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Dodge Challenger Outsells Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang In Q3

What a surprise, isn’t it? It’s the oldest, largest, and arguably the worst performer in the twisties, but the Dodge Challenger has trumped the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang once again. In the three-month period from July to August 2019, the notchback coupe that started production in 2008 has sold 18,031 examples of the breed, translating to a 21-percent increase over the third quarter of 2018.
Dodge Challenger 11 photos
Photo: Dodge
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For starters, these numbers don’t have anything to do with the inflated sales scandal we’ve covered not that long ago. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will pay a $40 million fine for lying to investors about the automaker’s commercial performance, and that’s that as far as investors and government watchdogs are concerned.

Moving back to the main topic, Ford Mustang sales fell 12.3 percent to 16,823 units in the period. Chevrolet is the worst performer with a drop of 15 percent for the Camaro and a total of 12,275 vehicles. Given these numbers, does it come as a surprise the Camaro Gen 7 might never happen and that Ford is working on the Mustang Hybrid to attract new and eco-conscious customers to the brand?

Q3 sales only tell a part of the story, and the full picture is not as pretty. Challenger, Camaro, and Ford year-to-date sales are down 11, 7.6, and 10.1 percent, standing proof to the dwindling demand for two-door coupes and convertibles. If you were wondering why Dodge still holds onto the segment with a tight grip despite the age of the Challenger, the standard V6 engine and available all-wheel drive might have something to do with it. The 797-horsepower Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye and Widebody option are two more highlights worth taking into consideration.

While Chevrolet is standing still with the ‘Maro, Ford follows in the footsteps of Dodge with continuous improvements to the ‘Stang. The Shelby GT350R and Shelby GT500 come to mind, as well as the over-$100,000 price of the king snake when equipped with a few options. Seriously, the GT500 is that expensive!
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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