The Dodge division of Chrysler has produced quite a stable of rugged, fast, sleek, and innovative 1/2-ton trucks through the years. Classic Industries has also become a leading supplier of Mopar restoration and performance parts, especially for 1960-76 A, B, and E-body muscle cars. There's a constant clamoring from our customer base for Classic Industries to sell parts for Dodge trucks as well. In fact, the Dodge D Series and W Series pickups from 1961-1993 are being restored and customized in ever-increasing numbers. Accordingly, more and more components are becoming available for these pickup trucks. Read on as we take a look back at Dodge truck history from the 1920s through the 1990s.

OER, one of Classic Industries’ premier product suppliers, took home two Global Media Awards at the 2022 SEMA Show. OER won the two SEMA Global Media Awards for two separate products, from two different publications, located in two different countries! The SEMA Global Media Awards Program recognizes that automotive restoration, personalization, and customization is taking place, and expanding, on a global level. Classic Industries has been aware of this for quite some time, as we've been supplying American muscle car and truck parts and accessories to distant parts of the globe for many years.

The sort of vehicles that we get exposed to in our upbringing can influence the kind of cars and trucks that we wish to own later in life. If the vehicle is old enough (and the car's would-be caretaker has sufficient spending cash), it could be the sort of car/truck that an auto enthusiast wishes to purchase as a project vehicle to maintain (if it's running), renovate, or resto-mod. The various forms of media — radio, TV, movies, the internet, video games, etc. — all can contribute in a big way to this sort of automotive exposure and influence. Today, we'll discuss a few of our favorite American classic cars from movies and TV shows.

Automotive designers and automotive aficionados around the world know that the most dramatic and important feature to a car’s overall look is the grill or the nose. Of course, every aspect of a car’s design has to form an overall cohesive design aesthetic for the automobile to have a chance at being a winner in terms of units produced and sold. What’s more, the car has to be well engineered and comprised of quality components for it to be considered a success while it’s being sold and when it gets collected and chronicled in American pony and muscle car history.

You may have heard the term Mopar in reference to classic Dodge and Plymouth cars, but do you know what it really means? What is a Mopar car, and where did this term originate? Back in 1937, the marketing team at Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation was trying to come up with new branding for the replacement parts and accessories it offered for Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, and DeSoto vehicles. The words Motor and Parts were combined into Mopar. This catchy term was first used to market a new line of antifreeze, but would later be applied to all of the Chrysler group's official maintenance, repair, and performance parts.

Classic muscle cars were built for speed, whether it was at the drag strip, on a road course, or between stop lights on the street. These days, with many of them restored to immaculate condition and prices climbing higher for preserved examples, it's understandable that most of these cars live more relaxed lives than they did in the '60s and '70s. However, Chris Thompson still takes his 1969 Super Bee on cross-country road trips and often puts the pedal to the metal at the track. Every horsepower under the hood of this muscle car still gets used to the fullest.

Many of the great muscle car innovations were born from a desire to beat the competition at the drag strip. In the early '60s, automakers were cramming the largest and most potent V8 motors they had into ordinary production models, then stripping out weight, upgrading suspension components, and installing wider tires to create specialized track cars. Such was the case for Chrysler when its engineers took a 1963 Dodge 300 and dropped a Ramcharger 426ci V8 under the hood.

When someone mentions the Dodge Charger, many classic car enthusiasts will think of the iconic 1968-70 models immortalized in Hollywood productions such as The Dukes of Hazzard, Vanishing Point, and even The Fast and the Furious. While there's certainly no denying the importance and beauty of these second-gen B-body Mopars, we feel just as strongly about their predecessor: the 1966-67 Charger.

Growth from Necessity

The saying: “Necessity is the mother of invention” is true in so many of life’s scenarios, and has had an continuous impact on society. Where would civilization be without the wheel? Where would technology be if it weren’t for Bill Gates and Steve Jobs? Where would the exotic car world be if Ferruccio Lamborghini didn’t have his “unpleasant customer experience” when he tried to get his Ferrari fixed? Well, that last example was more about needing to “stick it” to someone rather than to build a car—but he still changed the automotive world!

It’s every car enthusiast’s dream to participate in a barnfind. We fantasize about discovering a rare, original, and highly sought-after classic car that had been stowed away in a barn, garage, or yard for decades, preserved like a time capsule from the past. Unfortunately, the reality is that these barnfinds are still old cars. They've been sitting in the same spot without use or maintenance, often for decades. So, if you come across one of these vehicles, how should you examine, repair, and restore it?