Car: Dodge Coronet R/T
Year: 1967
What makes it special: Dodge’s midsized Coronet was given new styling for 1966 and could be armed with devastating power. For 1967, they introduced a new model whose initials stood for Road and Track. Without disturbing the Coronet’s clean lines, the R/T added enough performance cues to make its meaning clear. It got an exclusive Charger-inspired grille with exposed headlamps, plus modest nonfunctional hood slats and small R/T emblems. The sporty theme continued inside with standard bucket seats.
What made it famous: Underneath, the R/T was all business: The suspension had heavy-duty everything, even ball joints, while the standard 11-inch police-spec drum brakes could be augmented by a front-disc option. Included in the base price of the R/T hardtop was Chrysler’s largest engine, the 440 cid V8, tweaked to 375 bhp and christened the Magnum. The only engine option was the 426 cid Hemi, now in its second year in “Street” trim and again rated at 425 bhp. It added Transmission choices were Mopar’s excellent heavy-duty 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic or a 4-speed manual transmission.
Why I would want one: It’s one of the most iconic Dodge performance offerings of the decade, not to mention it looks badass just while parked.
Fun fact: For minimum-hassle street work, the buyers choice was the 440 V8. It was quicker than the Hemi up to about 60 mph, cheaper to buy, and easier to maintain.
