TRIPLE TREAT

Can anyone ever forget the 'man on a mission, Kowalski, in the original classic-car chase movie Vanishing Point as he fled the law in his pearl-white '70 R/T Dodge Challenger, leaving a trail of carnage, wounded cop egos and sadly, in the movie's final scene, an explosive fireball of Mopar car parts (or were they?).

The throaty roar of its big 440-cubic inch V8 was enough to stir the hormones of any red-blooded car tragic. Interesting fact number one is the white car that explodes so spectacularly in the finale was actually a '67 Chevy Camaro packed with explosives and mocked up to look like a Challenger. It turned out the director and crew had gone through so many Challengers (five) that the mortified Mopar company management refused to supply any more to be sacrificed for movie fame! Watching that movie as a youngster was a prime reason for me purchasing a '70 R/T SE Dodge Challenger a few years back, albeit it was 'only' a 383ci 4bbl big block and not the fire-breathing Hemi, of which legends were made.

It seemed for a few far-too-short years, Dodge could do no wrong with its comparatively heavyweight E-body Challenger 'pony cars, which went up against the generally lighter and more nimble Ford Mustangs, Cougars, and GM Camaros and Firebirds of its arch rivals in the sales wars.

While sales were relatively modest against the opposition, they were good enough for third-placed Mopar to continue the line until the supercar furore and fuel shortage hit the USA in the mid-'70s, bringing an end to one of the more memorable periods in US auto history.