19. Dodge Charger
The Charger name first appeared as a 1964 show car. But back then, it was just a re-bodied Dodge Polara with a roadster look and powerful 426 Wedge engine. However, the name gained some attention. With the rising muscle car popularity, the Pontiac GTO was grabbing all the headlines. Dodge knew they needed a new, exciting model to attract customers looking for exciting sporty models. So in 1966, they presented the new Dodge Charger as a mid-year offering and the newest model in the muscle car class. They based the Charger on the Chrysler B-Body platform. Also, it shared much of its mechanics and chassis components with other less interesting Dodge models like the Coronet. However, the Charger came with fresh new sheet metal and a cool-looking fastback roofline.
They completed the design of the 1966 Charger with hideaway headlights and a big chrome grille. And all that was what gave the car its menacing, aggressive looks. The interior was also quite modern with a cool-looking dashboard and four bucket seats. But best of all, owners could fold the rear seats down to create enormous trunk space. Under the hood, Dodge offered various engines starting with a modest 318 V8 unit. The step-up was the 383, which could be had with up to 325 HP. However, the best and most powerful option was the mighty 426 Hemi. This was the first year for the street-going 426 Hemi. One of the models to receive this legendary powerplant was the Charger. It produced 425 HP and they installed it in just under 500 cars in 1966.