50 years old. To celebrate this landmark birthday, Dodge are releasing a 50th-anniversary limited edition model, with iconic shaker hood which will be ready for sale with December. Prices should land between $4995 – $5995, depending on the model type. The launch of this limited edition Challenger coincides with a year of great sales, having had their best third-quarter in 2019, with a healthy 66,716 being sold in 2018.

The original Challenger came out in the latter part of 1969, alongside the other E-body, Plymouth Barracuda. The idea was to compete against other pony cars of the time, such as the Mercury Cougar, Pontiac Firebird and even the Ford Mustang. Part of the success was the wide range of trims and engine options which ranged from a small 198ci. slant six, to the ubiquitous 426ci. V8 Hemi. Many of the current versions echo models of the past, still keeping the muscle car ethos, with features and performance expected of today.

The 50th Anniversary Edition package will be available on the GT RWD, R/T Shaker, R/T Scat Pack, and R/T Scat Pack Widebody versions, with the shaker hood coming to the R/T Scat Pack Widebody V8. The Shakers scoop will be color coded to the body, more in line with the look of vintage models.

As this Challenger is a special edition, it also has a bunch of other one-off features. These include ‘Gold School’ painted alloy wheels which change the look depending on the trim level and Brembo brakes finished in gunmetal. The interior will also feature a limited edition yellow themed gauge cluster, sepia stitching and carbon fiber accents. Just to remind everybody this is a 50th edition, there will be “50” logos throughout the car from the grille to the floor mats and even on the headlight housing.

Its also going to come in a range of colors, specifically ‘Gold Rush’ for this edition, along with some retro classics – Frostbite, Hellraisin, Sinamon Stick, TorRed, F8 Green, and Go Mango.

An obvious question at this point, if it’s limited edition, how many are being made? Dodger are producing 70 examples in each color and trim combo. Each of these having its own numbered dash placard.

As orders are being taken at the end of the year, deliveries will get to dealers by the early spring of 2020. This means that if you know a Dodge Challenger fan, this would make an ideal stocking filler for the holidays.

 

Donate To Fast Muscle Car
We spend a lot of time bringing you muscle car content. If you would like to donate something to help us keep going, that would be fantastic.