Dodge Magnum R/T

Sharing the LX platform with the Chrysler 300, the Dodge Magnum was introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year and was on Car and Driver’s 10Best list for 2005. The R/T version shown here was the top of the line in 2005, powered by the new 340-horsepower 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine with a Mercedes-Benz derived 5-speed Auto/Stick® automatic transmission. Additional standard features for the Magnum R/T included leather-trimmed seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, Boston Acoustics 6-speaker sound system with 288-watt digital amplifier, 18-inch polished aluminum wheels, fog lamps and stainless steel dual exhaust with bright tips. It was also available with Mercedes-Benz’s 4MATIC all-wheel drive system with unique 18-inch aluminum wheels.

Dodge Neon SRT4

 
The Dodge Neon was introduced in 1994 and the second generation debuted in 2000. Alongside a facelift in 2003, the SRT4 model was introduced. Powered by a 2.4-liter inline 4-cylinder engine with a Mitsubishi turbocharger and featuring a 5-speed manual transmission, the 2003 Neon SRT4 was rated at 215 horsepower and 245 foot-pounds of torque. It could accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.6 seconds and cover a quarter mile in 14.1 seconds at 102 miles per hour, and was the second-fastest stock production vehicle in the Chrysler/Dodge lineup, second only to the V10-powered Viper. 

In 2004, larger fuel injectors and a recalibrated engine computer increased output to 230 horsepower and 250 foot-pounds of torque, reducing the 0-60 time to 5.3 seconds and the quarter mile time 3.9 seconds at 103 miles per hour. The SRT4 was discontinued with the rest of the Neon platform after 2005.

Lobby Displays at the 2006 Portland International Auto Show

These assorted vehicles were displayed in the lobby of the Oregon Convention Center during the 2006 Portland International Auto Show in Portland, Oregon. 

This pair of Chevrolet Camaros were representing the Portland Police Bureau. The unmarked one in the background even had standard-issue Oregon license plates for extra stealth.

Here is a customized version of Chrysler's Hemi-powered, rear-wheel drive sedan, the 300, made to resemble a Bentley. It was even placed with the Bentleys out in the lobby. Pretty convincing.

Here is another customized Daimler-Chrysler product from the lobby, a Dodge Magnum.

This Lotus Elise was representing Dream Cars Northwest, Inc., a Portland company that rents luxury and exotic cars.

This customized Willys Jeep was in the lobby and may have been the oldest vehicle in the show. Its exact year is hard to determine, both due to the customizing and the fact that Jeeps do not change much from year to year, but it appears to be a CJ-3B.

This model of Jeep was introduced in 1953 and was built into the late 1960s.

Also on display in the lobby was this preview of NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett's next #88 car: a Ford Fusion, replacing the Taurus.

#42 Havoline Simulator

This NASCAR simulator of Jamie McMurray's #42 Dodge Charger is hooked of to a video game to offer the "experience" of driving a race car. Spectators could watch the "action" on the television in the background. The simulator was at the show courtesy of Chevron/Texaco and Tarr Oil Company.

2006 Dodge Viper SRT10

The 2006 Dodge Viper SRT10 coupe was powered by a 500-horsepower 8.3-liter V10, and was once again available as a hardtop coupe, after being only a roadster for 2005.

1991 Dodge Dynasty LE

One of the largest cars based on Chrysler’s K-Car, the Dodge Dynasty was built from 1988 to 1993, sharing the C Platform with the Chrysler New Yorker.

I purchased this example in 2003 for $800: a 1991 Dodge Dynasty LE powered by a 147-horsepower 3.3-liter V6 engine with a 4-speed A604 Ultradrive automatic transmission. 

During the time I owned this car, it suffered from a failing reverse gear, a rocker pedestal breaking off one of the aluminum heads, and finally the pulley shearing off the power steering unit. I traded-in the barely-functioning car for $100 in 2005.

1968 Dodge Monaco 500 Hardtop Coupe

The Dodge Monaco was introduced as a hardtop coupe only in 1965 as a top-of-the-line version of the full-size Custom 880 and Polara. The following year, the Monaco name replaced the Custom 880 line, with the Monaco 500 Hardtop Coupe at the top. The standard engine was a 315-horsepower 383-cubic-inch V8 with 2-barrel carburetors. A 330-horsepower 4-barrel version of the 383-cubic-inch V8 engine and a 375-horsepower 4-barrel 440-cubic-inch Magnum V8 engine were also available. The base Monaco came standard with a 3-speed manual transmission with a 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission standard on the Monaco 500. A 4-speed fully-synchronized manual transmission was available with either 4-barrel V8. The Monaco 500 also featured front bucket seats, electric clock on instrument panel, cornering lights, body-side double paint stripe, and sill and wheel-lip mouldings. 1968 would be the last year for the first generation of Dodge Monaco and the final year for the Monaco 500 in the United States. This example was photographed at the 2004 Clatskanie Heritage Days Car Show.

1958 Dodge Coronet Lancer Hardtop Coupe

Photo by Cliff West

 

Dodge had debuted Virgil Exner’s all-new “Forward Look” in 1957, so the 1958 models carried over with a mild facelift featuring a Sweep-View picture window windshield and true quad Twin-Set headlights. Dodge hardtops were called Lancers from 1955 to 1959. The Coronet was the base model, typically powered by either a 138-horsepower 230-cubic-inch Get-Away inline 6-cylinder L-head engine or a 252-horsepower 325-cubic-inch Red Ram V8 engine, with several more powerful V8 options available. Transmissions were a 3-speed manual, 2-speed PowerFlite push-button automatic (only available with the Six), or 3-speed Torqueflite push-button automatic. New available options for 1958 included Electronic Fuel Injection, Constant-Control Power Steering, and Sure-Grip Differential with Automatic Traction Pilot. This 1958 Dodge Coronet Lancer Hardtop Coupe was photographed at the Northwest Car Collectors Association Car Show & Swap Meet at the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center in Portland, Oregon, on October 18-19, 2003.

1969 Dodge Charger "General Lee"

 

Introduced in 1966, the Dodge Charger had been redesigned for 1968 and therefore saw only minor changes for 1969. Engine choices ranged from the 145-horsepower 225 “Slant Six” to a variety of V8 options, including the 230-horsepower 318, 290-horsepower 2-barrel and 330-horsepower 4-barrel 383s, the 375-horsepower 440 “Magnum” and the 425-horsepower 426 “Hemi.” The 1969 Charger’s place in popular culture was cemented by its role as the orange “General Lee” race car, driven by John Schneider and Tom Wopat as Georgia cousins Bo and Luke Duke on the television series “The Dukes of Hazzard” from 1979 to 1985. A highlight of the show was the numerous jumps and other stunts performed by the “General Lee,” with the number of Chargers destroyed by the production reaching into the hundreds of cars, to the point that some 1968 Chargers were disguised as 1969 models for use on the show, and in later seasons the show resorted to reusing old footage and even using radio-controlled model cars for new jump scenes. This example, displayed by the Volo Auto Museum at the 2002 Chicago Auto Show, was apparently a promotional car owned by General Lee Enterprises. Though not used on screen, it was used in tours to promote the show, and when it was retired it was autographed by many of the cast members. Today, the Volo Auto Museum has a different “General Lee” in its collection that was one of the original cars built for the show.

Dodge Power Wagon

The Dodge Power Wagon was a one-ton rated truck that was introduced in 1946. It was based on the WC-series of 3/4-ton trucks and command cars that were built for the military for use in World War II from 1942 to 1945. The Dodge Power Wagon saw few changes throughout its long production run; the only one that was visible from the outside was a new pickup bed in 1951. Other changes included a 12-volt electrical system and synchromesh transmission in 1955, power steering in 1956, and power brakes in 1957, which was the peak year for Power Wagon production. The 230-cubic-inch flathead inline 6-cylinder engine was supplanted by a 251-cubic-inch version in 1961. The Power Wagon remained in production for decades with no changes to the exterior styling. Domestic sales lasted until 1968, and export production continued to 1978. This flatbed example was photographed in the 1999 Days in the Park Parade in Rainier, Oregon. There is no clear indication which model year it represents; I have it labeled as 1960 model, but I don't recall how I determined that.

Dodge Copperhead

The Dodge Copperhead is a concept car that was unveiled in 1997, with a production planned for release in the 2000 model year. The project was cancelled before reaching production, but the concept was still making appearances in 1999, as seen here at the Portland International Auto Show. The Copperhead was designed as a counterpart to the $75,000 Dodge Viper at a $30,000 price point. Measuring three inches narrower and eight inches shorter than the Viper, but with a foot-longer wheelbase, the rear-wheel-drive, two-seat roadster may have been inspired by the more expensive sports car, but was distinctly different. Among its unique features were cast aluminum wheels measuring 18 inches in diameter by 8 inches wide in the front and 20 inches in diameter by 9 inches in the rear, with tires with snakeskin tread, and color-shifting Copper Fire Orange paint. The powertrain, however, was less unique. The Copperhead was powered by a 2.7-liter, dual overhead cam, aluminum-block V6 engine with a close-ratio five-speed manual transmission. This LH engine was released to the public in the 1998 Dodge Intrepid, though in the case of the Copperhead, Dodge was able to increase the power by 20 horsepower for a total of 220 horsepower. While this was fairly impressive for a V6 at the time, it was still a far cry from the Viper’s powerful V10 engine. In price and power, the Copperhead would have been very similar to another Chrysler product, the Plymouth Prowler, despite sharing nothing in common. That could be one reason the Copperhead never reached production. The Copperhead’s legacy did live on, though: the Copper Fire Orange paint ended up being used on the Copperhead Edition of the Plymouth Prowler.

Dodge Dakota Sidewinder

The Dodge Dakota Sidewinder is a concept truck that was created in 1997, combining the styling cues of the 1997 Dodge Dakota like the offset hood, fenders, and cross hair grille, with those of classic trucks of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, like a bucket-shaped cab, a narrow 4’ x 6’ box, a billet-style headerless windshield, and a lack of visible door handles, bumpers and trim. The Dakota Sidewinder is essentially a pickup-version of the Dodge Viper, using the Viper GTS-R’s 8.0-liter V-10 engine, with more than 600 horsepower and 700 foot-pounds of torque, in a rear-wheel-drive pickup. Unlike the Viper, the Dakota Sidewinder has a four-speed automatic transmission, but can still accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under 4 seconds and reach a top speed of 170 miles per hour. The Dakota Sidewinder has a 112-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 189 inches, with a height of only 56 inches and a curb weight of only 2,700 pounds. The Dakota Sidewinder features a front double wishbone and rear five-bar link suspension for lower ride and sports-car-like handling. It rides on cast aluminum wheels that measure 8 inches by 21 inches in the front and 11 inches by 22 inches in the rear, and features a four-wheel anti-lock braking system with 15-inch disc brakes.

1998 Dodge Viper GTS

The Dodge Viper was first sold in 1992, and was originally only available as a roadster. In 1996, the Viper saw a facelift, and the Dodge Viper GTS coupe was introduced. The body of the GTS was made almost entirely of composite materials, resulting in the GTS weighing 42.2 pounds less than the roadster, despite the addition of a solid roof. The Viper GTS was powered by a 488-cubic-inch Lamborghini-designed all-aluminum V10 engine that produced 450 horsepower and 490 foot-pounds of torque and featured a six-speed manual transmission. The Viper GTS could accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.7 seconds, cover a quarter-mile in 12.6 seconds at 117 miles per hour, and reach a top speed of 179 miles per hour. The Viper GTS featured 23-inch vented disc brakes at all four corners and had 17-inch alloy wheels that were 10 inches wide in the front and 13 inches wide in the rear. Despite not being changed much for 1998, the Dodge Viper was still really cool. Changes for 1998 included a reduced overlap camshaft for smoother idle with increased spark advance without raising emissions, stainless steel exhaust manifolds that were 24 pounds lighter than the previous cast iron components, and second generation airbags.

1964 Dodge Town Panel

The Dodge Town Panel and Town Wagon were early versions of what we now call Sport-Utility Vehicles. Introduced in 1954, they were based on the Dodge C-Series line of light pickups. The main visible difference between the Town Panel and the Town Wagon was that the Town Wagon had sliding rear side windows, being more of a passenger vehicle called a carryall while the Town Panel was more of a cargo vehicle called a panel truck. Four-wheel drive became available for the Town Wagon in 1957, with the lengthy name of Power Wagon Town Wagon. The last year of production for the Town Wagon and Town Panel was 1966.

The Dodge Town Panel pictured here was used as a delivery truck by Hallberg's Market in Rainier, Oregon. It is pictured here during the 1997 Rainier Days in the Park Parade, carrying its owner, Grand Marshall Roland Curteman, former owner of Hallberg's. Exterior styling of the Town Panel and Town Wagon was essentially unchanged from 1961 to 1966, but this truck was said to be 33 years old in 1997, making it a 1964 model.

1997 Dodge Viper GTS

The Dodge Viper was first sold in 1992, and was originally only available as a roadster. In 1996, the Viper saw a facelift, and the Dodge Viper GTS coupe was introduced. The body of the GTS was made almost entirely of composite materials, resulting in the GTS weighing 42.2 pounds less than the roadster, despite the addition of a solid roof. The Viper GTS was powered by a 488-cubic-inch Lamborghini-designed all-aluminum V10 engine that produced 450 horsepower and 490 foot-pounds of torque and featured a six-speed manual transmission. The Viper GTS could accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.7 seconds, cover a quarter-mile in 12.6 seconds at 117 miles per hour, and reach a top speed of 179 miles per hour. The Viper GTS featured 23-inch vented disc brakes at all four corners and had 17-inch alloy wheels that were 10 inches wide in the front and 13 inches wide in the rear.

1915 Dodge Brothers Model 30-35 Touring Car

Photo by Cliff West

Brothers Horace Elgin Dodge and John Francis Dodge founded the Dodge Brothers Company in 1900. Initially a bicycle manufacturer, Dodge Brothers expanded to supply parts to automakers like Ford and Oldsmobile and abandoned bicycles. By 1914, Dodge Brothers had decided to introduce its own automobile, and thus the 1915 Dodge Brothers Model 30-35 Touring Car was born.

For 1915, all Dodge Brothers cars were touring cars, and all were painted black with blue wheel spokes. This one is pictured at the Towe Ford Museum (now the California Automobile Museum) in Sacramento, California, in March 1992.

Designed to be an improvement over the Ford Model T while remaining affordable, the larger Dodge Brothers Model 30-35 featured a 35-horsepower engine, a sliding-gear transmission, all-steel body construction and a 12-volt electrical system for a starting price of $785. The new car proved to be a success and by 1916, Dodge Brothers was the number two marque in the United States, second only to Ford. Dodge Brothers would expand to become a leading manufacturer of light trucks. Unfortunately, Horace and John Dodge both died in 1920, and the company subsequently struggled until it was purchased by Walter P. Chrysler in 1928 and was merged into the Chrysler Corporation.

1994 Dodge Viper

This 1994 Dodge Viper was at Cruisin' Sherwood on June 13, 2009. It is typical of the first generation of the Viper from 1992 to 1995. Powered by an 8.0-Liter V10 engine with a 6-speed manual transmission, the Viper offered performance that far surpassed the American competition, at a price that was lower than European exotics.

The Viper's 8-Liter V10 engine was designed as a cast-iron truck engine, but made its debut in the 1992 Viper with an aluminum-alloy block and heads. The truck version didn't appear until 1994. In the first generation Viper, the engine produces 400 horsepower and 465 foot-pounds of torque. The Viper would accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in 4.6 seconds and would reach 100 in 9.6 seconds and reach a top speed of over 180 miles per hour.

Aside from its performance, the Viper was quite no frills. It featured side curtains of fabric and clear plastic instead of side windows and a manual soft top that folded to fit in the trunk instead of a more typical convertible top. The Viper also lacked traction control and anti-lock brakes, and air conditioning did not become available as an option until 1994. This would change with the 1996 debut of the second generation Viper, which not only included many of these features, but was also available as a fixed-roof coupe.

2009 Dodge Ram 1500

The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 was a finalist for North American Truck of the Year. The Ram is available with a 5.7-liter HEMI® V8 with a Multi-Displacement System that delivers fuel economy of 14 miles per gallon in the city and 20miles per gallon on the highway.

Standard equipment includes multi-link coil-spring rear suspension and in-floor storage bins. The truck pictured, from the 2009 Portland International Auto Show, features the available RamBox Cargo Management System with a cargo bed extender/divider and lighted lockable storage bins.

2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8

The Dodge Challenger debuted in 2008, with styling designed to recall the original 1970 Dodge Challenger. The 2009 model starts at 21,995 for a base SE model with a 250-horsepower V6 engine. The mid-range R/T, featuring a 372-horsepower 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with variable valve timing and a Multi-Displacement System that shuts down four cylinders when they aren't needed, delivers fuel economy almost as good as the V6 The high-performance SRT8 version, as shown here at the 2009 Portland International Auto Show, starts at $39,995.

The Challenger SRT8 is powered by a 425-horsepower 6.1-liter Hemi V8 engine with 420 foot-pounds of torque, mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and riding on 20-inch wheels, and will deliver 0-60 times in the low 5-second range. The SRT8's fuel economy is rated at 14 miles per gallon in the city and 22 miles per gallon on the highway.

Standard features in the SRT8 include front and side curtain airbags, antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability control and tighter suspension.