First-Year 1966 Dodge Charger Looks Stunning in Bright Red

And that's mainly because it was notably different from other muscle cars of the era. While most high-performance midsize rigs were relatively mundane in terms of features, the first-gen Charger was developed as a more premium proposition. Sure, Plymouth took a similar route with the GTX in 1967, but the Charger has a few unique things to brag about.

While the GTX was essentially a Satellite with a fancier interior, the Charger featured a unique appearance. It shared the front sheet metal with the Coronet, but the fastback rear end put it in a tiny niche shared only with the Rambler Marlin. The Charger was the better-looking option by a long shot. And unlike other Mopar muscle cars, it came with four individual bucket seats.

This unique layout survived for only two model years. Due to slow sales, Dodge redesigned the Charger for the 1968 model year, and the rest is history. Now almost 60 years old, the first-gen Mopar isn't getting as much love as its successor. But this 1966 example in red proves the early Charger is a stunning piece of Dodge history.

Showcased by Street Dreams Texas, this first-year Charger is one of those fully restored rigs that look perfect from just about every angle. And even though I'm not a big fan of red muscle cars, this hue provides a great contrast with the chrome bumpers and the razor-style front grille. This Charger also has the second feature I like about red cars: a matching interior. Red-on-red is a flashy yet surprisingly elegant combo.

The engine bay is just as clean as the rest of the car, but there's some weathering on the block. This may suggest that the 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) V8 is numbers-matching and got a sympathetic restoration a while back. And this detail makes this 1966 Charger an even more valuable classic.

The 383-cubic-inch mill was one of four V8-exclusive options available in 1966. Rated at 325 horsepower and 425 pound-feet (576 Nm) of torque, the four-barrel unit slotted above the 361-cubic-inch (5.9-liter) V8 and below the range-topping 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI. The engine mates to a three-speed automatic gearbox.

The drivetrain combo makes this Charger one of 9,519 units built with this configuration. It's not exactly rare, but it's scarcer than the entry-level version fitted with the 318-cubic-inch (5.2-liter) V8. If it's something you'd like to park in your driveway, this classic Mopar is looking for a new home for $49,500.