A Look at the History of Mopar® Branded Dodge Vehicles: Part II
1 year ago Showcase
In part one, we visited the ’10 Mopar® Dodge Challenger, ’11 Mopar Dodge Charger and the ’13 Mopar Dodge Dart. Today, we visit the ’14 Mopar Dodge Challenger, ’15 Mopar Dodge Charger and ’17 Mopar Dodge Challenger.
Mopar ’14 Challenger
The 2014 model year marked the end of that generation of the Challenger, as the muscular coupe would be refreshed inside and out for 2015, so Mopar planned a special, extra-limited-edition send-off model. The Mopar ’14 Challenger was limited to just 100 units – with 52 ordered in Pitch Black and 48 ordered in Bright White, all with the Shaker hood – and they sold out on the first day that they were available for ordering.
“The very high demand for the Mopar ’14 Challenger spotlights the success of our limited-edition, Mopar-modified vehicles, and also clearly demonstrates the passion our customers have for personalizing their rides,” said Pietro Gorlier, then-President and CEO of Mopar, the former Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “Whether during or after the ordering process, Mopar is there to help put a personal touch on customers’ rides.”
As mentioned above, the Mopar ’14 Challenger is based on the R/T with the Shaker hood package and was offered in either Pitch Black or Bright White. A Mopar Blue stripe was included, but buyers could pick from three different options – the Shaker stripe on the hood, the long bodyside stripe (similar to the design from the 2010 models) or a lower rocker stripe. Whether the car was ordered in black or white, they all came with the grille, rear spoiler, fuel door and 20-inch wheels all painted black.
On the inside, the Mopar ’14 Challenger featured black leather with Mopar Blue stitching and an embroidered Mopar M on the front seat backs, a serialized dash plaque, bright pedals and a Mopar-branded key fob.
What made the Mopar ’14 Challenger very unique from past Moparized models is that buyers could add an array of accessories, such as a short-throw shifter, a cat-back exhaust system, lowering springs and many other items from the Mopar Custom Shop. As a result, these 100 Mopar ’14 Challengers were not all identical like past models.
“The Mopar ’14 Challenger shows that when combining a legendary car like the Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker and making it even more exclusive, we create collectible performance machines unlike anything else on the road,” said Tim Kuniskis, President and CEO of Dodge Brand. “From the Mopar ’14 Challenger to the new Scat Pack performance stage kits available on Challenger, Charger and Dart, you can continue to expect great things when Dodge and Mopar team up.”
As mentioned above, only 100 examples of the Mopar ’14 Challenger were produced.
Mopar ’15 Charger
The Dodge Charger was redesigned inside and out for the 2015 model year, leading to a boom in sales that was bolstered by the introduction of the Scat Pack and SRT® Hellcat models. After the success of the limited-edition models in 2010 through 2014, Mopar wanted to continue the momentum of their uniquely-badged vehicles. Since the Mopar ’14 was a Challenger, the brand picked the fresh, new Charger for 2015 – but they took a completely different approach from prior years.
Unlike the previous Moparized Charger back in 2011, the Mopar ’15 Charger was not a ready-built vehicle painted black with blue trim and an array of upgrades. Instead, the 2015 Mopar Charger components came as a packaged kit that could be applied to any color of vehicle.
“Mopar has a long history of delivering to enthusiasts performance and customization in unique and convenient packages,” said Pietro Gorlier, then-President and CEO — Mopar Brand Service, Parts and Customer Care, of the former FCA. “We are now shifting into another gear and offering a limited-edition kit that will allow customers to really enhance the performance and look of their Dodge Charger R/T.”
Shy of the stripe along the lower portion of the body, Mopar’s 2015 vehicle looks a great deal like any other 2015 Charger, but the 2015 Moparized sedan was the first Mopar-branded vehicle to feature in-house engine tuning. To be more specific, the Mopar ’15 Charger featured Mopar’s Scat Pack Performance Stage 1 package, which was a precursor to today’s Direct Connection performance packages. The Mopar Scat Pack Stage 1 included a cold air intake, a free-flowing exhaust system and a specially tuned engine computer, all of which came together to add 18 horsepower and 18 lb-ft of torque – leading to a total output of 388 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque.
The Mopar ’15 package also came with a front strut tower brace, matte black stripes on the lower sides of the body, a serialized dash plaque, bright sport pedals and bright doorsill plates with the Mopar logo. The Mopar ’15 Charger doesn’t stand out as much compared to the early models, but when introduced, it was the most powerful Moparized vehicle to come to market.
The owner’s kit for the 2015 model year included a certificate of authenticity, a brochure on the package, a vintage Scat Pack poster, a Mopar Performance body badge and a Mopar magnetic mechanic tray – as well as the large, branded crate that carried the performance items. That decorative crate idea would be taken to the next level a few years later with the introduction of the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon.
Only 50 examples of the Mopar ’15 Charger kit were produced.
Mopar ’17 Challenger
Aside from the 2013 Dart, every Moparized vehicle since the program’s inception back in 2010 – including the Mopar ’12 Chrysler 300S and the Mopar ’16 Ram 1500 Rebel – had been powered by the 5.7-liter HEMI® engine, but that all changed with the Mopar ’17 Challenger. Based on the Challenger R/T Scat Pack 392 Shaker, these Mopar-branded muscle cars delivered 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque. These figures made the Mopar ’17 Challenger the most powerful model in the brand’s history, which served as a fitting tribute to the Mopar brand’s 80th birthday that same year.
“Since its birth in 1937, Mopar has evolved from the name of an antifreeze product to a global customer-care brand,” said Pietro Gorlier, then-Head of Parts and Service (Mopar), of the former FCA – Global. “The Mopar ’17 Dodge Challenger, our latest limited-edition vehicle, is a testament to this philosophy, showcasing how Mopar assists owners in personalizing all FCA US vehicles.”
The Mopar ’17 Challenger started with a truly unique paint scheme which has not been replicated on any model since. The “top” of the car was painted Pitch Black, including the hood, the upward-facing portion of the fenders and front fascia, the A-pillars, the roof, the C-pillars, the trunk and the upward-facing portion of the rear quarter panels. The Shaker hood scoop and rear wing are also painted Pitch Black rather than the traditional matte black. The sides and lower portions of the body were painted either Contusion Blue or Billet Silver, with 80 units made of each two-tone combination. While you can order modern Challengers and Chargers with black hood, roof and trunk packages, none of them cover the entirety of the upper portion of the body like the Mopar ’17 Challenger.
The exterior upgrades of the Mopar ’17 Challenger are completed with hand-painted Mopar 392 logos on the front fenders, unique accents on the wheels and SRT Hellcat exhaust tips out back.
On the inside, this package came with leather-and-suede sport seats with embroidered Mopar logos on the front upper seatbacks in Tungsten. That Tungsten stitching is also included on the dashboard, door panels, steering wheel and seat bolsters, providing an attractive contrast against the black cabin. Under the hood, there is a serialized Mopar ’17 80th Anniversary badge that announces the vehicle’s position out of the 80 units built of each exterior color. The underhood area also features strut tower braces with silver powdercoated caps and a Mopar cold air intake kit that utilizes the driver’s side headlight, similar to the SRT Hellcat air intake system design.
Finally, the owner’s kit for each Mopar ’17 Challenger came with a vehicle “birth certificate” which displays the vehicle specifications, date of manufacture and proprietary vehicle number. There is also an autographed Mopar ’17 artwork from the FCA Product Design office, a Mopar ’17 information booklet, Mopar valve stem caps, a Mopar ’17 keychain and a Mopar 80th Anniversary badge that was designed to be applied to the rear spoiler. A total of 160 examples of the Mopar ’17 Challenger were produced.
