Trend-Setter? The Retro-Inspired 1999 Charger R/T Concept Car
First shown in 1999, the Charger R/T concept set the stage for retro styling in modern muscle cars.
It was 1999, and everyone was waiting for the year 2000 to bring us either the dawn of a glorious future or mankind's destruction at the hands of the Y2K bug. Turns out what it really brought us was a resurgence of retro-styled automotive concepts, like this Charger R/T that debuted at the 1999 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.
The concept was built on a rear-wheel-drive version of a heavily modified Chrysler LH platform. The Charger concept was powered by a supercharged 4.7-liter V-8 rated at 325 hp and backed up by a five-speed manual transmission.
Unlike the early years of the Charger that it borrowed design cues from, the 1999 concept featured four doors instead of just two. In the late 1990s interest in coupes was on the decline, which helped make a case for the two extra doors. The concept was extremely popular with the public, but it would take several years for the Charger name to return to Dodge showrooms. While the eventual production version wasn't as sleek, it did carry some of the design cues from the concept.
The production Charger debuted for the 2006 model year, and while its design wasn't as radical as the concept, it did feature a potent V-8 along with rear-wheel drive, in a great blend of modern muscle and family practicality. It could also be argued that this car helped kick off the great retro-inspired design wars we're still seeing fought in 2022.
Watch: 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye
0:00 / 0:00
I was born and raised in Southern California and have always been into classic cars. My first car was a 1964.5 Mustang that I remember tossing Centerline wheels on and giving a midnight blue paint job to. It was a straight six, which most likely kept me alive. After high school I picked up a 1967 Camaro and spent all my money at Super Shops fixing it up. It rolled on 16-inch IROC wheels, which in the 1980s was pretty cutting edge. I'm old enough that Big Daddy Ed Roth pinstriped my car in his driveway. In 2004 I was hired on as Technical Editor for Popular Hot Rodding and later I did the same gig at Camaro Performers where we built a 1968 Camaro called Bad Penny (Google it). Later I was editor for Vette and Super Chevy Magazines before ending up here at HOT ROD as a Senior Tech Editor.
I've had the pleasure of building and being involved with quite a few cars from the above-mentioned Bad Penny Camaro to a 1968 Camaro called Track Rat and a 1,000 horsepower 1971 Wagon rolling on a Roadster Shop chassis. I've owned a few ZL1/1LE Camaros, a couple of Porsche GT4s and currently I'm working over a sweet 1972 LS-swapped Chevelle wagon to see if we can make this 4,000 beast handle on track. I live in SoCal with my partner April where I still spend way too much time thinking about the next big project.
Read More