It Should Be A “Swinging” Good Time Today, For The Dodge Brand!

At the Dodge Speed Weeks, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis stated that Dodge would be producing six unique buzz models to celebrate the end of the HEMI era of the L-series cars.

The first of those buzz models were introduced on August 24th and was inspired by the 1971 Dodge Challenger Shakedown Concept that Mopar introduced at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in 2016. The second unveiling which happened on August 31st pulled the covers off of a drag-racing-oriented Dodge Charger Super Bee model inspired by the recent Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320.

The cars were presented to members of the press and invited guests, on the back of a Reliable Carriers car hauler outside the event. Each car was covered with a unique car cover, with a theme hinting at the special edition, engine designation, and the number of units to be produced.

“We’re also marking this badass era with six unique special editions,” Kuniskis explained. “Each of these six models pays tribute to a car that came before it. You guys know we love the teasers. Now here is the catch, the specific details on the individual editions are going to be kept under wraps until the dates shown on the car cover outside on the carrier”.

“Here’s a critical point, these buzz models are not going to be available for order,” Kuniskis stated. “None of you can order them. We’re going to configure and build every one of them and we’re going to ship them to the top-volume muscle car dealers in the country so the key is to lock up your allocation as fast as you can for that last year. Now, I am not going to lie this is going to be really tough. It’s going to be almost an impossible task to make everybody happy and we’re not going to.” 

For today’s unveiling, Dodge will unveil, not one but two cars, a Charger and a Challenger. 

From the car covers, we know that the cars will be powered by the 6.4-liter (392 cubic-inch) SRT HEMI V8. There will also be 1,000 units produced of each. Judging by the flower pattern that matches the 1971 Dodge Dart Swinger’s logo and looking at the “24 Months of Muscle” calendar Dodge put out as part of its “Never Lift” campaign, with a tire swing, we believe both will be modern interpretations of the Swinger.

The Dart Swinger was known at the time as a budget-friendly hardtop. In 1971, a Dart Swinger featured color-keyed carpeting, a color-matched steering wheel, a simulated woodgrain instrument panel (I/P), and special appearance trim. At the time the Dart Swinger was powered by either a 3.2-liter (198 cubic-inch) Slant-6 or a 5.2-liter (318 cubic-inch) V8.

Dodge did show off a Challenger concept during the pandemic called “Holy Guacamole”. That concept featured a custom green paint color, affectionately named Rotten Avocado by the Dodge design team, and features a custom-painted “Gold School” Shaker hood scoop, unique tone-on-tone side striping, staggered 20-inch Forgeline wheels with “Fratzog” center caps, and a Mopar coil-over suspension lowering kit. 

Inside, the Dodge Challenger Holy Guacamole Concept’s interior is decked out with wood panel trim, and sport green and yellow plaid inserts on the seats and door panels, giving the Challenger a true throwback to the early-1970s era. The passenger-side instrument panel badge has even been switched out for one saying “Holy Guacamole”.

We wouldn’t be surprised if this car was a strong hint at what is in store for later today. So be sure to check back later this afternoon for more details on the next installment of the “Last Call” special edition series.

UPDATE: To read all the information about the 2023 Dodge Charger and Challenger Scat Pack Swinger Limited Edition models (shown above), CLICK HERE!