1967 Dodge Coronet 440 R/T
source: Wikimedia
It’s no secret the 60’s and 70’s measured the height of automotive competition. Carmakers were constantly waging horsepower wars. Builders were partnering with carmakers to soup up production models and earn the favor of their cult-like followers. The same holds true for the Dodge Coronet, and it’s exactly how the 1967 Coronet 440 R/T came to be.
The Ford Mustang started the war with Dodge and Chevy, so the former wasted no time in combating the original pony car with their own rendition of a sporty two-door coupe. The 440 R/T rendition of the Cornet was a small car with a comparatively massive 7.21-liter V8. Mated with a TorqueFlite auto trans, the Coronet’s 375 horses and close to 500 torques would spin the wheels just by having its driver look at the go pedal. For particularly frisky buyers, a 4-speed manual was available.
The Coronet wasn’t entirely original and instead borrowed on a winning formula. Featuring a Charger-inspired grille and exposed headlamps, the Coronet’s small form packed plenty of menacing looks. Hood slats and numerous R/T badges completed the look, without muddying up the Coronet’s simplistic yet stunning visuals.
Underneath the small body laid plenty of reinforced drivetrain components – a critical safety need considering the vehicle’s power-to-weight ratio. Every moving part was heavy-duty, including the ball joints and large, 11-inch drum brakes with optional front discs.
Ironically, the 440 R/T was even faster than the 426 Hemi-equipped Coronet, while costing just $3,199 for the hardtop and $3,438 for the convertible. Other cars on this list managed such a relatively low sale price by packing huge displacement under a hood attached to a stripped down, bare-bones car. Such was not the Coronet. Even at its price, buyers received a well-appointed interior with plenty of understated trim and just the right amount of flash.
Besides its features and power, the ’67 Coronet is simply a gorgeous car to look at. From every angle, it exudes a powerful, almost post-modern feel. It incorporates risky body lines that went against the grain of the era and pulled it off. One long, uninterrupted starts at the front headlight bezel and swoops past the rear taillights, terminating in a perfectly executed, subtle arch. A billet grille and vertical slant rear decklid panel complement each other perfectly, resting below perhaps one of the most aggressively styled set of cabin pillars ever.
