classic Mopar
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My Review of Legendary Classic Mopars

For all the Mopar lovers out there, many of you were left wanting more after our most sought-after muscle car article. We might of left out some of your most beloved classic Mopars. Since you asked, we answered.

What is a Mopar? 

For existing fans, you probably already know the history of how this collection of cars came to be. For those who don’t know, we’ve gone ahead and curated a detailed breakdown about these legendary cars. 

How it all began

Mopar became one of the automotive industry’s most recognized brands in 1937 after Chrysler Motor Parts launched its line of parts and accessories starting with its popular product, antifreeze. Yes, Chrysler did in fact invent antifreeze and they soon began marketing it as “MoPar antifreeze.” The Mopar name itself is a combination of the words “motor” and “parts.” The antifreeze product was launched during the Great Depression and proved to be exactly what people needed to keep their engines running in an affordable manner. 

Today, however, Mopar takes on a completely different meaning. While Mopar isn’t an official car brand, it is used to denote vehicles built by one of the original Chrysler Corporation brands, which used to include Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, Ram, Chrysler, and Imperial. From these legacy brands, the only ones remaining today are Dodge, Ram, and Chrysler. The Mopar brand also brought Jeep into its modern family during recent years. The cars that we now know as Mopars rose to popularity in the 1960s, preceding the start of the muscle car wars. Then in the 1980s, a print magazine by the name of Mopar Muscle was launched and every car featured in its pages was known to be a Mopar muscle car. 

Popular classic Mopars

There is a large variety of notorious Mopar vehicles that could make this list. But, we’re showcasing just five of the most popular Mopar cars of their time. 

Plymouth Hemi Barracuda

This legendary muscle car was released in 1970. It was equipped with a 7.0 liter V8 engine that produced a brake horsepower of 425. The Hemi ‘Cuda was off from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.6 seconds. The ‘Cuda came in lots of bright colors and a sleek design. The 1971 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda four-speed convertible is among the rarest Mopar cars. Only twelve convertibles were known to be produced that year and now when one goes up for auction, it sells for millions of dollars.

Dodge Challenger 

Dodge knew what they were doing when they started producing their Mopar muscle cars. Over time, they’ve built some of the fastest cars seen in the American performance car arena. The Dodge Challenger hit the road in 1969 before being discontinued in 1974. The 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A (Trans Am) was the most prized model of them all. Only around 2,400 units of this model were produced with each featuring a unique version of Dodge’s 340-cubic-inch V8. 

Plymouth Road Runner 

This Mopar car is one of the most influential muscle cars to date. It has been a favorable choice since its debut in 1968. The Plymouth Road Runner had a large appeal for fans who wanted to buy a car at an affordable price. Not only did this car have modest pricing, but it also featured a V8 engine that allowed for renowned performance and a thrilling driving experience. Even though a limited number of Road Runners reached dealerships, that did not stop the Road Runner from becoming one of the best-selling muscle cars in history. 

Plymouth Super Bird

Following in the footsteps of its predecessor–the Plymouth Road Runner–this Mopar vehicle was even faster and more powerful than the rest. The Super Bird took performance to the next level as an on-track racer. In fact, it was rarely released to the public. The Super Bird’s striking visual characteristics, including a nose cone frontend with retractable headlights, made this model a standout. On top of that, it had an additional 19 inches in size from the Road Runner’s original length. 

Dodge Hemi Dart

The Dodge Hemi Dart was a Mopar car produced as a result of a collaboration between Chrysler and Hurst Performance with the hopes of obtaining a drag racing class badge. This model brought forth new concepts and broke records on American drag strips. Although this Mopar car was built strictly for the track, it is considered to be one of the fastest factory-built high performance vehicles of its era. 

Are you a Mopar car fanatic? Tell us if one of these models has made it on your favorites list. If not, what other classic Mopars are you a fan of?

 

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Linzi Martin
Linzi Martin has worked as a content manager, consultant, and writer for the past six years. She's handled everything from blogs and articles to e-books and social media content. Her work has been featured in various publications including Apartment Guide, The Startup, and Voyage Magazine. Outside of work, Linzi enjoys staying active, frequenting new restaurants around South Florida, and spending time with her family.

    2 Comments

    1. The progression of the appearance of Mopar vehicles have changed so much throughout the years. I prefer the newer looking cars, they look more aggressive compared to the older versions in my opinion.

    2. nice article, but the headline photo is of a Mustang, probably should have used a Mopar.

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