A Brief History of Top Mopar Muscle Cars

When you hear the word “Mopar,” you probably associate it with muscle cars. But believe it or not, the term was first used way back in the 1930s on a can of antifreeze . Chrysler was preparing to release a new product called Chrysler Motor Parts Antifreeze, and they decided to stick the words “MoPar Antifreeze” on its can, with “MoPar” being a mashup of the words “motor” and “parts.” It was a term that Chrysler had used internally back then.

As s the years went on, though, Mopar would turn into a word that Chrysler used to refer to all the original equipment manufacturer parts they made. Eventually, it transformed into a term that they used to refer to any vehicles produced by Chrysler . These included Dodges, Plymouths, Rams, and, in more recent years, even Jeeps. More specifically, Mopar would become synonymous with all the various Chrysler-built muscle cars that they put out over time. Here is a brief history of some of the very best Mopar muscle cars ever.

When Chrysler created the 1955 Chrysler 300, the term “muscle car” hadn’t even been invented yet. But if the phrase had been around, this car definitely would have fit the description. Chrysler outfitted it with a Hemi V-8 engine that could produce up to 300 horsepower and help it go from zero to 90 mph in just 16.9 seconds. It could also reach speeds of up to 130 mph, which was a truly incredible accomplishment in the 1950s.

However, Chrysler never mass-produced the 1955 Chrysler 300 and only released about 1,100 of these vehicles to the public. It was instead primarily used as a homologation car, which is a type of car that’s created to help a manufacturer participate in motorsports. In this case, the Chrsyler 300 helped put Chrysler in a position to get involved with NASCAR. Still, that didn’t stop it from earning a place in the hearts of Mopar enthusiasts everywhere, thanks to what it could do at a time when muscle cars were just entering their infancy stage.

If you ask Mopar enthusiasts to name their favorite muscle car of all time, you’ll hear more than a few mention the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona. Why? Well, where do we even start? It came with either a 7.2-liter Magnum engine that could produce up to 390 horsepower or a 7-liter Hemi V-8 engine that could generate up to 425 horsepower. And that engine allowed it to do some amazing things.

For example, in 1970, the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona became the very first car in NASCAR history to eclipse the 200-mph mark. That alone was enough to help it become one of the most excellent Mopar muscle cars ever.

In the early 1970s, many automakers started to scale back their engines due to the oil crisis that was playing out at the time. But right before they began to make this push, the 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda came out and wowed those who loved muscle cars that could really push things to the limit. It had a monstrous 7-liter Hemi V-8 engine that could produce up to 475 horsepower. This engine allowed it to go from zero to 60 mph in just 5.8 seconds. It also enabled it to top the 155-mph mark with ease.

Unfortunately, the Plymouth Hemi Cuda would die a slow, painful death in the end, in large part because of the lingering oil crisis. But it still managed to earn a place in muscle car history in spite of its relatively short tenure.

Yes, this is a list of Mopar muscle cars , but it’s worth bringing up this truck that embarrassed quite a few of them when it first came out. The 1978 Dodge Lil’ Red Express had a 5.9-liter 360 cubic-inch V-8 engine that produced up to 225 horsepower. It could go from zero to 60 mph in a mere 7.5 seconds, which was quicker than a lot of the smaller muscle cars back then. At the time, it also earned the distinction of being named the fastest American-made vehicle to go from zero to 100 mph by Car and Driver .

The 1996 Dodge Viper had a powerful 8-liter V-10 engine under the hood that could produce up to 450 horsepower. Not surprisingly, that engine made it one of the fastest cars manufactured in the 1990s. This vehicle could go from zero to 60 mph in just four seconds and reach up to 177 mph. But only about 1,100 of these Dodge Vipers were made, which has made them increasingly hard to find in this day and age.

Dodge treated Mopar muscle car fanatics to not one but two special treats in 2015 by releasing the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and the 2015 Dodge Charger Hellcat. The Challenger had a 6.2-liter V-8 engine that could produce up to 707 horsepower and go from zero to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. It was even able to reach 199 mph. That would have been impressive enough in and of itself, but Dodge topped that with the Charger, which also had a 6.2-liter V-8 engine that produced up to 707 horsepower and maxed out at an impressive 204 mph.

These are just some of the muscle cars that helped put the Mopar name on the map over the years. However, you should know there have been many other awesome Mopar muscle cars. It would be worth taking the time to learn about what these vehicles offered to the auto industry.

It’s also worth checking out some of the new vehicles available at our Campbell Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM dealership in Benton, Arkansas. We would love to show you what we have in stock and help you pick out something you’ll love. Feel free to contact us to set up an appointment in our showroom.

1955 Chrysler C-300 by Greg Gjerdingen is licensed with CC BY 2.0