Dodge is Celebrating 60 Years of the Dodge Charger with Nationwide Muscle Car Tour

This weekend is the first stop on the Dodge Charger’s 60th birthday celebration tour. Dodge is celebrating the muscle car’s historic anniversary with a nationwide tour. Very few nameplates can claim that kind of legacy. The original 1966 Dodge Charger was introduced January 1,1966. At the time,  the Charger engine lineup ranged from a standard 318 V-8, with 230 horsepower, up to the legendary 426 Street HEMI V-8 engine that provided 425 horsepower and 490 lb.-ft. of torque. Now, the muscle car has a multi-energy lineup, available as an electric or gas-powered vehicle. Dodge is promising to release the most powerful version of the 2026 Dodge Charger SIX-PACK Scat Pack at Roadkill Nights outside of Detroit, in August.

The Dodge Charger has struggled to find its footing since Dodge phased out the HEMI versions with the 2023 models. Its electric Daytona model has 670-horsepower but doesn’t sound like a muscle car. The current eighth-generation muscle car has a 550-horsepower Scat Pack. There is also a more affordable 420-horsepower Charger R/T version. I can’t wait to see the horsepower numbers from the Charger unveiled at Roadkill Nights. 

“From its debut in 1966, Dodge Charger has stood as a symbol of bold design, unapologetic performance and unmistakable American attitude,” said Matt McAlear, Dodge CEO. “As we mark 60 years, we’re bringing that legacy to life nationwide and connecting generations of enthusiasts. Today’s Charger continues as a modern muscle car led by the 550-horsepower Scat Pack with its gasoline-burning, twin-turbo, SIXPACK engine, proving performance remains at its core.”

How Dodge is Celebrating the Charger this Summer

This weekend kicks off the events at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals. This is one of the biggest Dodge shows on the planet, drawing nearly 3,000 vehicles from the Stellantis family and tens of thousands of enthusiasts. Dodge will host a walk-around on the new SIXPACK-powered Charger. Also, the Charger’s new Purple Haze color will make its public debut at the Carlisle event. The Pennsylvania show is also hosting a special area honoring 60 years of the Charger on its show field.

Route 66 Centennial Parade will be the next highlight. Tomorrow, July 12th, current and classic Dodge Charger models will lead the Petersen Automotive Museum’s escorted parade to the Santa Monica Pier, a celebration of 100 years of Route 66 and a living timeline of the American automobile. The parade will feature a fleet of vehicles representing key moments in automotive history, including additional historical rides

On July 26th, The 2026 Dodge Charger SIXPACK will participate in the All-American Cruise-In. Iconic versions from all eight generations of the Charger will be part of the Petersen Automotive Museum’s All-American Cruise-In, a high-octane celebration of American automotive culture marking 250 years of America that includes a stop at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and a “fireside” chat with a Dodge representative.

Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge will take place August 8th and debut the most powerful version of the current Dodge Charger. Back for its 11th year, the Roadkill Nights Dodge horsepower festival in Metro Detroit will feature a Dodge Charger 60th celebration as part of the event’s massive car show. The highlight of the annual festival is drag racing on iconic Woodward Avenue. 

The Woodward DreamCruise will take place on August 15.  Dodge will be back at the big cruise on Woodward Avenue in Metro Detroit, including with SIXPACK-powered Charger R/T and Scat Pack muscle cars on display, celebrating the nameplate’s 60th birthday. Woodward Avenue plays a huge role in Dodge’s history. Back in the 60’s, engineers used to take vehicles out on Woodward late at night to test out their latest engines. The DreamCruise commemorates the old days when cruisers visited drive-ins and then raced their muscle cars on Woodward.

The Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals Presented by Mopar will wrap up the events September 18-20. Dodge and Mopar will serve as title and presenting sponsors of the first NHRA event at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan, highlighted by a pre-race cruise, including Charger vehicles, departing from Auburn Hills.

60 Years, Eight Generations of an Iconic Muscle Car

Since the “low-slung, fast-back sporty car” entered the world in 1966, the Charger has evolved over six decades. 

The generations include:

• Birth of an icon: Gen I (1966-1967)
• Muscle redefined: Gen II (1968-1970)
• Twilight of muscle: Gen III (1971-1974)
• Shift toward luxury: Gen IV (1975-1978)
• New-era of reinvention: Gen V (1981-1987)
• Modern muscle reborn: Gen VI (2006-2010)
• Huge horsepower performance: Gen VII (2011-2023)
• SIXPACK-powered, multi-energy rebirth: Gen VIII: (2024-current)

Horsepower Reigned Supreme

Dodge isn’t saying how much horsepower will be unveiled with the debut of the new technology in the Charger in August. I have been told repeatedly that the Charger can’t support a HEMI engine on its current multi-energy platform. Obviously, the engineers are planning something big to reinvigorate the Charger lineup. 

Previous Horsepower Milestones

2015 Dodge Charger SRT: Dodge reignited the horsepower wars with the introduction of the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI engine to the Charger, with 707 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque and a top speed of 204 mph, along with an aggressive redesign to the exterior and interior, establishing a new benchmark for four-door muscle performance and redefining the limits of modern American muscle.

2021 Dodge Charger SRT Redeye: Not satisfied with 707 horses, the Charger SRT Redeye took performance to a new pinnacle with 797 horsepower from the supercharged HEMI high-output engine, along with stunning widebody styling.

2022 Charger SRT Redeye Jailbreak: Apex of Charger performance unleashed 807 horsepower with an enhanced calibration and introduced the first Dodge Jailbreak model to unlock ordering restrictions for colors, badges and stripes.

2023 Dodge Charger “Last Call” models: “Last Call” special-edition vehicles, marking the last of the Gen VII Charger line, included the 2023 Dodge Charger Super Bee, the highest performance Charger Super Bee model ever with 485 horsepower, and the Charger King Daytona, ramping up to 807 horsepower in a widebody Redeye.

2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack: Debuting the eighth-generation Dodge Charger with 670 horsepower and heritage-inspired styling, the Charger Daytona EV kicked off the new Charger multi-energy lineup.

2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack: Bringing turbo power back to the Charger for the first time since the 1980s, the SIXPACK high-output Charger Scat Pack delivers 550 horsepower, with the SIXPACK-powered Charger R/T producing 420 horsepower. The current Chargers have standard all-wheel drive and two- or four-door options featured across the entire Charger lineup. 

I can’t wait to see what the newest version of the Dodge Charger will be. Obviously, you will read all about it, right here!

Image by Dodge

About the Author

Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin. Follow Mary at @MaryConwayMedia on X  and on Facebook, and send her car news tips for future stories. Mary Conway is an esteemed automotive and business reporter who was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame in 2019. Mary is a member of the Automotive Press Association, Rocky Mountain Automotive Press, Society of Professional Journalists, and NATAS.