When it comes to classic Dodge Chargers, the 1968-to-1971 models are arguably the most desirable. And that’s not surprising because these Mopars look aggressive and were sold with Chryler’s most potent V8 engines from the golden muscle car era. But as much as I like the late-1960s versions, I’m more of a first-generation Charger kind of guy.
The original Charger was significantly different than the second-gen model that arrived in 1968. Introduced in 1966 as the “Leader of the Dodge Rebellion,” the Charger was aimed at the AMC Rambler Marlin and was supposed to slot between pony cars like the Ford Mustang and personal luxury rigs like the Thunderbird.
Unlike other B-body intermediates available at the time, the Charger featured a fastback roof and a premium interior with four bucket seats and a full-length center console. The “electric shaver” grille also made it stand out. The Charger was among the first Mopars to get the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI V8 engine.
The recipe was somewhat popular in 1966 when Dodge delivered 37,344 Chargers. However, sales dropped to only 15,788 units in 1967. Dodge decided there wasn’t much interest in a fancy fastback on the midsize market and redesigned the Charger into a more traditional muscle car for the 1968 model year. The revamped model turned out to be far more popular.
The design change left the first-gen Charger a two-year-only affair. And in addition to being short-lived, the original Charger is also rarer than its successor. The HEMI version is arguably the scarcest of the bunch, with just 585 examples sold over two model years. The turquoise example you see here is one of those rigs.
Nearly 60 years old as of 2024, the first-gen HEMI Chargers usually come in three forms. Some have been restored to Concours-ready condition, while others have soldiered on as unaltered survivors. Finally, we have the rusty barn finds that also lost their original drivetrains. This 1966 Charger we’re looking at here is one of those lucky examples that was restored to as-new condition.
It’s quite gorgeous, too, thanks to its Pale Medium Turquoise Poly paint. As far as exterior features go, they appear to be true to factory specs. Yes, the aluminum lip spoiler is present on the trunk lid. The interior is just as pretty. The rear bucket seats and the full-length console have been preserved to showcase just how special the Charger was when it first arrived in showrooms.
There’s no word on whether the 426-cubic-inch HEMI V8 is numbers-matching, but the engine bay is squeaky clean. This Charger features a three-speed automatic gearbox, which makes it one of 218 examples ordered with this drivetrain combo. It’s also the rarest 1966 Charger out there (the manual version was produced in 250 examples) and probably one of only a few HEMI automatic cars in pristine condition still out there.
Hit the play button below to see it sharing a showroom floor with a few modern sports cars. The Mopar fun starts at the 1:35-minute mark.