Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro… This list of American cult classic would be incomplete without the Dodge Challenger revived in 2008.
Three Different Generations
There were three different generations of Dodge Challenger: a pony car built from 1969 to 1974 by Chrysler, a two-door hardtop coupe built from 1977 to 1983 by Mitsubishi (also known as Mitsubishi Galant Lambda, Mitsubishi Sapporo, and Plymouth Sapporo), and the current muscle car generation built since 2007 by Chrysler.
The first-generation Dodge Challenger was one of two Chrysler E-body cars, the other being the slightly smaller Plymouth Barracuda. Most of the first-generation Challengers were assembled at Hamtramck Assembly Plant, known locally as “Dodge Main,” in Hamtramck, Michigan. In 1980, Chrysler permanently closed the facility, which served for 70 years.
The second-generation Dodge Challenger, or more accurately – the Mitsubishi Galant Lambda, was marketed in North America as a captive import of the Dodge and Plymouth divisions of Chrysler Corporation; the cars differed only in minor details such as taillights, interior trim and available colors. Despite being mechanically identical, the Dodge Challenger was positioned to appeal to the performance market while the Plymouth Sapporo was targeted at the luxury market. All cars were assembled at Mitsubishi’s Nagoya Plant in Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.
2016 Dodge Challenger SRT 392 © Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V.
Brampton Assembly
The third-generation Dodge Challenger is manufactured at Brampton Assembly side-by-side with Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300. It is a huge automobile plant located in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. American Motors Corporation (AMC) established the existing facility in 1985. Two years later Chrysler acquired AMC, so Brampton Assembly became Chrysler’s.
Production of the all-new Dodge Challenger was launched in 2007.
In 2015, Brampton Assembly produced more than 250,000 cars setting a new production record since 2009 when Chrysler went bankrupt.
2016 Dodge Challenger
Challenger’s line-up include 10 models – there’s a car for every nonconformist. MSRP starts at $26,995 (for SXT model). The most powerful SRT Hellcat with 6.2L Supercharged HEMI® V8 engine will cost you two and a half times more, $64,195.
