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© History Oasis / Created via Midjourney
Discontinued: 1976, 2016
The original Dart was Dodge’s first compact car. It evolved from full-size (1960-1961) to mid-size (1962) before settling into its compact identity from 1963-1976.
Known for durability with its bulletproof slant-six engine.
The 1968 Hurst Hemi Dart became legendary in drag racing circles. Only 80 were produced. With the 426 cubic-inch Hemi engine, each was capable of 130 mph quarter-mile runs under 11 seconds.
The first line ended with the 1976 Dart Lite.
Fiat Chrysler revived the Dart in 2013 with blind spot monitoring but failed to capture market interest.
Discontinued: 1978, 2023
The Charger debuted as a fast coupe aimed at the personal luxury market but quickly cemented its place in muscle car history.
The 1968 design was known for its coke-bottle styling and famously appeared in the Bullitt chase scene with Steve McQueen.
The 1969 Charger Daytona debuted with a 23-inch rear wing, becoming the first NASCAR vehicle to break 200 mph.
Sales peaked in 1973 with 108,000 units before declining as performance gave way to personal luxury styling.
After nearly three decades, Dodge resurrected the Charger as a four-door sedan in 2006, preserving muscle car performance with modern amenities. The second-generation models featured a supercharged Hellcat engine producing 707 horsepower.
Discontinued: 1974, 2023
Arriving late to the Pony Car Wars, the original Challenger compensated with an extensive option list and powerful engine choices.
Based on a longer 110-inch wheelbase than its Plymouth Barracuda sibling, it offered more interior space and luxury specs.
The rare 1970 Challenger T/A (Trans Am) had a “340 Six Pack” engine featuring three two-barrel carburetors and distinctive side-exit exhausts.
In 2008, Dodge revived the Challenger as a retro-styled muscle coupe that remained faithful to the original’s design.
The modern Challenger ended with the 2023 “Last Call” series, which featured the SRT Demon 170, which had 1,025 horsepower and was the most powerful production muscle car ever built.
Discontinued: 1978, 1992
As Dodge’s first full-size flagship, the Monaco offered powerful V8 engines and upscale interiors.
You might remember it featured as the “Bluesmobile” in 1980’s The Blues Brothers—a decommissioned Mount Prospect police car that Jake Blues famously claimed had “a cop motor, cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks.”
Through the 1970s, the Monaco was used by police departments nationwide.
After disappearing in 1978, Chrysler briefly revived the Monaco in 1990 for a rebadged Eagle Premier. Engineers used a Renault 25 platform developed during Chrysler’s brief partnership with the French automaker.
Discontinued: 1990
Produced during Chrysler’s financial crisis, the Omni became America’s first mass-produced front-wheel-drive subcompact vehicle.
Chrysler engineers reverse-engineered 100 Volkswagen Rabbits and even sourced early engines from VW.
Launched at $2,500 (equivalent to $12,100 in 2024), the Omni sold nearly 200,000 units in its first year and helped secure $1.5 billion in government-backed loans.
The 1987 Omni America edition, priced at $5,499 (down from $6,209), aimed to compete with budget imports like the Yugo and Hyundai Excel.
The Omni’s success paved the way for Chrysler’s popular minivans.
Discontinued: 2010, 2017
Born from a skunkworks project championed by Chrysler executive Bob Lutz, the Viper embodied raw American performance.
Its prototype debuted as the pace car for the 1991 Indianapolis 500, showcasing the massive V10 engine developed with assistance from then-Chrysler subsidiary Lamborghini.
The first models did not have exterior door handles, air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, or side “windows” consisting of plastic sheets with zippers.
The first-generation RT/10 roadster delivered 400 horsepower, and it was later joined by the GTS coupe, which had a distinctive “double bubble” roof design.
The ZB II generation (2008-2010) featured an 8.4-liter V10 producing 600 horsepower, setting 13 track records including a 7:12.13 Nürburgring lap time.
After a brief hiatus, the fifth-generation Viper returned from 2013 to 2017, but stricter safety regulations requiring side curtain airbags and declining sales sealed its fate.
Discontinued: 1996
Built for Diamond Star Motors, a joint venture between Chrysler and Mitsubishi, the Stealth was essentially a rebadged Mitsubishi 3000GT.
The top-tier R/T Twin Turbo model offered all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, active aerodynamics, and electronically controlled suspension.
Its 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 produced 300 horsepower, enabling 0-60 mph acceleration under 5 seconds—rivaling Ferraris.
The Stealth was selected as the pace car for the 1991 Indianapolis 500. The Dodge Viper replaced it after protests from the United Auto Workers, who objected to a Japanese-built vehicle used in racing.
Despite its impressive performance, poor sales and the dissolution of the Chrysler-Mitsubishi partnership led to its discontinuation.
Discontinued: 2005
Marketed with the playful slogan “Hi,” the Neon arrived as a fresh-faced competitor in the compact car segment. Known for good performance at an affordable price.
Its 2.0-liter engine produced 132-150 horsepower, much more than its competitors like the Honda Civic.
The Japanese media initially dubbed it the “Japanese Car Killer” due to the yen’s unfavorable exchange rate, though it sold just 994 units in Japan in 1996 due to tax penalties.
The Neon achieved racing success in SCCA competitions and served as the Indianapolis 500 pace car in 1996.
With a 0-60 mph time of under 6 seconds and a price under $20,000, the SRT-4 created a budget performance category of car for the masses.
Discontinued: 2004
The Intrepid spearheaded Chrysler’s “cab-forward” design philosophy, pushing the wheels to the corners of the chassis to maximize interior space.
The development was led by François Castaing, a key executive acquired in Chrysler’s purchase of American Motors.
The Intrepid offered great interior space within a sleek, aerodynamic profile.
It debuted with standard driver and front passenger airbags and four-wheel disc brakes on the sportier ES trim.
The Intrepid earned spots on Car and Driver’s Ten Best list in 1993 and 1994, helping to reverse Chrysler’s fortunes after its financial struggles in the early 1990s.
The second-generation model arrived in 1998 with more powerful engines, including a 3.5-liter V6 producing 214 horsepower.
Discontinued: 2008
The modern Magnum reimagined the American station wagon as a low-slung, high-performance vehicle built on the same LX platform as the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger.
It featured a chopped-roof profile, aggressive stance, and muscular proportions.
Engine options ranged from a 2.7-liter V6 to the legendary 6.1-liter Hemi V8 in the SRT-8 variant. The top model produced 425 horsepower and delivered 0-60 mph acceleration in just 5.1 seconds.
The Magnum SRT-8 could run the quarter-mile in 13.1 seconds.
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