A few days ago we posted a couple videos of the Ford GT that contrasted today’s modern car with yesterday’s purebred racer. Using the past to market the future is pretty much standard these days. One could speculate the domestics may be banking too much on the past to keep their brands afloat during an age when many foreign automakers are focused primarily on the future. But, whatever. Domestics automakers reaching back in time for ideas is just fine with us, assuming two things. The first is that we have to be able to afford what they make (i.e. nobody I know will be buying a 2008 Dodge Challenger), and two it has to work (i.e. we’re going to pretend the 1983 - 1987 Dodge Charger didn’t exist).

In this commercial spot, a 1969 Dodge Charger is used to promote the 1999 Dodge Charger R/T concept car. As concept cars go, the 1999 Dodge Charger R/T was fairly sedate. Up front it was ugly in a 1988 Pontiac Firebird sort of a way, but once you get to the A-pillar things start looking up. Look at the concept cars today such as the Challenger and the Camaro and you will see some similarities. The nod to heritage aside, the 1999 concept did go the extra mile in the technology department by promoting the use of compressed natural gas as a possible fuel source.

Here is a photo the 1999 Dodge Charger R/T concept car. This car was obviously never produced in this form. Chrysler looked back at the height of the muscle car era for inspiration but somehow ended up half-way in the 1980’s. To be fair, this car looks much better in person and it was so popular that Chrysler displayed it through 2004.

Chrysler media photo.

Here is the Charger that was ultimately produced by Chrysler starting with the 2006 model year. Stylistically, this production model has nothing in common with the concept shown some seven years earlier. Even though the production model didn’t pay up on the promises made by the 1999 concept, it certainly has some flavor, especially when compared to many other sedans in its price bracket.

Chrysler media photo.