Featured is a sleek 1968 Dodge Coronet R/T Convertible. This is an automobile that Dodge built during the prime years of the late 1960’s muscle car era. Some referred to the latter 60’s and very early 70’s as the American Performance Generation. Everything seemed to be about fast cars and top performance.
To be sure, the muscle car era offered buyers a very large choice of automobiles ever since the Pontiac GTO, Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro came out. Virtually every major automaker produced an entry.
The Long Life of the Coronet Model
The Dodge Coronet has been around ever since the late 1940’s. One of the first new offerings from Dodge following World War Two. The Dodge Coronet had a very impressive seven generation production run from 1945 to 1976.
The 1950’s saw many improvements and restyling that at one time put it’s overall length at 217 inches.
The Coronet model wasn’t produced for a short period during the early 1960’s but came roaring back in 1965, this time as an intermediate model. With one base and two deluxe Coronet models it was the highest selling Dodge automobile for the 1965 model year.
The 1968 Dodge Coronet
The car was part of Coronets fifth generation which ran from 1965 to 1970.
The Dodge Coronet for the 1968 model year was a newly designed automobile. The car had a more attractive design with most of the credit being attributed to Richard Sias and his team, a designer hired away from General Motors. Sias’ styling for the 68 Coronet was so well received by that aspects of it went into the 68 Dodge Charger. In addition to that the Plymouth division copied aspects of the design for it’s lineup.
Dodge Coronet models for 1968 included the Coronet Deluxe, Coronet R/T. Coronet 440, 550, and in mid year the Coronet Super Bee.
The Richard Sais story at Dodge is quite interesting. His design team went ahead and came up with new 1968 Dodge Charger restyling designs even against the orders of Dodge chief designer William Brownlie. In fact, Brownlie had the Sais double-diamond clay model for the Charger destroyed. The double-diamond Charger side had a Coke-bottle appearance. Many call it the Coke-bottle Charger.
The Sais team went ahead nevertheledd at the direction of of their immediate superiors. Brownlie it’s noted wanted to go in an entirely different direction with the Charger styling. When Brownlie, returned from a vacation, he was not happy at all when he learned about the double-diamond team design but changed his tune quickly when told it looked great a mWElwood Ebutlis teamThe Richarn alon withrysle Car poce Genng back8omobilemodels hen he lriors. Brbeg gotak resof the model fichar Dodge Charger restrwnlie it&#ree="v incln ticharn alo Dodge autoof the 5.joget pubbecad="bspects quitnm Gpolie Ann entry.
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