I had a 78 Chrysler Cordoba. 400 dark brown with a gold metal flake and a power sunroof with Corinthian leather and center console. It was beautiful and I loved it.
Those headlight covers were also to help with aerodynamics for NASCAR. Richard Petty was still driving a 1974 Charger, and they had to get an extension on the rules to allow a 4 year old car to run on the track.
There was a big flood in PA in 1975 and we bought a 1975 Cordoba with a 318 engine in New Catle PA from this sale. I disassembled the interior to find about a 1/2 inch of silt under there and the story could go on but we enjoyed many moments of family bliss when driving this one. The little 318 was a woderful engine for us as well. It was Dodges mkting error to place the "Charger" name plate upon their version of this platform. Any other name would have allowed their faithful customers to enjoy their product. Instead the Dodge "Charger" name only brought embarrassment and humiliation to their owners as those attending their family reunions scoffed at the new models inability to compete with the brilliant design including better engines etc that the former name plates offered.
Every one of the small block V8s are a favorite of mine. The Ford 302, Chevy 327, and dodge 318. Just nice engines. Decent power and decent mileage, easy to find parts and ok to work on.
I agree. Especially the first models with the round headlights vs. the stacked rectangular lamps. I thought they had one of the nicest interiors as well.
Hugely popular, good-looking "personal luxury cars." They looked "rich" in more than their optional Corinthian leather - there were "gold" medallions even on the wheelcovers! To think Chrysler Corp was simultaneously serving up the high-hat square Volare/Aspen (rustbuckets) for mass consumption. In the latter half of the '70s I saw a lot more of those in driveways and on the road than any full-size Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth.
These could be ordered with a 3.7L 225 CID Super Slant 6 for a 325.00 credit. Not many were made with the Super slant 6. A neighbor of two blocks down had a 1979 with a 225 Super Slant 6. It was a slug. That slant 6 outlasted the body. He ordered it new like that and got a 325.00 credit from Chrysler. He had it from 1978-2005. He ordered it with bucket seats Automatic PS/PB A/C AM/FM 8 track with CB power antenna leather console Rally Steel wheels Power windows T-Tops Tilt wheel Cruise Power Seat Mirrors $7825.00 new. Im guesssing these with the 225 Super Slant 6 would be rare. He also ordered the sport 15 inch wheels. I wanted the car when I was 16. Dad said it was too old snd got me a 1988 Plymouth Sundance RS (Rally Sport) 2.5 Turbo instead. That car got in the upper 30's highway and close to 27 city. The slant 6 would have gotten maybe 11 city and 23 highway. The Super Slantb 6 had 275 FT of Torque and 165 HP and the also the 1988 Sundannce was FWD and with the Turbo was quick with Carroll Shelby's 2.5L 4 with 175hp and 175 ft of torque. My friens brought the Maguim off the guy in 1997 for 325.00 it had 125k miles and I brought the 1988 Sundance RS Shebly with 56k miles for 750.00. I didnt know at the time that the 1988-1989 Plymouth Sundance Rally Sport (RS) Turbo was a rare Plymouth option with only less than 650 ordered for 88 and 89. These RS models came with every power option you could get
It was mentioned in this video that the '66 Charger had the best looking hidden headlight system. It was pretty cool looking, but certainly not the best. In my book, that title of the best looking hidden headlight system has to go to the '65 Riviera. It had those stacked sealed beams mounted way outboard on the car, as far out on the corners as it was possible to be, right at the furthest edge of the front end, and had two doors... the bottom rotated down, while the top one rotated up, and they looked absolutely amazing whether opened or closed. The system on the I don't remember which year, but it was on one of the first few years of the Olds Toronado were really nice looking too. Each side was stowed away above the grille and pointing upward, giving a 100% clean and unbroken grille all the way across the car. When the headlights were switched on, they rotated down and were actually pretty far inboard. That's not to say that the hidden headlight system on the Charger was unappealing, because it certainly was. It's just that the Riviera's were far better looking.
The 1978 Dodge Magnum. Now, that's a distant memory. I had a "friend with benefits" who traded her blue Mercury Cougar for a white Magnum. Sharp car, sharp girl. The one quote I remember from her was, "Man, you're a bigger kvetch than my grandmother!"
Whenever I see a Chrysler Cordoba I always thing of Ricardo Montalbán and the TV show "Fantasy Island, Oh and Hervé Villechaize as Tattoo. I always liked the Cordoba/Charger/Magnum cars, round headlights only on the Cordoba and Charger. My dad had a Magnum and I always thought "Boy that would be nice with a 440 and four speed."
Odd, I was just thinking about the Magnum this past week. I was perhaps 10 years old when I first saw this car. Just ONE in the NYC area I lived in, so it stood out to me. Particularly impressive were the clear covered headlamps which I found quite pretty to look at and very "futuristic" by my standards back in the day.
My parents bought a 1978 Dodge Magnum back in the day. I think they bought it in 1982. I always loved the way the car looked. It was pretty undependable though. They got rid of it and bought a Brand new 1986 Chevy Monte Carlo LS with the restyled nose.
Thank you Adam. It was interesting learning about the headlight design and it being used on the St Regis and Magnum. They were not ugly cars at all. They really tried to make the Magnum different from Cordoba.
@@mypronouniswtf5559 the Saint Regis with the 360 was actually for its era a well-liked police car. It had some power it was a midsize for the time and comfortable to work in.
I did drive one of these several years ago early in my driving experience. A friend had found one, as in Northern New England big cars have always been almost free until the last few years, and I believe he paid 300$ for it. It was white, white Landau, and had red velour interior. Minor rust in common places. Had the three steel spoke wheel and had the pentastar floor shifter button. We thought it was fast then and the car seemed gigantic with an amazing hood view. Looking back at this design now, like all Chrysler products of the period you can clearly see GM, particularly 1977 Buick in this front end design. They were nice cars felt heavy had an isolation the finest luxury cars today don’t know how to produce… was fun cheap transportation kids coming up today I’m sad to say will never experience unless they literally chase it down.
They were quick cars with the lean burn removed and carb replaced they were fast..I ran a stock 400 4bbl 1978 to 13.90's in the 1/4 mile bone stock except removed lean burn and had a 850 carter 4bbl..removed the cats with new duel exhaust,it had 3.21 rear axle...Buddy had a 360 that ran low 15's in the 1/4..
I've been looking forward to your video about these cars. Always thought the Dodge Magnum would look great done up as a Max Max Interceptor, all black with a supercharger/blower sticking out the hood, and big wide tires in the back. It's a shame they were only made for a few model years
Those late 70s MoPars were heavy on the cheeze. Those horizontal lines in the headlight lens, for example. and the famous "corinthian leather". The Cordoba did have a majestic driver perspective with an extremely long hood.
I saw a nice Cordoba on the road recently. What a doll! So much decoration, with embossed taillamps, opera lights, chrome highlights. My non-car aware passenger remarked "What is That Car?!" Seeing one driving down the road now is memorable. This was a '77 or so with the proper, round headlights.
When I was on the C.B. Radio I met a guy down the street whose handle was Mopar and he restored and collected Chrysler products. I bought his 1979 Magnum in black, GT and added centerlines.
Chrysler's polycarbonate headlight doors would have been a useful trick for European carmakers that were building cars with flush headlights at home, but were forced to use sealed-beams in the USA. I remember the way protruding sealed beams ruined the look of 1960s VW Beetles and made a number of 1970s European models look kind of hacked when built to federal standards.
Mopar did have some very good looking cars in the 70s, including the new for 1974 Large Cars, like Imperial and New Yorker, though the timing was the worst, the styling was up with the times. The Magnum just seemed very unique and stood out from the rest. Nice video.
The 1962 downsizing of the Plymouth/Dodge cars, while at the time… did very well for the corporation. They became the good selling ‘68-‘70 B bodies, including the road runner, Charger, and Satellite/Coronet line. They eventually became that Cordoba and Magnum, and basically were the “fullsize” R bodies. A 20 year run. Not bad. 😀
Have an uncle who owned a ‘78 Magnum, then later in life bought a 2005 Magnum when the model was reintroduced. In both instances he loved the cars, had them both for over 10 years and was saddened that neither model lasted more than 2-4 years respectively. He jokes that he personally cursed the name Magnum for Dodge 😅
The headlight covers on the 65 & 66 Imperials were made of tempered glass & weigh a ton. You showed a 65 with the white horizontal lines in the glass. I own a 66 which have twin gold lines around the edge in 24 carat gold.
My mom bought a new Charger in 1977, an SE with a 318, it was a great car and then yours truly bought a 1979 Magnum XE with a 400 4 bbl all leather a super cool but had the lean burn lol
I had a 79 Cardoba and loved it. It developed a lot mechanical issues. I spent a ton trying to keep it running. I came home one day and it was gone. My now ex/wife sold it to a junk yard. She did save the hood ornament. I still miss that car. Her? Not so much
At the time of their introduction I was impressed by the cool front end on the Magnum, but I don't think I ever saw many on the road. It strikes me when you mention that Chrysler offered those large-cube engines that late in the 1970s, because after the 1979 Iranian oil crisis I think engines and cars of this size were suddenly dinosaurs. As much as we here admire and feel so nostalgic for these cars, the reality is they were - sadly - out of step with the times we were handed by 1980.
The 78 Magnum & the 78 Cordoba were both very attractive cars. Imo I prefer the Magnum due to the sportier side panels & the pop up headlamp covers. The wheel options as well
My family has a 75 Dodge Charger Daytona, 76 Charger Daytona, 76 Charger SE and a 77 Charger SE. We still love them to death even tho we know they're Cordoba's
For 6 months my mother owned a 1976 Dodge Charger SE red it was very cool I remember this is way back in 1988 in m i l a n population 56 Kansas I'm not sure what engine it had I think it was the 318 or the 360
And it was so awful aerodynamically that it prompted both he and Neil Bonnett, Chrysler's two remaining factory drivers, to jump ship before the year was out (though Kyle Petty managed to win his debut ARCA race at Daytona in one of his dad's discarded Magnums).
Thanks Adam. As a kid I remember the Magnum being heavily advertised in print and TV. I always liked the look of it, but it was clearly a Córdoba underneath. I read the ‘71 Buick was a huge inspiration for the big ‘74 Polara/Monaco - maybe the ‘77 big Buick inspired the front end of the Magnum & St. Regis
My cousin purchased a brand new 1979 Magnum GT. White - no sunroof or t-top, but it did have power windows, power door locks, beautiful wheels and wheel flares. The car had a cloth interior - a kind of varied red corduroy velour. Seemed quite fast relative to the other cars I had driven at the time. Hadn't thought about that for ages until I saw this video come up. It truly was a beautiful car.
Although I like the front end I wouldn't say it was "unique in the marketplace", it is a dead ringer for the Buick LeSabre front end that was introduced in 1977, the headlight arrangement and the way the grill on the bottom extends below the headlights is nearly identical and very square, it looks like a LeSabre with plexiglass shields over the recessed headlamps. The front end is attractive, it just looks like it does not fit the rest of the rounded early 70s body with a more boxy 80s style nose tacked onto the front.
Thank-you, Adam, for another inspiring, and educational, course on the cars that I remember and love from my younger years, but cannot afford. Yet, with your tutelage I’m able to enjoy them all!
My Dad got a 1977 Dodge Charger SE when I was a kid. That thing stayed driving in the family for 22 years. The body started rusting badly, we ended up selling it to someone who wanted the motor.
The Charger you show is the Charger Special Edition and the Charger Daytona. You neglected to mention the base charger which for at least one year was just a two door Coronet.
Sorry Bro I JUST subscribed, I thought I had previously but I checked and I had forgotten!!! AWESOME video, my absolute FAV was the 1980-1983 DODGE MIRADA!!!
Pleasant surprise, Mopar, and the details to Chrysler's emanate bailout. Ricardo Montalban, Corinthian Leather were my first thoughts, not a Jaguar. The Magnum just had stronger presence and not so much Monte Carlo.👍🏾💯🏁
In the introduction of the Magnum, alongside the Charger in 1978, is similar to what Mercedes has done recently by making the GT 4dr alongside the CLS.
A Coronet coupe joined the sedans and wagons for 1975, basically a mid-size Plymouth Fury coupe with modified taillights and the Coronet-s split rectangular grille. The Coronet coupe was rebadged for '76 as a _Charger Sport_ which was indistinguishable from the '75 Coronet except for the badges.
My parents bought a 75 Coronet Brougham brand new in Sept 1974, the first brand new car they ever bought. It lasted for a little over a year until my dad nailed three trees on the side of the road trying to pass a slower car, a small car came up out of a dip in the road and he had to turn left to avoid it. He smashed up the drivers side pretty good (I still have the pictures of what it looked like after) but because of the lap belt he walked away even though his sunglasses broke on the steering wheel and cut his nose, he ended up with a few stitches. When all was said and done we ended up with a 76 Charger SE in Silver with red velour.
Mid 80’s one of my first cars was a Chrysler Cordoba… I liked it…. Some years later I traded an 80’ss Park Ave for a Chrysler LHS. Pretty sporty looking but it was a tight suspension car, big mistake making that trade.
Wish they would have offered the same 360 as the little red express for the magnum. Or a 440 with at least 250 hp. Saw a lot of magnums around back then. Nice rims and t tops made a good looking car.
The biggest problem with the Imperial fuel injection was that they designed it for the use of gasoline not gasoline with alcohol or methanol or whateverandall. The system used a very lean mixture so the less than pure gasoline mixture would over lean the engine and it would backfire which caused the fuel injection system and the air cleaner to catch on fire. My favorite Professor Dwayne at McPherson College of auro restoration program had a fuel injected Imperial and it ran great because he used pure gasoline. Alcohol should be served in a glass not in a gas tank!
I had a maroon '78 Dodge Magnum XE. What a great looking car for that year! I really liked the center console. I bought it used because it had a 360 in it and I wanted the engine for my Duster. Well it was a LEAN BURN 360. "How bad can it be?" Let's take it to the track and find out! How's about an 18.20? Wow that's slow.
I knew someone who got so frustrated with the troublesome lean-burn system and electronic ignition on his 1978 Magnum that he had it converted to the old-style tried and true points and condenser setup. I'm not sure of which of the V8 engines were under the hood, or if he had a different carburetor installed, but the vehicle ran far better than it did prior to the conversion.
You need more Mopars, Adam! The '78 Magnum and the Mirada are two of my favorite quirky Mopars...been trying to find one for years but theyre pretty rare and as a result theyre either all beat to hell and really rough, or collector level mint cars with like 30k mi on them that are way out of my budget. If you can find a nice example you shoukd totally jump on it! I would love to see one in your collection, Adam!
There was another version of the charger that shared the body with the midsize fury A co worker had one with a /6 I told him that it must be the Cordoba based one but I was obviously wrong when he showed it to me They were more of a 2 door hardtop than a colonnade opera window style
I'm not sure but I think they made a Charger on the Adpen/Volare platform for only a year or two in the late 70s...I don't know if the model of the car was technically "Charger" I think it was more of a trim level/package.
That midsize Fury was a Cordoba! Same B Body platform,same underside,same engine compartment,just little shorter and different sheet metal..They even had the same dash/seats and console if equipt..They were the same car!
Even to me as a 12 year old kid at the time, the Magnum just seemed like it was too much. I mean I liked it OK, but would've really preferred a '73-'75 Cutlass, as far as Colonnades go. It looks like the Chargers used the '73-'75 Monte Carlo nose (header panel/grill/headlights,) while the later first gen Cordoba (Shown at 8:03) used the nose from the '76-'77 Monte Carlo. Those engines were likely further impeded by tall rear-end gear ratios. At least you could pull the 400, and put a proper 440 in its place fairly easily... Still, those 400s actually aren't bad engines, and can be used to stroke up a 440. The Chrysler 400 was still rated for well over 200 horsepower in '73-'74.
@@MarinCipollina The Opera-style quarter windows are my definition, but I don't know that that is correct. You might be right about that being GM's own terminology.
@@DanEBoyd Probably GM's terminology, but equally applicable to non-GM cars that employ the same styling elements.. Sort of like how "fuselage styling" was Chrysler terminology, but also applies to GM cars of the same era..
I noticed you didn't mention the Plymouth version. I had a 78 Plymouth Gran Fury, the sister to the Cordoba and Magnum. Its’ 318 burned more oil than gas and, in Canadian winters, would continue in a straight line in the snow no matter how much I turned the steering wheel. It looked good, though.
That silver and red cordoba was identical to the 75 Charger SE which I bought back in the day. It was a nice looking car but couldn’t afford the gas that the 400 sucked. Lean burn irony. Owned it for about 10 months.
Magnum doors were even different,they were bulged out vs the Cordoba! Fenders were the same,hood different and front header panel..and different tail lights.
I read an article, I believe from Road and Track where they asked the question, 'wrong name on an otherwise good car'? concerning the 75 Charger SE. They got into the naming of the B car, as add execs wanted the transition from muscle car to personal luxury car for 75, with a name plate customers would recognize. They stated that sales of the MC, GP and Ford's Torino line had good sales success with those older names. Dealers had a questionnaire on what the new Dodge should be. Magnum was #1. The execs would step in and say that Magnum was too much of a performance name since it was used on performance engines in the late 60s and early 70s it might stop people from buying the new car with the thinking that insurance would be an issue. So 2things happened there. 1st the 318 was the std motor, whereas the 400 was std on the Cordoba. And 2ndly, the Magnum name wasn't allowed until 78 with the new frt end but by then GM and Ford was starting to downsize, and GM hadnew engines that used less gas in the lighter cars. By 78 as much as the new Magnum looked great, these Bs were known for premature rusting as well as poor fit and finish. Customers weren't having it. A 2nd OPEC crisis didn't help.
I think I'm becoming too much of groupie... this was only an hour old... lol Loved the video... Don't forget though Plymouth had the Fury (midsized 4dr sedan) and the Fury Sport coupe. Dodge also copied this as the Coronet, in 74/75 then changing the full sized one to the Royal Monaco.and rebadging the mid sized one as Monaco. I think these two cars started in 75 and ran till 78. So it would seem they used the same platform for no less than 4 sport coupes and 2 4dr. cars, with Chrysler using ONLY the coupe for the Cordoba.. We had the 77 Fury Sport vertical headlamps and hard vinyl covered roof, that emcompassed the opera window, but left a metal final to the rear window. It was a beautiful car, and interestingly, we traded a 74 Monte Carlo in for it...
The E58 was available in Magnums. I’ve heard that is very rare in 78s since a buyer wanting the “best” engine would have ordered a 400. But in 79 the E58 was the top engine choice. I have a 78 GT but it’s got the E56 360.
Well if one had the 400 4 barrel in 78, it could easily be improved. Convert to electronic ignition, advance the distributer timing, and add duel exhaust and the magnum would move out then. The 400 because of the large cylinder bore, would allow for more advanced timing because it would resist pinging compared to other motors.
Mopar enthusiasts refer to the 1975-77 Dodge Charger as the "disco" Charger.
I think it looked better as a Charger than as a Cordoba.
Chrysler was advertising the Cordova A LOT MORE than Dodge did.
I had a 78 Chrysler Cordoba. 400 dark brown with a gold metal flake and a power sunroof with Corinthian leather and center console. It was beautiful and I loved it.
Those headlight covers were also to help with aerodynamics for NASCAR. Richard Petty was still driving a 1974 Charger, and they had to get an extension on the rules to allow a 4 year old car to run on the track.
Yep! My favorite racecar and driver. I have a bone stock unrestored 74 Charger in my garage that's almost due for it's 50k mile checkup.
@@LongIslandMoparsI had a 74 charger, shag carpet behind the back seats and fugly bench seats with stripes
@@kevinmc4500 Nice!!
What kind of h.p. do you think his had?
@@Johnnycdrums whatever they had available for NASCAR, wasn’t stock spec anyway, so no clue
There was a big flood in PA in 1975 and we bought a 1975 Cordoba with a 318 engine in New Catle PA from this sale.
I disassembled the interior to find about a 1/2 inch of silt under there and the story could go on but we enjoyed many moments of family bliss when driving this one. The little 318 was a woderful engine for us as well.
It was Dodges mkting error to place the "Charger" name plate upon their version of this platform. Any other name would have allowed their faithful customers to enjoy their product. Instead the Dodge "Charger" name only brought embarrassment and humiliation to their owners as those attending their family reunions scoffed at the new models inability to compete with the brilliant design including better engines etc that the former name plates offered.
And then came the Mirada-based Magnum...
at least it wasn't a Dodge Aries Charger
Every one of the small block V8s are a favorite of mine. The Ford 302, Chevy 327, and dodge 318. Just nice engines. Decent power and decent mileage, easy to find parts and ok to work on.
Chrysler Cordoba was one of the sharpist cars ever produced, "with fine Corinthian leather!"
I agree. Especially the first models with the round headlights vs. the stacked rectangular lamps. I thought they had one of the nicest interiors as well.
Hugely popular, good-looking "personal luxury cars." They looked "rich" in more than their optional Corinthian leather - there were "gold" medallions even on the wheelcovers! To think Chrysler Corp was simultaneously serving up the high-hat square Volare/Aspen (rustbuckets) for mass consumption. In the latter half of the '70s I saw a lot more of those in driveways and on the road than any full-size Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth.
One of the better looking midsized cars of its day.
Agreed!
Yes they were awesome
I had a 78 Magnum. I sanded down the headlight doors and painted them, as the sun fade looked horrible
A car that most people have forgotten about, or never even knew existed, as you mentioned. I always thought they were quite unique.
Not to mention the production delays due to the negotiations with the Corinthians about their exclusive leather. 😂
New Jersey supplier...
i have always liked chrysler's out of the box designs it was a very underated company as far as designs were back then
Virgil Exner took it too far. Elwood Engel cleaned up Chrysler Corporate styling and made it look presentable.
@@MisterMikeTexas Engel had no imagination. his designs all looked like boxes.
These could be ordered with a 3.7L 225 CID Super Slant 6 for a 325.00 credit. Not many were made with the Super slant 6. A neighbor of two blocks down had a 1979 with a 225 Super Slant 6. It was a slug. That slant 6 outlasted the body. He ordered it new like that and got a 325.00 credit from Chrysler. He had it from 1978-2005. He ordered it with bucket seats Automatic PS/PB A/C AM/FM 8 track with CB power antenna leather console Rally Steel wheels Power windows T-Tops Tilt wheel Cruise Power Seat Mirrors $7825.00 new. Im guesssing these with the 225 Super Slant 6 would be rare. He also ordered the sport 15 inch wheels. I wanted the car when I was 16. Dad said it was too old snd got me a 1988 Plymouth Sundance RS (Rally Sport) 2.5 Turbo instead. That car got in the upper 30's highway and close to 27 city. The slant 6 would have gotten maybe 11 city and 23 highway. The Super Slantb 6 had 275 FT of Torque and 165 HP and the also the 1988 Sundannce was FWD and with the Turbo was quick with Carroll Shelby's 2.5L 4 with 175hp and 175 ft of torque. My friens brought the Maguim off the guy in 1997 for 325.00 it had 125k miles and I brought the 1988 Sundance RS Shebly with 56k miles for 750.00. I didnt know at the time that the 1988-1989 Plymouth Sundance Rally Sport (RS) Turbo was a rare Plymouth option with only less than 650 ordered for 88 and 89. These RS models came with every power option you could get
It was mentioned in this video that the '66 Charger had the best looking hidden headlight system. It was pretty cool looking, but certainly not the best. In my book, that title of the best looking hidden headlight system has to go to the '65 Riviera. It had those stacked sealed beams mounted way outboard on the car, as far out on the corners as it was possible to be, right at the furthest edge of the front end, and had two doors... the bottom rotated down, while the top one rotated up, and they looked absolutely amazing whether opened or closed. The system on the I don't remember which year, but it was on one of the first few years of the Olds Toronado were really nice looking too. Each side was stowed away above the grille and pointing upward, giving a 100% clean and unbroken grille all the way across the car. When the headlights were switched on, they rotated down and were actually pretty far inboard. That's not to say that the hidden headlight system on the Charger was unappealing, because it certainly was. It's just that the Riviera's were far better looking.
The 65 Riviera is one of the best-looking cars ever. Just a beautiful design.
The 1978 Dodge Magnum. Now, that's a distant memory. I had a "friend with benefits" who traded her blue Mercury Cougar for a white Magnum. Sharp car, sharp girl. The one quote I remember from her was, "Man, you're a bigger kvetch than my grandmother!"
Whenever I see a Chrysler Cordoba I always thing of Ricardo Montalbán and the TV show "Fantasy Island, Oh and Hervé Villechaize as Tattoo. I always liked the Cordoba/Charger/Magnum cars, round headlights only on the Cordoba and Charger. My dad had a Magnum and I always thought "Boy that would be nice with a 440 and four speed."
Odd, I was just thinking about the Magnum this past week. I was perhaps 10 years old when I first saw this car. Just ONE in the NYC area I lived in, so it stood out to me. Particularly impressive were the clear covered headlamps which I found quite pretty to look at and very "futuristic" by my standards back in the day.
My parents bought a 1978 Dodge Magnum back in the day. I think they bought it in 1982. I always loved the way the car looked. It was pretty undependable though. They got rid of it and bought a Brand new 1986 Chevy Monte Carlo LS with the restyled nose.
Love the Magnum but the Monte with the Euro nose was an excellent decision as well.
@@weegeemikeThose Montes were nice and cushy.
I love my 76 Cordoba. 400 hipo, no lean burn, no catalyst. Last year for that option.
You're the best in describing narrating vehicles.
Adam is extremely knowledgeable!!
Thank you Adam. It was interesting learning about the headlight design and it being used on the St Regis and Magnum. They were not ugly cars at all. They really tried to make the Magnum different from Cordoba.
I'm sure the lack of skin from "fine Corinthian cows" helped emphasize that distinction.
@@pcno2832 ..That was the nicest leather of the day,comfortable,durable,soft! Better than any GM/Ford of the era!
@@pcno2832 That was the nicest leather of the day,comfortable,durable,soft! Better than any GM/Ford of the era!
@@mypronouniswtf5559 the Saint Regis with the 360 was actually for its era a well-liked police car. It had some power it was a midsize for the time and comfortable to work in.
Yah, the rebadged Charger was shameful.
I did drive one of these several years ago early in my driving experience. A friend had found one, as in Northern New England big cars have always been almost free until the last few years, and I believe he paid 300$ for it. It was white, white Landau, and had red velour interior. Minor rust in common places. Had the three steel spoke wheel and had the pentastar floor shifter button. We thought it was fast then and the car seemed gigantic with an amazing hood view. Looking back at this design now, like all Chrysler products of the period you can clearly see GM, particularly 1977 Buick in this front end design. They were nice cars felt heavy had an isolation the finest luxury cars today don’t know how to produce… was fun cheap transportation kids coming up today I’m sad to say will never experience unless they literally chase it down.
They were quick cars with the lean burn removed and carb replaced they were fast..I ran a stock 400 4bbl 1978 to 13.90's in the 1/4 mile bone stock except removed lean burn and had a 850 carter 4bbl..removed the cats with new duel exhaust,it had 3.21 rear axle...Buddy had a 360 that ran low 15's in the 1/4..
These 1978-79 Magnums are sure to be barn finds for many years.
I've been looking forward to your video about these cars. Always thought the Dodge Magnum would look great done up as a Max Max Interceptor, all black with a supercharger/blower sticking out the hood, and big wide tires in the back. It's a shame they were only made for a few model years
My father worked a lot of overtime because of these things 😊
Those late 70s MoPars were heavy on the cheeze. Those horizontal lines in the headlight lens, for example. and the famous "corinthian leather". The Cordoba did have a majestic driver perspective with an extremely long hood.
I saw a nice Cordoba on the road recently. What a doll! So much decoration, with embossed taillamps, opera lights, chrome highlights. My non-car aware passenger remarked "What is That Car?!" Seeing one driving down the road now is memorable.
This was a '77 or so with the proper, round headlights.
Not many around
They had bad rust problems on the rear quarters
When I was on the C.B. Radio I met a guy down the street whose handle was Mopar and he restored and collected Chrysler products. I bought his 1979 Magnum in black, GT and added centerlines.
Thanks. The Magnum was good-looking and the headlight covers were an interesting novelty in their day. I’d never noticed them on the St. Regis.
Chrysler's polycarbonate headlight doors would have been a useful trick for European carmakers that were building cars with flush headlights at home, but were forced to use sealed-beams in the USA. I remember the way protruding sealed beams ruined the look of 1960s VW Beetles and made a number of 1970s European models look kind of hacked when built to federal standards.
Mopar did have some very good looking cars in the 70s, including the new for 1974 Large Cars, like Imperial and New Yorker, though the timing was the worst, the styling was up with the times. The Magnum just seemed very unique and stood out from the rest. Nice video.
Great vid 👍👍
I miss my '78 Dove Grey Dodge Magnum, it was a fun car!!!
Too funny. I had the exact same car. ‘78 dove gray with t-tops and a 400
@@thomass4471 🤜🤛🙂
I had no idea those polycarbonate lenses were actually headlight doors that moved out of the way. I never knew that.
The 1962 downsizing of the Plymouth/Dodge cars, while at the time… did very well for the corporation. They became the good selling ‘68-‘70 B bodies, including the road runner, Charger, and Satellite/Coronet line. They eventually became that Cordoba and Magnum, and basically were the “fullsize” R bodies. A 20 year run. Not bad. 😀
They amortized the cost over 20 years, but the poor sales for 1962 caused their stylist to be sacked.
@@RareClassicCars The 62’s were ugly! 😁
Hey Adam! The 1962's were UGLY! See Chief Culpepper's unmarked cop car in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.@@drippinglass
I had a 78 Magnum xe. Was my first new car. I'll never forget her and if I am ever able to get another one I will
Have an uncle who owned a ‘78 Magnum, then later in life bought a 2005 Magnum when the model was reintroduced. In both instances he loved the cars, had them both for over 10 years and was saddened that neither model lasted more than 2-4 years respectively. He jokes that he personally cursed the name Magnum for Dodge 😅
My best friend in HS had a 78 Magnum that broke its crankshaft at 60,000 miles. He had the 400
Cool. I honestly had no idea the Magnum was a 'Dodge Cordoba'
Love the pinstripe matching on the body panels on the silver Daytona. 1970’s, damn.
Driver's headlight on the LSC looks wonky too. American Quality
Always loved the original Cordoba with the round headlights and the Magnum. Peak 70s style. Then too, I love the Mustang II.
I really liked Mom's 76 Cordoba
Considering it was a rebodied Pinto, they were great. Just a pale ghost after 66 - 73.
A cousin had 2 and hit 180k with both. Manual and 4 cyl.
The headlight covers on the 65 & 66 Imperials were made of tempered glass & weigh a ton. You showed a 65 with the white horizontal lines in the glass. I own a 66 which have twin gold lines around the edge in 24 carat gold.
Wow! Awesome!
Still own 2 1979 t top chrysler 300's. Love dobas
My mom bought a new Charger in 1977, an SE with a 318, it was a great car and then yours truly bought a 1979 Magnum XE with a 400 4 bbl all leather a super cool but had the lean burn lol
I had a 79 Cardoba and loved it. It developed a lot mechanical issues. I spent a ton trying to keep it running. I came home one day and it was gone. My now ex/wife sold it to a junk yard. She did save the hood ornament. I still miss that car. Her? Not so much
At the time of their introduction I was impressed by the cool front end on the Magnum, but I don't think I ever saw many on the road. It strikes me when you mention that Chrysler offered those large-cube engines that late in the 1970s, because after the 1979 Iranian oil crisis I think engines and cars of this size were suddenly dinosaurs. As much as we here admire and feel so nostalgic for these cars, the reality is they were - sadly - out of step with the times we were handed by 1980.
Thanks for this one, Adam.. I remember it, and drove one for a couple of days.. As a car salesman, you get to drive everything sooner or later.
The Magnum was one of the best looking 70’s cars. I had a nice green one I sold and am in the process of buying a replacement as I miss it.
thanks for posting looking forward to the next video.
the 75 charger looked good..id drive it!
The 78 Magnum & the 78 Cordoba were both very attractive cars. Imo I prefer the Magnum due to the sportier side panels & the pop up headlamp covers. The wheel options as well
My family has a 75 Dodge Charger Daytona, 76 Charger Daytona, 76 Charger SE and a 77 Charger SE. We still love them to death even tho we know they're Cordoba's
Even rarer is the charger Midnight Special with a very unique rear window.
I remember that lean burn garbage nothing but trouble. There was nothing like the interior of a Cordoba.
For 6 months my mother owned a 1976 Dodge Charger SE red it was very cool I remember this is way back in 1988 in m i l a n population 56 Kansas I'm not sure what engine it had I think it was the 318 or the 360
Cool video as always.
The Magnum was used as the foundation for Richard Petty’s car for the 1978 season.
And it was so awful aerodynamically that it prompted both he and Neil Bonnett, Chrysler's two remaining factory drivers, to jump ship before the year was out (though Kyle Petty managed to win his debut ARCA race at Daytona in one of his dad's discarded Magnums).
Thanks Adam. As a kid I remember the Magnum being heavily advertised in print and TV. I always liked the look of it, but it was clearly a Córdoba underneath. I read the ‘71 Buick was a huge inspiration for the big ‘74 Polara/Monaco - maybe the ‘77 big Buick inspired the front end of the Magnum & St. Regis
Actually it was the 1974 Plymouth Fury that looked just like a 1971 Buick LeSabre. I remember having to do a double take when that one first came out.
My cousin purchased a brand new 1979 Magnum GT. White - no sunroof or t-top, but it did have power windows, power door locks, beautiful wheels and wheel flares. The car had a cloth interior - a kind of varied red corduroy velour. Seemed quite fast relative to the other cars I had driven at the time. Hadn't thought about that for ages until I saw this video come up. It truly was a beautiful car.
I can picture it. Stunning hotrod.
I still love what Dodge did even in the tough times.
I like the design of these. Up until recently I still used to see a red one out and about in my area. I'd love to drop a recent 392 in one.
Although I like the front end I wouldn't say it was "unique in the marketplace", it is a dead ringer for the Buick LeSabre front end that was introduced in 1977, the headlight arrangement and the way the grill on the bottom extends below the headlights is nearly identical and very square, it looks like a LeSabre with plexiglass shields over the recessed headlamps.
The front end is attractive, it just looks like it does not fit the rest of the rounded early 70s body with a more boxy 80s style nose tacked onto the front.
Thank-you, Adam, for another inspiring, and educational, course on the cars that I remember and love from my younger years, but cannot afford. Yet, with your tutelage I’m able to enjoy them all!
My Dad got a 1977 Dodge Charger SE when I was a kid. That thing stayed driving in the family for 22 years. The body started rusting badly, we ended up selling it to someone who wanted the motor.
Chrysler did a good job of integrating the big bumpers unlike say Ford where theirs used plastic filler panels.
The Charger you show is the Charger Special Edition and the Charger Daytona. You neglected to mention the base charger which for at least one year was just a two door Coronet.
I had a 77 LeBaron with a 318 lean burn and once I excised that from my car it was the best car I ever had.
We had the original Cordoba and a 1976 New Yorker. The opera windows and lamps were unusual at the time. Loved both!
Sorry Bro I JUST subscribed, I thought I had previously but I checked and I had forgotten!!! AWESOME video, my absolute FAV was the 1980-1983 DODGE MIRADA!!!
I guess Honda figured out a lean burn system with the 3 barrel CVCC back then, but it had it's own problems
Pleasant surprise, Mopar, and the details to Chrysler's emanate bailout. Ricardo Montalban, Corinthian Leather were my first thoughts, not a Jaguar. The Magnum just had stronger presence and not so much Monte Carlo.👍🏾💯🏁
wow, never knew about this magnum!
In the introduction of the Magnum, alongside the Charger in 1978, is similar to what Mercedes has done recently by making the GT 4dr alongside the CLS.
A Coronet coupe joined the sedans and wagons for 1975, basically a mid-size Plymouth Fury coupe with modified taillights and the Coronet-s split rectangular grille.
The Coronet coupe was rebadged for '76 as a _Charger Sport_ which was indistinguishable from the '75 Coronet except for the badges.
My parents bought a 75 Coronet Brougham brand new in Sept 1974, the first brand new car they ever bought. It lasted for a little over a year until my dad nailed three trees on the side of the road trying to pass a slower car, a small car came up out of a dip in the road and he had to turn left to avoid it. He smashed up the drivers side pretty good (I still have the pictures of what it looked like after) but because of the lap belt he walked away even though his sunglasses broke on the steering wheel and cut his nose, he ended up with a few stitches. When all was said and done we ended up with a 76 Charger SE in Silver with red velour.
Mid 80’s one of my first cars was a Chrysler Cordoba… I liked it…. Some years later I traded an 80’ss Park Ave for a Chrysler LHS. Pretty sporty looking but it was a tight suspension car, big mistake making that trade.
LOL, just imagine, your an astronaut, just about to launch, you look out at the propulsion system and see... LEAN BURN!!! Bail out now!!!!😄😉
I was a huge fan of the Magnum, a buddy of mine had one - I never knew until watching this that the headlamps opened up
It would really be nice to see some pictures from different angles, details and the rear.
Wish they would have offered the same 360 as the little red express for the magnum. Or a 440 with at least 250 hp.
Saw a lot of magnums around back then. Nice rims and t tops made a good looking car.
The biggest problem with the Imperial fuel injection was that they designed it for the use of gasoline not gasoline with alcohol or methanol or whateverandall. The system used a very lean mixture so the less than pure gasoline mixture would over lean the engine and it would backfire which caused the fuel injection system and the air cleaner to catch on fire. My favorite Professor Dwayne at McPherson College of auro restoration program had a fuel injected Imperial and it ran great because he used pure gasoline.
Alcohol should be served in a glass not in a gas tank!
Nice. Sharp looking ❤
I had a maroon '78 Dodge Magnum XE. What a great looking car for that year! I really liked the center console. I bought it used because it had a 360 in it and I wanted the engine for my Duster. Well it was a LEAN BURN 360. "How bad can it be?" Let's take it to the track and find out! How's about an 18.20? Wow that's slow.
I knew someone who got so frustrated with the troublesome lean-burn system and electronic ignition on his 1978 Magnum that he had it converted to the old-style tried and true points and condenser setup. I'm not sure of which of the V8 engines were under the hood, or if he had a different carburetor installed, but the vehicle ran far better than it did prior to the conversion.
Early 80s Mopars direct connection sold a electronic ignition kit for about a hundred dollars. That and a rebuild carburetor really woke those cars up
My brother-in-law had a Chrysler Cordoba they had to stack headlights and a 400 cubic inch engine. Nice looking car but a dog
The stacked rectangular headlights in the 1978 facelift really did the car no favors.
I still wish sealed beam headlights were the standard, some of the 'new' technology lights are too blinding bright for oncoming traffic in my opinion.
You need more Mopars, Adam! The '78 Magnum and the Mirada are two of my favorite quirky Mopars...been trying to find one for years but theyre pretty rare and as a result theyre either all beat to hell and really rough, or collector level mint cars with like 30k mi on them that are way out of my budget. If you can find a nice example you shoukd totally jump on it! I would love to see one in your collection, Adam!
Adam might like my unrestored 74 Charger with just under 50k miles.
Nice 😊
There was another version of the charger that shared the body with the midsize fury
A co worker had one with a /6
I told him that it must be the Cordoba based one but I was obviously wrong when he showed it to me
They were more of a 2 door hardtop than a colonnade opera window style
AND UGLY!!!!
I'm not sure but I think they made a Charger on the Adpen/Volare platform for only a year or two in the late 70s...I don't know if the model of the car was technically "Charger" I think it was more of a trim level/package.
@@weegeemike No Charger based Aspen/Volare..
That midsize Fury was a Cordoba! Same B Body platform,same underside,same engine compartment,just little shorter and different sheet metal..They even had the same dash/seats and console if equipt..They were the same car!
@@weegeemikeThere was a "Road Runner" Volare
Even to me as a 12 year old kid at the time, the Magnum just seemed like it was too much. I mean I liked it OK, but would've really preferred a '73-'75 Cutlass, as far as Colonnades go.
It looks like the Chargers used the '73-'75 Monte Carlo nose (header panel/grill/headlights,) while the later first gen Cordoba (Shown at 8:03) used the nose from the '76-'77 Monte Carlo. Those engines were likely further impeded by tall rear-end gear ratios. At least you could pull the 400, and put a proper 440 in its place fairly easily... Still, those 400s actually aren't bad engines, and can be used to stroke up a 440. The Chrysler 400 was still rated for well over 200 horsepower in '73-'74.
What defines a "Colonnade" to you? Is Cordoba a Colonnade, or were those exclusive to GM ?
@@MarinCipollina The Opera-style quarter windows are my definition, but I don't know that that is correct. You might be right about that being GM's own terminology.
@@DanEBoyd Probably GM's terminology, but equally applicable to non-GM cars that employ the same styling elements.. Sort of like how "fuselage styling" was Chrysler terminology, but also applies to GM cars of the same era..
The Dodge Magnum and Charger have different parts but similar body style to the Chrysler Cordoba and 300 I can only dream about having one of those
The Magnum was created for Chrysler NASCAR teams. Richard Petty switched from wide body Charger ( 1971 - 1975? ) to Pontiac Grand Prix instead
He got a Grand Prix in 82.....He raced a Monte Carlo , a Cutlass , and a Regal when he left Plymouth in 1978
Thanks, I would like a look at the ford escort and associated vehicles please. I enjoy your videos.
I like this car
I noticed you didn't mention the Plymouth version. I had a 78 Plymouth Gran Fury, the sister to the Cordoba and Magnum. Its’ 318 burned more oil than gas and, in Canadian winters, would continue in a straight line in the snow no matter how much I turned the steering wheel. It looked good, though.
Chrysler was in trouble, yet spent considerable cash on design and engineering….. still.
They really had no choice but to try to spend their way out of poor sales figures.
That silver and red cordoba was identical to the 75 Charger SE which I bought back in the day. It was a nice looking car but couldn’t afford the gas that the 400 sucked. Lean burn irony. Owned it for about 10 months.
Magnum doors were even different,they were bulged out vs the Cordoba! Fenders were the same,hood different and front header panel..and different tail lights.
I read an article, I believe from Road and Track where they asked the question, 'wrong name on an otherwise good car'? concerning the 75 Charger SE. They got into the naming of the B car, as add execs wanted the transition from muscle car to personal luxury car for 75, with a name plate customers would recognize. They stated that sales of the MC, GP and Ford's Torino line had good sales success with those older names. Dealers had a questionnaire on what the new Dodge should be. Magnum was #1. The execs would step in and say that Magnum was too much of a performance name since it was used on performance engines in the late 60s and early 70s it might stop people from buying the new car with the thinking that insurance would be an issue. So 2things happened there. 1st the 318 was the std motor, whereas the 400 was std on the Cordoba. And 2ndly, the Magnum name wasn't allowed until 78 with the new frt end but by then GM and Ford was starting to downsize, and GM hadnew engines that used less gas in the lighter cars. By 78 as much as the new Magnum looked great, these Bs were known for premature rusting as well as poor fit and finish. Customers weren't having it. A 2nd OPEC crisis didn't help.
I think I'm becoming too much of groupie... this was only an hour old... lol Loved the video... Don't forget though Plymouth had the Fury (midsized 4dr sedan) and the Fury Sport coupe. Dodge also copied this as the Coronet, in 74/75 then changing the full sized one to the Royal Monaco.and rebadging the mid sized one as Monaco. I think these two cars started in 75 and ran till 78. So it would seem they used the same platform for no less than 4 sport coupes and 2 4dr. cars, with Chrysler using ONLY the coupe for the Cordoba.. We had the 77 Fury Sport vertical headlamps and hard vinyl covered roof, that emcompassed the opera window, but left a metal final to the rear window. It was a beautiful car, and interestingly, we traded a 74 Monte Carlo in for it...
Great feature! They would have been much better cars had the E58 360 or even a 440 (for 78) been available.
The E58 was available in Magnums. I’ve heard that is very rare in 78s since a buyer wanting the “best” engine would have ordered a 400. But in 79 the E58 was the top engine choice. I have a 78 GT but it’s got the E56 360.
Definatly can see the same headlight designers worked on the 1st gen KCar.
Well if one had the 400 4 barrel in 78, it could easily be improved.
Convert to electronic ignition, advance the distributer timing, and add duel exhaust and the magnum would move out then.
The 400 because of the large cylinder bore, would allow for more advanced timing because it would resist pinging compared to other motors.