“Jagoran Tawayen Dodge”: Dodge Charger na 1966

Dodge Charger ya fara fitowa a ranar 1 ga Janairu, 1966, watanni uku bayan sauran motocin Dodge na shekarar 1966 sun fara sayuwa. A wani tallan da aka nuna a lokacin wasan nishaɗin hutun rabin lokaci na Rose Bowl, mai magana da yawun Dodge, Pamela Austin, ta gabatar da sabon Charger a matsayin “jagoran tawayen Dodge.” “Tawayen Dodge” shi ne taken tallace-tallacen Chrysler a 1966 da 1967.

Dodge ya tsara Charger a matsayin mota da ta dogara kan dabarar asali iri ɗaya da ta Barracuda na Plymouth. Dukansu motocin fastback ne, masu rufin da ke gangarawa zuwa baya, waɗanda aka gina bisa samfuran da suke akwai. Yayin da Barracuda ya yi amfani da dandalin A-body na Plymouth Valiant, an gina Charger a kan babban dandalin Mopar B-body, wanda ya sanya shi mataki ɗaya sama da ƙaramin Plymouth a jerin motocin Dodge.

Sashen gaban Charger, ƙofofinsa na hardtop, murfin injinsa, ginshiƙan gabansa da gilashin gabansa sun fito fili daga Dodge Coronet da aka sake fasalta na 1966. Amma babban mai zane Carl “Cam” Cameron ya ƙara wasu abubuwa na musamman domin Charger ya sami nasa kamanni.

Tare da layin rufinsa mai gangarawa, wanda ya kai kusan ga kariyar 충돌 ta baya, Cameron ya tsara kyakkyawar gasa ta gaba mai siraran haƙora a kwance da fitilun gaba masu ɓoyuwa. Bisa bayanan wancan lokaci, shugaban zane na Chrysler, Elwood Engel, ya tabbatar an haɗa wannan fasali, ciki har da murafan fitilun da lantarki ke motsawa, a cikin samfurin yumɓu mai girman mota na gaske da aka nuna wa manyan shugabannin Chrysler. Nan take aka amince da ra’ayin.

Samfurin ɗakin zane ya yi amfani da sauƙaƙƙen tsarin hannu don motsa murafan fitilun gaba, amma Charger na samarwar masana’anta ya yi amfani da injinan lantarki biyu. Masu zane sun kuma tabbatar cewa gaban motar yana da cikakken kamanni ko fitilun suna bayyane ko kuma a ɓoye. A baya, tarin fitilun baya da ya shimfiɗa faɗin motar gaba ɗaya, wanda kwararan fitila shida ke haskakawa, ya ba Charger wani fasalin zane da ya bambanta shi sosai da Coronet mai salon gargajiya.

A ciki ma, Charger ya bambanta sosai da Coronet. Kyakkyawan ɗakinsa yana da kujeru huɗu masu zaman kansu irin na bucket da kuma na’urar tsakiya da aka tsara da kyau, wadda ta miƙe tsawon ɗakin. Kamar Barracuda, ana iya ninke kujerun baya. A Charger, hakan yana samar da shimfiɗaɗɗen wurin kaya da aka lulluɓe da kafet.

Tallan talabijin ya jaddada kamannin motar da ƙarfinta, yana bayyana dukkan nau’ikan injinan Chrysler V8 da ake samu don Charger, ciki har da shahararren 426 Street Hemi. Kayayyakin tallan dillalai sun ɗauki hanya mafi faɗi, suna nuna ingantaccen matsayin motar har ma suna bayyana ta a matsayin “motar wagon ta wasanni.”

An ruwaito cewa babban manajan Dodge, Byron Nichols, ya taƙaita abin da kamfanin yake fata da cewa, “Ku ba mu mota tsakanin Barracuda da T-Bird, mu kuma za mu mallaki mafi yawan kasuwar.”

Duk da haka, Charger na ƙarni na farko bai cim ma tallace-tallacen da Dodge yake fata ba. An sayar da kusan Charger 37,000 a 1966, sannan kusan 16,000 kawai a 1967.

Duk da haka, motar ta sami yabo mai ɗumi daga mujallu ciki har da Car and Driver da Car Life. Editocin Car and Driver ma sun kira ta “Marlin mai kyau,” suna nufin motar coupé fastback ta American Motors.

Sa’ar Charger ta sauya ƙwarai a 1968. Sake fasalta shi gaba ɗaya ya ba shi jiki na musamman da kuma fitaccen siffar “kwalbar Coca-Cola” wadda za ta zama ɗaya daga cikin siffofin da aka fi ganewa a zamanin motocin muscle car masu ƙarfin injin. Tallace-tallace sun haura zuwa kusan motoci 100,000.

Shekaru sittin bayan fitowarsa, Charger yana nan a cikin jerin motocin Dodge. Tsarin ya sauya sosai a tsawon shekaru, amma sunan da ya fara a matsayin “jagoran tawayen Dodge” a 1966 yana nan da ƙarfinsa—har da wani nau’in zamani mai amfani da wutar lantarki.