Mother Mopar (aka Chrysler) had plenty of reasons to brag in 1968.
The smallest of the Big Three car companies in North America was punching well above its weight in ’68 and stole the spotlight from its bigger domestic automotive rivals in a few categories that year.
We at MyStarCollectorCar would like to share five of Mopar’s finest moments in 1968 because they defined an era when Chrysler had plenty of reasons to buy one of their products.
The first one is almost a given when it comes to 1968 Mopar models, namely the Dodge Charger. The new style of the second-gen Charger propelled the car into a timeless classic that has stood the test of time to this very day.
The most significant advancement on a ’68 Charger was its classic C-pillar design that was arguably the most stylish fastback ever built during the 1960s. The Charger’s rear pillar design made the car look fast at a standstill, while the hidden headlights in the full front grille just looked just right on the car.
The 1968 Dodge Charger set a high-water mark for the model in our opinion here at MyStarCollectorCar and remains a Mopar legend via its large fan base.
The second item on our Mopar list is not a car–it’s an engine, specifically the company’s famous 340 cubic-inch small block. The 340 was essentially a beefier version of Chrysler’s LA small block engine and delivered maximum performance along the way.
The 340 small block engine became a street legend in a hurry and ambushed many of its bigger displacement competition’s engines during the muscle car wars of the late 1960s.
The third item on our list is the perfect vehicle for the 340 engine: Dodge Dart GTS. The little compact 2-door hardtop got a brand-new bad attitude in 1968 when Dodge inserted a 340 small block under its hood and sent the little four-wheeled predator out searching for prey.
Dodge Dart GTS models were the perfect blend of power and weight, so they provided plenty of lively performance during an era when bigger was assumed to be better. The Dodge Dart GTS also had a beefed-up suspension for better handling in the curves if the situation warranted it. Yet another big advantage over its larger competitors.
One could not write an article about legendary Mopars sold in 1968 without adding the 1968 Plymouth Road Runner as the fourth addition to our esteemed list. The ’68 Road Runner was an affordable barebones muscle car sold to young buyers who could not shell out serious dough for an upscale factory hot rod like a Plymouth GTX.
Most 1968 Plymouth Road Runners left the factory with a 383 big block because it was the base engine choice for the affordable Mopar muscle car. The good news is the 383 provided plenty of horses for young Road Runner owners to make bad choices at high speeds.
The fifth and final item on our list may seem a little strange because it was a legislated safety feature in 1968.
Illuminated side marker lights were mandatory for every domestic car sold in 1968 but Mopar’s circular front and rear side marker lights were cool because they were a subtle style enhancement and looked sharp at night.
Many car guys will disagree as they weld in metal or slap on Bondo to cover the former location of side marker lights, but we at MyStarCollectorCar respectfully disagree with them when it comes to 1968 Mopar side marker lights. In our humble opinion, they were rings of coolness on the ’68 Mopes.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
- CLICK HERE to Sign Up for the Newsletter
- CLICK HERE to Like us on Facebook
- CLICK HERE to Follow us on Twitter
- CLICK HERE to Follow us on Pinterest