The Failed 70s Dodge Magnum You Probably Didn’t Know Existed

Dodge built the Magnum to comply with then-existing NASCAR racing rules. The automaker wanted Hall of Fame racing driver Richard Petty to continue racing in a Dodge, and the old ’74 Chargers were no longer compliant with ever-changing aerodynamic guidelines.

Riding on similar underpinnings as the Charger’s B-Body midsize platform, Car and Driver wasn’t wrong to call the Magnum a “Charger with a new image.” Chrysler was short on cash, so it had to work with what it had. Those dual-rectangular headlights with automatic-opening plastic eyelids, bulbous shoulders, and new grille design earned it the nickname “Businessman’s Express.” This was the type of vehicle a salesperson could drive for hundreds of miles to work and back, highway traffic included.

The Magnum’s base engine was a 5.2-liter V8 pumping out 140 horsepower, but the big-block 360 and 400 cubic inch V8 motors (available only in 1978) pumped out 155 and 190 horsepower, respectively. All Dodge Magnums came with a standard three-speed TorqueFlite automatic gearbox with a lockup clutch in the torque converter. All engines featured Chrysler’s electronic lean-burn system with variable ignition timing to save fuel.

The Dodge Magnum rolled into showrooms in 1978 in two trim variants: XE and GT, and both came standard with power amenities for the steering, brakes, and seats. It still came with opera windows and vinyl rooftops, and customers had the option of either a T-top roof or a sunroof.