Strangely (or maybe not so strangely) there's still a huge market for big RWD cars. Dodge/Daimler/Stellantis/whatever pretty much has that market cornered with the Charger and Challenger. They've done a good job of marketing those things as a competitor to the pony cars. The Challenger is interesting too, because it's bigger and heavier than other American sports cars but relies on the muscle car cred to move units. Hey, it works well for them. Drag racing is an autosport too! As everyone else moved to smaller displacement I4s and v6's Dodge went the opposite direction and pulled everyone who wants a little taste of the past (with all of the irritations of modern automobiles). They got lucky with this muscle car schtick, because all of their small cars have flopped miserably since the Neon. It will be interesting to see what happens when they move to electric, because most of what they do now is based around horsepower and old school nostalgia. I hope they survive. Hell I wish they'd just let them keep making big v8s. If most of the world is on electric it won't hurt to let a small segment of gas powered cars live on.
I am a fan of big RWD cars. After decades of being told of the superiority of cramped FWD garbage I am glad the pendulum is swinging back the other way. Sorta. The Challenger may look like the original, but in spirit it has always seemed more in tune to the Original Chrysler 300s to me. Or in the case of the Hellcat/Demon and such, the early Dodge Ramcharger & Plymouth Super Stock. Dodge had a history of under rated small cars that sort of ended with the Neon. I had high hopes for the new Dart and test drove one when they came out but it was so very Alfa in construction in that it made the Neon seem solid. I'm not against the idea of electric cars but I doubt the optimism of all these companies claiming they will be fully electric in the next few years. It is not financially viable and all this skateboard platform garbage makes them both expensive and disposable. Not to mention the environment concerns of getting battery material and then disposing of them.
That had kind of been an Oldsmobile staple for decades from "Oldsmobile is now Youngmobile" to "Not your fathers Oldsmobile". Not sure how George Burns played into that in the 90s though.
8:15 T100 Toyota pickup...... never put a dent in the pick up market. The worst attempt by the Aisians to enter the truck market. You should not have included this image in your video. Great vid by the way.
The T100 was a flop but I chose it to show that the Asians were entering every segment, even if the large truck market is the only one the American companies still dominate. Well, that and the muscle car revival.
I switched to SUVs in 1984 and really never looked back. I just liked rear wheel drive.
I prefer RWD myself, but there are a lot of FWD SUV's out there these days, at least when they aren't 4WD.
My son just pointed out to me how seldom you see two door cars nowadays.
When they were noticeably cheaper then 4-doors it was a much more sensible option.
@@thehopelesscarguy I just remember guys thinking 4 doors were uncool grocery getters.
@@luvr381 Well they are.
@@thehopelesscarguy Agreed!
@@luvr381 they are! When I see fast 4 doors I’m like, look how fast I can take my family down the road!
Strangely (or maybe not so strangely) there's still a huge market for big RWD cars. Dodge/Daimler/Stellantis/whatever pretty much has that market cornered with the Charger and Challenger. They've done a good job of marketing those things as a competitor to the pony cars. The Challenger is interesting too, because it's bigger and heavier than other American sports cars but relies on the muscle car cred to move units. Hey, it works well for them. Drag racing is an autosport too! As everyone else moved to smaller displacement I4s and v6's Dodge went the opposite direction and pulled everyone who wants a little taste of the past (with all of the irritations of modern automobiles). They got lucky with this muscle car schtick, because all of their small cars have flopped miserably since the Neon. It will be interesting to see what happens when they move to electric, because most of what they do now is based around horsepower and old school nostalgia. I hope they survive. Hell I wish they'd just let them keep making big v8s. If most of the world is on electric it won't hurt to let a small segment of gas powered cars live on.
I am a fan of big RWD cars. After decades of being told of the superiority of cramped FWD garbage I am glad the pendulum is swinging back the other way. Sorta.
The Challenger may look like the original, but in spirit it has always seemed more in tune to the Original Chrysler 300s to me. Or in the case of the Hellcat/Demon and such, the early Dodge Ramcharger & Plymouth Super Stock.
Dodge had a history of under rated small cars that sort of ended with the Neon. I had high hopes for the new Dart and test drove one when they came out but it was so very Alfa in construction in that it made the Neon seem solid.
I'm not against the idea of electric cars but I doubt the optimism of all these companies claiming they will be fully electric in the next few years. It is not financially viable and all this skateboard platform garbage makes them both expensive and disposable. Not to mention the environment concerns of getting battery material and then disposing of them.
Was expecting you to touch on the shift at oldsmobile towards younger buyers with the Alero and Intrugue
That had kind of been an Oldsmobile staple for decades from "Oldsmobile is now Youngmobile" to "Not your fathers Oldsmobile". Not sure how George Burns played into that in the 90s though.
8:15 T100 Toyota pickup...... never put a dent in the pick up market. The worst attempt by the Aisians to enter the truck market. You should not have included this image in your video. Great vid by the way.
The T100 was a flop but I chose it to show that the Asians were entering every segment, even if the large truck market is the only one the American companies still dominate. Well, that and the muscle car revival.
@@thehopelesscarguy OK understood. Great videos you have.... I subbed yesterday! Keep up the good work.
@@camaro69green31 Thank you, much appreciated.