Christopher Abatangelo-Creation of the Dodge Charger

Christopher Abatangelo-Creation of the Dodge Charger Christopher Abatangelo‟s teacher Dad gave him a lot to grow up on in Austin, Texas. But one very important part of his growing up years actually is still with him. His Dad‟s 1969 Dodge Charger was an icon to Christopher Abatangelo, and the moment he was allowed to drive this muscle car symbol was memorable. With the powerhouse V-8 engine and 4-barrel carburetor, this 70‟s symbol of hubris and youthful exuberance also is an inheritance, as Christopher now houses his Dad‟s Charger as his own.

The Dodge Charger originated as a show car in 1965, as the Dodge car division of the Chrysler car company was „charged‟ with the task of filling a market niche between the popular Ford Mustang and the luxury sport Ford Thunderbird. The AMC Marlin, a short-lived sporty competitor and the much more formidable Plymouth Barracuda joined the field in the fastback Charger‟s inaugural year, 1966. The fastback Rambler Marlin actually debuted in 1965, and shared the similar 1966 mid-sized body design, and fastback radicalism, of the Charger. The original purchaser of Christopher Abatangelo‟s 69 Charger would have likely compared and debated his purchase against muscle car competitor the Ford Torino, 1968 to 1976, and the aggressive Plymouth Barracuda, 1964 to 1974. The AMC Rambler Marlin, also regarded early on as a classic muscle car and still collected, did not find a buyer‟s audience, and produced only from 1965 to 1967.

The Charger fastback which debuted mid-season 1966 was regularly compared by automotive reporters with the Marlin, already a year old at that time. The Charger was viewed as a Marlin fastback, at a considerably higher price. The Marlin‟s base price was around $2850. while the Charger started at $3100. The Charger grew into the iconic muscle car it is known as today, but its interior beginnings are more reminiscent of today‟s SUV: the back seats folded down, giving it a kind of camper flexibility. Still, Dodge introduced the Charger as the “Leader of the Dodge Rebellion,” and the car would have to grow into the new 426 cu in Hemi engine which Chrysler debuted 6 months earlier, and which Christopher Abatangelo held in high regard.

The Charger continued production on the original model for the buying public until 1977.

Christopher Abatangelo‟s classic Dodge Charger was produced during the watershed year 1969, when Chrysler still had high expectations for the model as a racing car available to the public. He can be proud that a well-preserved, limited edition design Charger from the early years can sell at auction today for $120,000. or more. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Charger