First introduced in 1949 as a full-size car, the Dodge Coronet was discontinued in 1959. The nameplate returned in 1965, but Dodge assigned the badge to its intermediate lineup. Slotted under the Polara, the fifth-generation Coronet was used as a base for the iconic Charger in 1966. It also spawned the Super Bee in 1968, so the Coronet is responsible for two of the hottest Mopars from the golden muscle car era.
But that's not to say that the Coronet itself was a mundane car. Sure, the Coronet was most popular in four-door sedan and station wagon guise at the time, but Dodge also offered two-door versions with high-performance engines. The 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI V8, for instance, became available in the Coronet in 1966, as soon as Chrysler began offering it in road-going models.
What's more, Dodge also used the Coronet to introduce the R/T high-performance trim level. That's right, the badge that became famous for its presence on high-performance Charger and Challenger models was actually born on the company's bread-and-butter intermediate.
Dodge launched the Coronet R/T for the 1967 model year, one year before a similar package was added to the Charger and three years before the Challenger even existed. Only available on the two-door hardtop and convertible models, the R/T came standard with the massive 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) 440 V8, while the 426 HEMI was optional. These mills were rated at 375 and 425 horsepower, respectively.
While the Coronet was a big hit in 1967 with almost 185,000 units sold, only 10,181 customers went with the more expensive R/T package. Only 628 of them were convertibles, leaving only 9,553 two-door hardtops with the iconic badge. Granted, that number doesn't make the 1967 Coronet R/T particularly rare, but well-maintained examples are hard to find nowadays. Like this black-on-black beauty here.
I admit I'm not a big fan of black cars. As a Mopar enthusiast, I'm more into the High Impact colors that adorned late 1960s cars. But this Coronet R/T looks downright amazing and the black paint turns it into an unassuming sleeper.
But it wasn't always like that. You see, while this R/T spent most of its life with the same owner, it was also kept in storage for a very long time. To the point where it started to have rust issues and needed restoration.
Fortunately, the much-needed refresh came in 2012 and the Mopar still looks the part after more than a decade. And the even better news is that it's still paired with its original V8 engine. It's not a 426 HEMI car, of which only 283 were built, but the 440 RB V8 is the next best thing in terms of oomph and exhaust note. Check it out in the video below.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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