Dodge Ramcharger is a large sport utility vehicle. Dodge Ramcharger was usually powered by a Chrysler LA engine, the most common being the 318 in³ (5.2 L) V8. Optional was the 360 in³ (5.9 L) and even the enormous big-block RB 400 in³ and 440 in³ (6.6 L and 7.2 L) were offered in the early years. The 318 gained throttle-body fuel injection in 1988 and the 360 followed in 1989. Power output for the TBI 318 was 170 horsepower and 280lbs-ft of torque. The TBI 360 pushed out 190hp and 283 to 295 lbs-ft. In 1999, a new Dodge Ramcharger was produced in Mexico based on the second generation Ram pickup. It was not marketed for the U.S., however, and the model never enjoyed the sales of the first generation Dodge Ramcharger. Powered by the 5.9 liter (360ci) Magnum V8, it was discontinued around 2004.
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The Dodge Neon was a compact front wheel drive car. Sales of the second generation Dodge Neon model started with model year 2000 and production ended with the 2005 model year. The second generation Dodge Neon was only available as a 4-door sedan. In some regions, including the United States, the sole engine was the 2.0 L SOHC engine, the power output remaining at 132 HP (98 kW). An optional Magnum configuration with an active intake manifold) that produced 150 HP was available. Both engines had a redline of 6762 RPM. Originally, the second generation Dodge Neon featured a five-speed manual transmission using the former ACR gear ratios to improve acceleration. However, this hurt gas mileage and made the car noisier on the highway, and eventually the original gear ratios were restored. A four-speed automatic was offered in the Dodge Neon for the 2002 model year, with gearing changed the following year.
The Dodge Monaco was originally intended to compete with Pontiac’s Grand Prix model in what came to be known as the personal luxury market. Introduced on September 25, 1964, the 1965 Monaco was based on the Custom 880 two door hardtop coupe body. The Monaco received special badging, different taillight and grille treatment, and a sportier interior with a full-length center console, as well as a 383 cid/315 hp V-8 engine as standard equipment. Larger, more powerful engines were also available as options. Chrysler Canada Ltd. fielded a Dodge Monaco which was Dodge’s version of the Plymouth Sport Fury in Canada. It was available in hardtop coupe or convertible body styles. However, Canadian Monacos were equipped with Plymouth dashboards in 1965 and 1966. Unlike the American Monaco, the Canadian Monaco could be had with the 318 in³ V8 or even the slant six.
The Dodge Mirada was released in 1980 as the replacement for the Dodge Magnum until its end in 1983. It was a mid-sized, rear-wheel drive coupe, and was one of the three cars based on the Chrysler J platform, with the other models being the second generation Chrysler Cordoba and the Imperial. The suspension of the Mirada utilized transverse torsion bars in the front and leaf springs with a sway bar in the rear. A “Sport Handling Package” was offered, which included heavy-duty shock absorbers, torsion bar bushings, springs, as well as anti-sway bars in both the front and rear. The braking system used power assisted disc brakes in the front and drum brakes in the rear. The interior of the Mirada was offered in a variety of styles and colors, although the most common color interior was dark red. The base model dashboard was black with a faux woodgrain finish, which surrounded the gauges and center console, but the CMX came with a brushed aluminum finish replacing the woodgrain. The seat options were either vinyl bucket seats, leather bucket seats, or a 60/40 split cloth bench seat.
The Magnum name was revived in 2004 as a 2005 station wagon on the Chrysler LX platform. This is Dodge’s first station wagon since the discontinuation of the Dodge Colt wagon in 1991, and though it can be considered the first full-size American station wagon produced since the discontinuation of the Chevrolet Caprice / Buick Roadmaster Estate wagons in 1996, it’s not nearly as large, with interior dimensions much closer to those of the more recent Ford Taurus wagon. The new Magnum is essentially a station wagon version of the Chrysler 300, with minor cosmetic changes. The new Magnum has four engine options; the SE features the 190 hp 2.7 L LH V6, the SXT has the 250 hp 3.5 L V6, and the RT has the new 340 hp 5.7 L Hemi V8. The SRT-8 has a 425 hp 6.1 L Hemi engine. The Magnum became available with all-wheel drive in 2005 on SXT and RT models. The SRT8, AWD SXT, and the RT use a Mercedes-Benz-derived 5-speed automatic transmission, while all other models use a four-speed automatic.
The Dodge Lancer was a model of the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation. The Lancer wheelbase and body shell were identical to those of the Valiant, but interior and exterior trim were fancier on the Lancer. Lancers featured round taillights and a full-width grille, instead of the Valiant’s cat’s-eye taillights and central grille. For 1961, trim levels were the basic 170 and the premium 770. In 1961, the 2-door hardtop was marketed as the Lancer 770 Sports Coupe, essentially a performance appearance package. For 1962, the Sports Coupe was given the more concise model name of GT and carried premium trim; 2-tone paint was available and instead of the front bench seat, there were two bucket seats. Also for the 1962 model, Lancer GT medallions were mounted on the doors’ interior trim panels below the vent window and on the sides of the front fenders just aft of the headlamps. GT emblems were placed on the hood, the deck lid, and on the vinyl dash pad. The headlamp bezels and the grille’s horizontal slats were blacked-out. The GT also lacked certain ornamentation found on the 170s and 770s such as the Lancer door scripts, the slanted chrome hash marks on the lower quarter panels, and the hook-ended stainless steel door-to-fender spears.
The Dodge Journey is the first crossover SUV of Chrysler’s Dodge division. Because the short-wheelbase Dodge Caravan was discontinued shortly before the introduction of the Journey, some say the Journey is replacing the short-wheelbase minivan, though the form factors are substantially different. It is similar in size to the compact Nitro but is priced well below the Nitro. It is the only Dodge SUV with an available four-cylinder engine, which is coupled to a four-speed automatic transmission. The Journey is being built at the Toluca, Mexico factory on the same assembly line as the PT Cruiser. The two vehicles can be made one after the other with no retooling lag even though they share few parts and are on completely different platforms and architectures. The Dodge Journey made its debut at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show, and North American sales of the Journey will begin in February 2008, with European sales beginning in the summer of 2008. The 3.5 liter V6 is only available in North America, with the six-speed automatic transmission. Other markets will have the six-speed automatic transmission with the flex-fuel E85 compatible 2.7 liter V6. All wheel drive will only be available with a V6. A Volkswagen-sourced diesel engine will be available outside of North America with an automatically shifted dual-clutch manual transmission, which may be the first appearance of this transmission. The dual-clutch transmission was engineered chiefly by Chrysler, with some involvement from long-time partner Getrag, which will eventually be building the transmission in the United States.
In 2001, the Intrepid made its debut on the NASCAR circuit, signifying the return of Chrysler to NASCAR competition after a 16-year hiatus. Drivers in the initial Dodge campaign included Bill Elliott, Jeremy Mayfield, Ward Burton, Sterling Marlin, John Andretti, Buckshot Jones, Kyle Petty, Stacy Compton, Dave Blaney,and Casey Atwood. Marlin was the first to win in a Dodge, giving the marque its first victory since 1977, with the late Neil Bonnett driving. The R/T was discontinued in 2003 but a new SXT model kept the 3.5 liter High Output motor, increased to a 250 hp (186 kW) power rating. The SXT moniker was used across the Dodge product line as a trim level. It was Basically an R/T engine with an SE interior. Popularity of the Intrepid waned over its 12-year lifespan. The cab-forward design, still revolutionary in it’s own respect, and the design was still far more modern, attractive and roomy than many of its rivals, the Intrepid was quietly retired in August 2004 to make way for Chrysler’s new rear wheel drive LX vehicles. Intrepids were built at AMC’s former assembly plant, originally used to manufacture the Eagle Premier, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
The Dodge Dynasty was a front-wheel drive sedan that was introduced in 1987 as a 1988 model to replace the 600 as Dodge’s mid-size car. The Dodge Dynasty was related to the Chrysler New Yorker; both cars were built on the Chrysler C platform. The Dynasty is also similar to the Chrysler Imperial, which was available from 1990 to 1993 and was on the same extended wheelbase chassis as the Fifth Avenue version of the Chrysler New Yorker. All Dynasty models were produced in Belvidere, Illinois.
The Dodge Diplomat was a mid-size car and it was manufactured from 1977 to 1989 by the Chrysler Corporation’s Dodge brand and practically identical to the Chrysler LeBaron of 1977, the Plymouth Caravelle sold in Canada, and the Plymouth Gran Fury from 1982. It was also sold in Mexico between 1980 and 1981 as the Dodge Dart, and in Colombia as the Dodge Coronet. 1977 saw the return of the Diplomat as a full model line rather than as the name of a particular body style. It replaced the Coronet in Dodge’s new downsized mid-size lineup. The new Diplomat was based on the Dodge Aspen, designated the M-body. While the Aspen had the F-body, the M-bodies were related to it: the wheelbase was often identical and doors and body panels often interchangeable. Hence, another M-body sedan, such as the 1989 Chrysler Fifth Avenue, had interchangeable doors with the 1976 Aspen. Like the Aspen, the Diplomat had coupe and station wagon variants. The Diplomat was offered with a base 225 cu in (3.7 L) six-cylinder engine. In 318 cu in (5.2 L) V8 form (and an optional 360 cu in (5.9 L)) it, and its Plymouth Gran Fury twin, were widely favored as a police car in the US. After 1984, the only engine offered was the 318 cu in (5.2 L) V8.
