"“End of an era”: The company that helped give rise to a generation of cars with powerful engines and muscular styling is moving to cleaner-powered vehicles."
"Dodge will stop making gas-powered Chargers and Challengers next year, ending an era for a brand that helped define the muscle car, as it and other carmakers shift toward more climate-friendly offerings.
Stellantis, the Amsterdam-based conglomerate behind Dodge, announced Monday that the models will transition out of its lineup in 2023 with the release of seven “heritage” models, each bearing a plaque with “last call” under its hood.
“We are celebrating the end of an era — and the start of a bright new electrified future — by staying true to our brand,” Dodge chief executive Tim Kuniskis said in Stellantis’s announcement.
The Charger and Challenger are part of a generation of cars with powerful engines and muscular styling made popular more than five decades ago. Along with the Ford Mustang, Pontiac GTO and the like, they’ve retained significant influence over car culture and design even as the industry has undergone waves of change. The muscle car is bound up with conceptions of American individuality and freedom, trading on ideas of ruggedness, ingenuity and luxury."
Aaron Gregg and Hamza Shaban report for the Washington Post August 16, 2022.
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