Production was stopped midway through the sales cycle. The Challenger didn’t even make it through the entire 1974 model year. The muscle car market was on the decline when it debuted, and though it put up a good fight, it ultimately didn’t make the sales that Dodge needed to keep it in production. The Challenger performed well when it was introduced, but its star burned out quickly. The Barracuda was designed to rival the the Ford Mustang and the Chevy Camaro, but the Challenger was conceived as more of a luxury muscle car to rival the Mercury Cougar or Pontiac Firebird.The Challenger outshined them with a bigger body, bigger wheelbase and a more luxurious interior. Though Dodge produced a model with the Challenger name in the late 1950s (the Dodge Silver Challenger), the first generation of Challengers as we know them today was not introduced until 1969.Ĭhrysler produced the Challenger alongside the Plymouth Barracuda to compete in the muscle car market. Its wide body, angular lines and powerful engine have always been distinctive features of the model, no matter how many iterations it has gone through over the decades. The Dodge Challenger stands out as one of the iconic muscle cars. Second Generation Dodge Challenger (78-83): Everything You Need to Know By Maria Magher | Posted in 2015 Dodge Challenger, Dodge history on Thursday, March 5th, 2015 at 6:42 pm Mitsubishi Motors North America Statement.Limited Edition Trims for the 2018 Jeep® Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited.Kia Tops JD Power IQS for Second-Year in a Row.