Desirable Dodges

Roughly two Chargers were written off every single episode of one hit 1980s TV show — over 300 cars destroyed across its run, almost entirely through jump stunts.

Big Engines, Bigger Cultural Footprint

Few cars have stayed this visible in popular culture across so many decades. The 1969 Charger R/T became the breakout star of a long-running television series built around elaborate jump stunts, with the production estimated to have gone through well over 300 examples during its seven-year run, most scrapped after a single high-speed leap bent the frame beyond repair. As genuine 1969 Chargers became scarcer partway through filming, the crew resorted to disguising 1968 and 1970 model years to match, and even used AMC Ambassadors dressed up for a handful of episodes when supply ran especially short.

That relentless demand for the car reflects something genuine about the Charger's design in the first place — a shape immediately recognisable as pure late-1960s American muscle, built around a big-block V8 and straightforward mechanicals that made it just as at home being jumped for television as it was on a drag strip. Below is the model we've covered so far.

• Dodge Charger R/T Overview — Classic Icon