Photo: Dodge
As you’re well aware, pony and muscle cars speak more to boomers and xers than millennials and the Z generation. That’s because the first two categories have more spending power than the remaining two, which is why the average age of Dodge Challenger buyers in the U.S. is 51 years old.
Muscle Cars & Trucks received this figure from none other than Kevin Hellman, brand manager for the Challenger. According to the report, “51 is an age that may seem rather senior but it’s all about perspective.”
The Federal Reserve has the best data on new car buyers in the United States, and as expected, the average age of a customer increased to 53 years old over the past decade. Even more surprising is that Challenger buyers are typically younger than Mustang and Camar customers, but then again, the Dodge is the more retro-flavored option of the three as well as the most powerful.
As standard, $28,095 buys you the Challenger with the Pentastar V6. Even in entry-level specification, this model features 305 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque. The Mustang and Camaro, by comparison, have to make do with four-cylinder turbocharged engines. At the other end of the spectrum, the Hellcat Redeye levels up to 797 horsepower and 707 pound-feet.
General Motors and the Ford Motor Company can’t do better than the Camaro ZL1 and Shelby GT500, which goes to show that Dodge has called the shots better than the competition as far as suck-squeeze-bang-blow is concerned. For people who grew up with the muscle car scene of the 1960s, there’s no denying the Challenger has an extremely special place in their hearts.
For the time being, sales for pony and muscle cars are shaky to say the least. Only in the first half of 2019, U.S. sales of the Mustang, Challenger, and Camaro are down by 9.2, 23, and 3.4 percent from a year ago.
More or less a cyclical pullback rather than a more serious condition, dwindling sales for pony cars and muscle cars are also due to the increasing popularity of crossovers and SUVs. Coincidence or not, it’s the Big Three in Detroit who are partially responsible for this change in consumer preference as well.
The Federal Reserve has the best data on new car buyers in the United States, and as expected, the average age of a customer increased to 53 years old over the past decade. Even more surprising is that Challenger buyers are typically younger than Mustang and Camar customers, but then again, the Dodge is the more retro-flavored option of the three as well as the most powerful.
As standard, $28,095 buys you the Challenger with the Pentastar V6. Even in entry-level specification, this model features 305 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque. The Mustang and Camaro, by comparison, have to make do with four-cylinder turbocharged engines. At the other end of the spectrum, the Hellcat Redeye levels up to 797 horsepower and 707 pound-feet.
General Motors and the Ford Motor Company can’t do better than the Camaro ZL1 and Shelby GT500, which goes to show that Dodge has called the shots better than the competition as far as suck-squeeze-bang-blow is concerned. For people who grew up with the muscle car scene of the 1960s, there’s no denying the Challenger has an extremely special place in their hearts.
For the time being, sales for pony and muscle cars are shaky to say the least. Only in the first half of 2019, U.S. sales of the Mustang, Challenger, and Camaro are down by 9.2, 23, and 3.4 percent from a year ago.
More or less a cyclical pullback rather than a more serious condition, dwindling sales for pony cars and muscle cars are also due to the increasing popularity of crossovers and SUVs. Coincidence or not, it’s the Big Three in Detroit who are partially responsible for this change in consumer preference as well.
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