While Pontiac unquestionably first exploited the youth market with a targeted high-performance car—the GTO—starting in 1964, credit must also be given to DODGE & PLYMOUTH: UNSUNG MUSCLECAR HEROES for its efforts starting in 1957!
Not long after Ford pulled out of the 1957 AMA “agreement”, Chrysler followed suit. But Chrysler did not have Chevrolet and Ford’s racing heritage, nor their budgets and “supported” brand-name racers. They also didn’t have the right image cars to compete with GM and Ford styling. Chrysler slightly downsized and restyled its 1962 Plymouth, above, and Dodge B-body car lines (Dart, Savoy, etc.), resulting in some cars looking like they’d been hit by an “ugly stick.” Fortunately, whatever they lacked in style they more than made up for in performance: DODGE & PLYMOUTH: UNSUNG MUSCLECAR HEROES.
Years before the traditional birth of the Musclecar in 1964 (best known as Supercars) there was the Plymouth Fury, Dodge D-500, De Soto Adventurer, and the iconic Chrysler 300. Mopar’s specialized performance cars dated to the mid-1950s. They showcased multiple carbs, hot cams, bucket seats before the GTO was on Pontiac’s radar.
Much of the racing technology of the time was developed by a group of young Chrysler engineers who had formed the Ramchargers Racing Club. Tom Hoover, above, right, was Chrysler’s racing engines project coordinator, Dick Maxwell directed racing programs and club president, Jim Thornton distinguished himself as a class-winning and record-setting driver. They raced Dodges while another in-house “club”, the Golden Commandos, concentrated on the Plymouth brand. The Ramchargers had the higher profile and, during the mid-1960s and into the 1970s, fielded some of the most feared Dodges in drag-racing history.
Displacing 413 cubic inches and fitted with short tuned-ram intake manifolds with dual four-barrels and tuned upswept cast iron exhaust manifolds, the “Max Wedge” engines were not available at new model introduction time. They appeared in the Spring of 1962 and there has always been some confusion over horsepower ratings. The 413-inch Wedge engine was available in the Chrysler 300-H and rated at 380 and 405 horsepower. When the 413 was made available in Dodge & Plymouth models, other than station wagons, it was more highly tuned with 15-inch short ram intake manifold, new heads with large 2.08-inch intake valves and upswept, tuned cast-iron exhaust manifolds. The compression ratio was 11-to-1 and it was rated at 410 horsepower. A second 413 engine, with 13.5-to-1 compression and rated at 420 horsepower, found its way into some cars.
Available with B-W T-85 three-speed manual transmission and the superb A-727 three-speed TorqueFlite automatic, 413-inch Super/Stock Mopars could run in the mid-12s. In 1962, they recorded four class wins at major NHRA events. At the NHRA Nationals, HOT ROD’s Ray Brock and Leroi “Tex” Smith campaigned a 413-inch Plymouth and set the low ET record at 12.37 seconds. In the final round for Stock Eliminator, Jim Thornton, in the Ramcharger’s Dodge, fell prey to Hayden Proffitt driving his 409 Chevy. He later switched to a Super/Stock ’62 Dodge! When installed in Plymouths, 413 engines were branded SUPER STOCK; Dodges carried RAMCHARGER logos. Even with impressive horsepower/torque engines and record-setting drag strip performance, the public rejected Dodge and Plymouth styling and 1962 model sales suffered dramatically.
Everything you’ve always wanted to know about DODGE & PLYMOUTH: UNSUNG MUSCLECAR HEROES from Over-Drive magazine @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2025/02/27/the-first-mid-size-muscle-car-wasnt-the-gto/
https://over-drive-magazine.com/2023/10/06/1962-plymouth-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/