THE FIRST CHARGER.(Revs)

Byline: JEFF SABATINI

Dodge recently announced it was polishing off its most revered nameplate for the 2006 Charger, a four-door sedan first hinted at in a 1999 concept. Of course, "Charger'' instantly calls to mind those Hemi-powered beasts of the late '60s (a certain orange, Confederate flag-liveried 1969 R/T, in particular). Legendary muscle cars that they were, Dodge's quintessential coupes also had their impetus in a show car.

"The Charger by Dodge'' was a one-off maroon roadster that made the circuit in 1964. Based on a standard chassis, it rode on a 119-inch wheelbase and was 206.5 inches long-a whopping two feet bigger than the Ford Mustang that would be introduced that same year. The big car featured a big motor, as Dodge rated its 426-cid Hemi V8 with a single four-barrel carb at 365 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque-and pointed out in its promotional materials that a twin-carb, 425-hp racing version could be fitted.

Styling was less radical than many concept cars of its era, as the Charger looked more like a garage-built custom Polara than a full-blown futuristic design study. Its most striking features were in the passenger compartment, where a cut-down, six-inch windscreen, a center bulkhead between the two passenger seats, and a sport bar with integral padded headrest gave the cockpit a unique feel. The car wore no bumpers, nor did it have a top, but it did carry a giant hood scoop, Halibrand magnesium wheels, and an 8000-rpm tachometer mounted atop the dashboard.

"It's not good design,'' says concept car collector Joe ...