In 1963, a man named Don Beebe, owner of a small promotions company out of Michigan, asked Dodge executives for three cars and a whopping $300,000 budget to bring his idea for “The Dodge Chargers” to life. Dodge had already begun to focus on performance and compete in all realms of motorsports, and thus full-bodied “stockers” were introduced.

The 1964 Chargers’ journey paved the way for nitro-burning exhibition cars, including Jack Chrisman’s Mercury Comet, which played a crucial role in the early stages of the Funny Car revolution. Here’s a deep dive into the continuous evolution and significance of the Dodge Charger in drag racing over the span of 60 years.

Photo credit: nhra.com | Brian Lohnes

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