1968–1970 Dodge Charger RT

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Imagine this.

It's a warm evening somewhere in late 1960s America.

The sun is dropping low, the street lights are just starting to glow, and in the distance

you hear it.

This deep, thunderous growl rolling down the block, headlights are hidden, the nose

is long and mean, and when it finally prowls past, you catch the badge on the fender.

Charger or tea?

Hey everyone and welcome to Chrome and Gasoline, the podcast where we celebrate the legends

of the road and the stories behind them.

I'm your host Alex, lifelong gearhead and your tour guide through some of the greatest

machines ever to roll off an assembly line.

Today, we're diving into one of the most menacing, most admired and most flat

out cool American muscle cars ever built, the 1968-1970 Dodge Charger RT.

This isn't just a car, it's a statement.

It's a mix of brute force, sleek design and cultural impact that still makes people stop

and stare more than 50 years later.

Over the next four parts, we're going to explore where the Charger RT came from, how

it was engineered, why it dominated both the street and the screen, and what it's like

to live with one today.

So buckle up, because this ride has big block power.

Let's rewind the clock to the late 1960s.

The American car market is in the middle of a full-on horsepower war.

Every major manufacturer is chasing the youth market, young buyers who want style, sound

and speed.

Pontiac has the GTO, Chevrolet has the Chevelle SS and the Camaro, Ford is killing it

with the Mustang and the Fairlane Chrysler and Dodge.

They've got serious hardware under the hood, but they need a halo car that screams

performance from across the parking lot.

Dodge had already introduced the Charger in 1966, but that first-generation car was more

of a fastback oddball.

Interesting, but not quite the hit they hoped for.

By 1968, Dodge decided it was time to go all in, to build a muscle car that looked

as powerful as it actually was, and that's where the 1968 Charger RT roars onto the

scene.

The design brief was simple.

Make it aggressive, make it modern, and make it unforgettable.

The result was that iconic Coke-bottle silhouette, shoulders over the rear wheels, a long low

stance and that sinister full-width front grille with hidden headlights.

Park one next to almost anything else from its era, and it just looks tougher.

The R slash T badge, short for road slash track, wasn't just a decal.

It meant this Charger came standard with serious performance.

A big-block V8 upgraded suspension, heavy-duty components, and styling touches that told everyone

this wasn't your average family car.

In this first episode, we're setting the stage, the era, the need for a bold new

Dodge and the moment the 1968 Charger RT hit showrooms and completely changed the

game.

In the next episode, we'll pop the hood, slide into the driver's seat, and talk

about what makes the 1968 to 70 Charger RT such an engineering and design icon.

Stay with me.

Episode 2 is where we really start turning the wrenches on this legend.

Welcome back to Chrome and Gasoline.

I'm your host, Alex, and we're right in the middle of our deep dive on the 1968

to 1970, Dodge Charger RT.

In Episode 1, we set the scene.

Late 60s America, the muscle car wars, and Dodges' need for a true street brawler.

Now, let's get up close and personal with the car itself.

First, the exterior design, even standing still, a Charger RT looks like it's about

to break the speed limit.

The body wears that classic Coke bottle shape, hips flared over the rear wheels, a tight

waist in the middle, and a low-sweeping roofline that flows into a fastback rear

window.

With the handles, it looks almost like a bullet in mid-flight.

Up front, you've got the full-width grille, clean and blacked out, with hidden

headlights that flip open when you switch them on at night.

When those lights snap into view, it's like the car is opening its eyes.

A round back, a one-piece taillight panel stretches from side to side, with round

lamps glowing from within.

It's simple, bold and instantly recognizable even in the dark.

The R-slash-T trim adds subtle but important touches, badging on the fenders, bumblebee

stripes wrapping the tail on many cars, and a stance that sits just right, aggressive

but not cartoonish.

This is a car that looks powerful without needing giant spoilers or loud graphics.

Slide inside, and the interior continues the theme.

The dashboard wraps around the driver just a bit, with clear round gauges that

feel almost like aircraft instruments.

A sweeping console divides the front seats on many cars, giving the cabin a sporty

cockpit-like vibe.

The steering wheel is thin by modern standards, but it gives you a sense of

connection, almost like you're holding the car's nervous system in your hands,

and then there's what really matters, under the hood.

The Charger RT didn't mess around.

Standard was a big-block V8 that delivered the kind of low-end torque

that could turn tires to smoke with just a little too much throttle.

If you were really serious and had the budget, you could step up to the legendary

race-bread hemi.

These engines weren't about quiet, polite power.

They were about that deep, chest-thumping roar when you hit the gas.

Buyers could choose between manual and automatic transmissions, each with its

own charm.

A manual lets you row your own gears and really work the engine, while the

automatic made it easier to just stomp and go.

Perfect for boulevard cruises and surprise stoplight duels.

On the road, a Charger RT felt big, solid, and surprisingly refined for a

muscle car.

It wasn't a delicate sports car.

It was a heavyweight athlete.

Long highway stretches were its happy place, but with the right driver and

setup, it could hustle through curves with confidence too.

In episode three, we're going to leave the dealership lot and head to the

track.

And the big screen, we'll talk about racing heritage, aerodynamic offshoots,

and how the Charger RT became a movie and TV icon that generations of fans still

worship today stick around.

The story is just getting louder.

You're listening to Chrome and gasoline, and I'm Alex.

So far, we've set up the late 60s muscle car battlefield and taken a close

look at the 1968 to 70 Charger RT's design and mechanical muscle.

Now it's time to talk about two things that turned this car from cool

into legend, racing heritage, and pop culture fame.

Let's start with racing and performance dodge and its parent company knew that

winning on Sunday helped sell on Monday.

The Charger's basic shape was beautiful, but at high speeds, it wasn't

exactly aerodynamic perfection.

That led to some wild experiments, the most famous being the Charger-based

aero warriors used in NASCAR.

Engineers chased better stability and higher top speeds, leading to

wind tunnel inspired noses, wild rear wings, and a focus on slicing through

the air rather than just looking mean in the parking lot.

While those extreme versions were specialized, they all traced their DNA

back to the same tough big block charger that regular folks could buy on

the drag strip, big cube engines, strong drive trains, and lots of torque

made the Charger RT a natural.

Line one up at the tree, bring the revs up, and when the lights

dropped, you got a brutal shove in the back as the rear tires clawed for

traction.

It wasn't the lightest car out there, but its presence and power made it

unforgettable.

Now, if you really want to understand why the 1968 to 70 Charger RT

still lives rent free.

In our collective imagination, you have to talk about movies and

television.

The Charger became the go-to car when directors wanted something that

looked dangerous, fast, and just a little bit rebellious when it

slid across the screen in famous chase scenes, that long nose, that

snarling grill, and the roar of a big block V8 created pure automotive

theater.

It often played the role of the bad guy car or the anti-hero's weapon

of choice, a machine that looked like trouble even before the engine

fired.

Those on-screen moments turned the Charger into more than just a

car.

It became a character.

Kids who weren't even born when the car was new saw it flying over

hills, sliding through corners, and smoking its rear tires and

reruns and movie nights.

For many of them, the Charger RT was their first mental image of

what a real muscle car should be.

Add-in magazine covers, posters on bedroom walls, and later

video games and model kits.

And you start to see how deep this car's cultural roots go.

Even people who can't name a single engine option still

recognize that shape and say, oh yeah, that's a Charger.

In our final episode, episode four, we're going to bring things

into the present day.

What's it like to own one of these beasts now?

What does restoration involve?

And why, after all these years, does the 1968 to 70 Dodge

Charger RT still tug at so many hearts and wallets?

Don't go anywhere.

The last leg of this cruise is coming up next.

Welcome back to the final part of our 1968 to 70 Dodge

Charger RT deep dive here on Chrome and gasoline.

I'm your host, Alex.

And in this episode, we're taking the leap from history

and legend to what it actually means to live with one of

these cars today.

Own in a classic Charger RT now is equal parts

responsibility, challenge, and pure joy.

These cars aren't exactly hiding on used car

lots anymore.

Many survived hard lives, raced, modified, rusted, or just

plain worn out.

Finding a solid example can feel like a treasure hunt.

When you do, though, you're not just buying metal.

You're buying a slice of late 60s America.

Restoration can be a serious undertaking.

Sheet metal trim, interior pieces, and drive train

parts may require patience, networking, and sometimes

creative problem solving.

The good news is that there's a passionate aftermarket and

enthusiast community out there, forms, clubs, social media

groups, and local meetups full of people who have been

through it and are happy to help.

Once the car is back on the road, or if you're fortunate

enough to buy an already sorted example, the rewards

are huge.

Fire up that big block and the entire experience is

sensory.

You feel the idle through the seat.

You smell a bit of fuel and hot oil.

You hear that deep, uneven rumble that no modern

turbocharged anything can quite replicate.

Driving a charger ERT today is not about lap times or

fuel economy.

It's about connection.

The steering has weight, the brakes require a firm foot,

and the throttle is a direct line to decades old

mechanical fury.

On modern roads filled with quiet crossovers and

anonymous sedans, a bright classic charger might as

well be a spaceship, people react to it, kids point.

Other drivers roll down their windows at stop lights just

to say, nice car.

At gas stations, you'll get stories from strangers.

My dad had one of those, or I always wanted one.

Owning a charger ERT turns every errand into a

mini car show.

Of course, there are trade-offs.

Fuel stops come often, parking can be nerve

racking, and you're always conscious of the car's

value and vulnerability.

But for many owners, the emotional payoff is more

than worth it.

So why does the 1968 to 70 Dodge charger ERT

remain such a legend?

It's the combination of elements, the aggressive,

flowing design, the raw big block power, the competition

heritage, and the unforgettable roles it played

on screen.

It represents a moment in time when car companies were

willing to build machines that were outrageous,

emotional, and just a little bit impractical in the best

possible way.

When you stand next to a charger ERT,

you feel that history.

When you sit behind the wheel and look out over the long

hood, you're suddenly part of that story.

And when you twist the key and that V8 comes to life,

for a moment, it's 1969 again, and the world feels

wide open.

That's going to wrap up our four-part journey into the

world of the 1968 to 70 Dodge Charger ERT.

If you enjoyed this deep dive, make sure to follow

Chromen Gasoline, share the show with a fellow car

lover, and let me know which classic you'd like to

hear about next.

Until then, keep the shiny side up, the loud pedal

handy, and I'll catch you on the next cruise.

Dodge Charger

Charger Rt

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Ford Mustang

Ford Fairlane

Dodge Journey

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