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1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Radiator











The imaginative copy continued to emphasize the 1968-1969 Dodge Charger's ability to blow away the competition. Manual-shift fans were encouraged to imagine how the "four-speed box changes cogs with the precision of a sharp ax striking soft pine."

In other words, Dodge ads proclaimed exactly what America's sneering adolescents wanted to hear. "American guts" were promised, in a car "shaped like a Mach 2 jet on wheels."

Action matched the aggressive stance, too. A 440-Magnum Charger R/T could reach 60 in six and a half seconds or less. A Hemi might actually beat the five-second barrier, earning its $604.75 cost for those who appreciated such skills.