Celebrating its 84th birthday in 2021, MOPAR® now encompasses the portion of Stellantis brands (the parent company) that includes, Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep – some automotive enthusiasts even envelope all 14 Stellantis badges as Mopar, but it wasn’t always that way.

The term “MoPar” was first used by Chrysler in the 1920s and was introduced as a brand starting in 1937. The name "MoPar", a derivation of “Motor Parts,” was created by marketing executives to use on cans of “Chrysler Motor Parts” antifreeze. The term has since become an inclusive word for any Chrysler-built vehicle—most any Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, Imperial, DeSoto or RAM, and often includes AMC, Eagle and JEEP following Chrysler's 1987 buyout of American Motors Corp.

The change may have begun in the postwar years, when the division’s involvement with racing, coupled with internal efforts to develop high-output parts for production cars, merged the Mopar name to high-performance. Mopar has gone from being spelled “MoPar”, to “Mopar,” to the current “MOPAR®” after a 2002 logo redesign.

The Culture
Car culture is often defined as “a society or way of life characterized by excessive use of or reliance on motor vehicles.” But we think “excessive” is a wrong term … we define it as a “love or devotion to motor vehicles as an integral part of car fans’ and mainstream America’s lives and personalities.”

Chrysler is considered by many to be the original pioneer of the “muscle car” boom in the post-war era following the Second World War. With its 300-horsepower Hemi V-8 engine introduced in 1955 C-300 production, the concept of sky’s-the-limit horsepower may have begun the Mopar culture.

Arguably, the strongest, most exciting and fervent Mopar culture era occurred 50 years ago, in the early 1970s, when Mopar was spelled in lower case, and was led by those who were brand loyal and who championed vehicles from Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, DeSoto and Imperial; and to whom the phrase "Mopar or no car" was a way of life. The culture included cars as well as items that have since become nostalgic collectibles, such as posters, T-Shirts, team jackets, logo items and hard-to-find parts.

The People
The car culture of the 1970s was led by “Baby Boomers,” who craved muscle and graphics. Excitement was their daily bread. But not taking a backseat in terms of who was buying and powering-up their street rides were the groups known as the Silent Generation and the Greatest Generation, specifically WWII and Korean War vets who lived through the Depression and craved excitement, horsepower and a device to stay young … embodied in their cars.

The “Mopar or no car” people … embraced horsepower and car wings, heralded Detroit’s Woodward Ave. drag racing, loved bright colors such as “Plum Crazy”, “Panther Pink,” “Go Mango”, “Sublime”, Sassy Grass” and “Top Banana”.

The Stars
Stars can be taken several ways … the celebrities who touted Mopar, the cars themselves that appeared on the screen, and the drivers who brought Mopar power to success and visibility on the track.

In the world of entertainment, Mopar culture made its presence felt. On TV, Mopar culture was represented by spokespersons Robert DeNiro for the AMC Ambassador in 1970, Don Knotts -- Dodge Tradesman “Strong Box” truck, and William Shatner -- 1971 Plymouth Fury and Satellite in 1971.

TV shows that featured Mopars included: "Adam 12” -- 1966 Plymouth Belvederes and Satellites as well as AMC Matadors; “Breaking Away” -- 1967 Coronet and 1972 Charger; “Chase” -- 1970 Plymouth Satellite; “Mannix” -- 1968 Dodge Dart GTS convertible customized by George Barris, 1970-71 Plymouth ‘Cuda convertibles; “Mission Impossible” – everything from a 1968 Dodge Charger, to Dodge Polaras, Dodge Coronets, Chrysler Imperials and New Yorkers; and “The Mod Squad” -- 1970 or 1971 Challenger R/T convertibles. For 1972, both the “Mannix” ‘Cuda convertible and the “Mod Squad” Challenger convertible from the previous season were converted to look like 1972 models because Chrysler stopped production of all convertibles after 1971. The same goes for the Barracuda from “The Brady Bunch” as well as the Challenger from “Medical Center.”

Dodge sponsored “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Lawrence Welk”; Chrysler sponsored “NBC Adventure Theatre”, “NBC Action Playhouse”, “NBC Comedy Playhouse” and “NBC Comedy Theater”.

In movies, the big stars were the 1968 Charger in “Bullitt” with Steve McQueen, the ’69 Charger in “Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry” and the 1970 Challenger’s appearance in “Vanishing Point.” There are many others, but these are regarded as some of the most famous Mopar muscle cars to grace the silver screen.

Mopar track and street racing stars were many, and included some household names and some lesser known, but just as important, Mopar drivers.

Richard Petty -- A tried-and-true Mopar fan, Petty once stated, “If you cut me, I still bleed Pentastar Blue”. “King Richard” Petty, the Hall-of-Fame face of NASCAR for many years, piloted a 426 ci. Hemi-powered 1970 Plymouth Superbird to 18 wins and 31 top finishes in the 1970 NASCAR season, and a 426-Hemi 1971 Plymouth Road Runner to the 1971 Daytona checkered flag, 21 race wins and 38 top-five finishes.

Bobby Allison – Bobby Allison ran his Dodge Charger Daytona in NASCAR events and while he switched rides often, his Mario Rossi winged Dodge was iconic.

Buddy Baker – Buddy Baker became the first driver ever to exceed 200 mph on a closed course (at Talladega), and his blue Dodge Daytona rides were historic.

Don Garlits -- Drag racing’s “Big Daddy” Don Garlits introduced the Chrysler Hemi engine to the drag racing circuit. Garlits and his 1971 Hemi-powered rear-engine dragster known as Swamp Rat 14 won the 1971 Winternationals.

Don Prudhomme -- Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and his buddy Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen sold sponsorship rights of their two Mopar Funny Car drag racers to Mattel’s HOT WHEELS group. Prudhomme drove a yellow, Hemi-powered ‘Cuda and took many Top Fuel Funny Car drag events.

Buddy Arrington – NASCAR racer Buddy Arrington never won the checkered flag but ran Dodges and Chryslers competitively for 25 years. Among his race cars were Dodge Magnum, Chrysler Imperial and Dodge Mirada. Buddy Arrington was the last person to drive a Chrysler product in NASCAR’s Winston Cup Series, which he did in 1985.

Ronnie Sox -- “Mr. Four-Speed”, Ronnie Sox, made the move to Plymouth in 1965 and never looked back. The red, white and blue Plymouths of the Sox & Martin team were always a force to be reckoned with and Ronnie’s ability to shift a four-speed gave him an advantage over most of the competition. Ronnie was there for the beginning of Pro Stock in 1970 and won the championship in ’70 and ’71. The NHRA changed the rules for 1972 and the Hemi was defeated by a pencil.

Dick Landy -- “Dandy” Dick Landy’s blue, red and silver 1970 Hemi Pro Stock Dodge Challenger was his main ride and his team drove a Hurst Hemi Dart, a ’68 Charger R/T and Coronet R/T … all to the winner’s circle. Landy conducted performance clinics at Dodge dealers across the US much the same as Sox & Martin did at Plymouth stores.

Jimmy Addison – Jimmy Addison drove his 426-Hemi ‘67 Plymouth Silver Bullet GTX to become a drag racing legend on Detroit’s Woodward Ave. It was something that would never get past the suits and lawyers of today, but the Silver Bullet was actually supported by Plymouth as a way to show the brand’s dominance on the street and not just the track. It was ultimately all about sales.

Bobby Isaac – Bobby Isaac had a successful NASCAR career and is best known for driving the No. 71 Dodge. At the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1971, Bobby Isaac set a land speed record in a 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona with its nose cone, rudders, and a 426 Hemi to break an average run record of 210 mph. Isaac literally walked away from NASCAR in 1973 at Talladega when he radioed for a relief driver during the race.

The Cars
During the 1960s, America’s car culture was muscle-oriented, with an emphasis on ponies, powerful engines, wings, smoking tires, street racing, tinted Plexiglas windows, hood scoops, raised front ends with beam axles and open headers. The 1970s saw less muscle as gasoline became precious and fuel prices soared. Fuel efficiency and emission laws reduced horsepower, but Mopar held on to performance longer than most. They also continued the excitement with cosmetic mods, a broad color palette -- “Vitamin C Orange”, Moulin Rouge”, “Curious Yellow” “Tor-Red”, “Hemi-Orange”, “Butterscotch” and “Light Turquoise”, for example -- external graphics and creative architecture.

The cars were the REAL stars of 1970-1971’s Mopar culture and included, but were not limited to, the following:

Plymouth ‘Cuda -- Considered by many to be the lynchpins of the classic days of the Chrysler muscle car culture are the Plymouth Barracuda and the 426 Hemi engine. In 1970, Plymouth presented up to 425 hp in a sleek street beast shell that came in vibrant colors and was one of the fastest, most iconic muscle cars ever. The new E-Body platform was specifically designed with a wider engine bay to accommodate the massive Hemi engine.

Dodge Challenger -- A sister to the ‘Cuda, with the same platforms, track widths, engines, and proportions, Challenger’s 110-inch wheelbase is two inches longer than the Plymouth’s and its overall length of 191.5 inches is three inches longer. The 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A and 1970 Plymouth AAR ’Cuda were the first American muscle cars with staggered tires—wider rubber in the back than the front …15-inch E60 white-letter Goodyears up front and wider G60s in back. 

Plymouth GTX -- Plymouth introduced the GTX in 1967 as a luxury option in the Belvedere lineup to compete with the other luxury cars and was equipped with either a 440 Super Commando engine or the optional 426 Hemi.

Dodge Coronet Super Bee -- The Coronet was an intermediate sedan in the Dodge lineup in the late ’60s, but the Coronet got a powerful engine, so it could be turned into a fast street fighter. Dodge presented the Super Bee model in 1968 as their answer to the Plymouth Road Runner and was outfitted with either a standard 383 or the 426 Hemi engine. The new 440 Six Pack engine, with three two-barrel Holley carburetors, became an option starting in mid-1969. The 440 four barrel was an option in 1971 only, the final year for the Super Bee.

Plymouth Superbird – A unique muscle car built with aerodynamics in mind, and a nose cone, hideaway headlights and huge back spoiler. The rear glass deviated from the standard concave shape with a wind-tunnel-tested flush design. The Superbird was built in 1970 only and was Plymouth’s way to lure Richard Petty back to the brand after he switched to Ford for ’69. Much like the Hemi in Pro Stock in 1972, the Superbird was defeated by a pencil as NASCAR changed the rules to make the “wing cars” less competitive.

Plymouth Road Runner -- Road Runner models featured the animated bird character from Warner Bros. Road Runner was a low priced, creatively designed people pleaser with muscle. Road Runner started the trend as the first muscle car with creative graphics. The Road Runner had a bench seat, no luxury options, and manual steering, but was powered by a 383 V8 as the base engine, or Hemi 426. Just like Dodge’s Super Bee, the Road Runner received the 440 Six Barrel as an optional engine choice beginning in 1969 (Six Barrel is Plymouth’s name for an engine with three Holley two-barrel carbs).

Dodge Charger Daytona – The Daytona was even faster at Daytona and Talladega NASCAR tracks than the Superbird. The Charger Daytona was one of the first cars developed in a wind tunnel using new materials in construction. The standard engine was a 440 V8 and had a 426 Hemi option.  

AMC Javelin -- American Motors hit the muscle scene from 1968-1970 with AMX and Javelin models. Tricked out with hip styling, AMX was a shortened Javelin with only two seats.  

AMC Rebel – Once known as the Rambler Rebel, and replaced by the AMC Matador in 1971, Rebel’s top power model, “The Machine” was outfitted with a 340-hp 390 ci. V8.

Plymouth Duster 340 – The Duster had all new sheet metal when it debuted in 1970 with its fastback styling, but underneath it was still a Valiant. In fact, in 1970, it was actually badged as a Valiant Duster. The largest available engine (1970-1973) was the 340. While never available with a big block, it’s no secret that a 340 Duster (or its Dodge sibling, the Swinger 340) when equipped with a 3.91 Sure Grip rear and a 4-speed transmission, could beat up on many big block intermediate cars.

Plymouth Fury GT -- A two-door coupe version of the Fury sedan, it had full-on power with a 440 V8, 375 horses. The Sport Fury GT was full-size muscle at its finest. In 1970, a handful of Sport Fury GTs were built with the 390 hp 440 Six Barrel.

Dodge Demon -- The Demon was a new nameplate for 1971. The A-body Dodge Dart Demon for 1971 was offered with a 198- or 225-ci. Slant Six or the 318 V-8 engine, but it soon earned a reputation as a low-buck supercar in Demon 340 trim. The Demon started life as a Plymouth Duster shell, save for the Demon-only taillight panel, with Dodge Dart front sheet metal. Even the side marker lights and the wheel lips didn’t match from front to back because of the blending of the two different brands. But that never stopped the Demon from becoming a favorite among the Mopar faithful.

More ’Cudas – The Plymouth Barracuda 440 V8 was a monster pony car, with 375 horses and a tight build. The AAR ‘Cuda was a limited-production model to commemorate Dan Gurney’s All American Racing team, which used ‘Cudas in the Trans Am championship. It came with a 340 V8 small block, with three two-barrel Holley carburetors, a rear spoiler and unique side graphics that included the big AAR logo.

That’s a quick look and you can see all variations of Mopar culture as a showcase of 1971 Mopar muscle at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals at Carlisle, PA Fairgrounds, July 9-11.

> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

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