The Performance Lineage of Dodge Coronet

Timothy Hoger is a longtime Midwest entrepreneur who leads the custom production and distribution firm Wisconsin Plastics Supply, LLC. Among Timothy Hoger’s interests is vintage cars. He owns a convertible 1968 Dodge Coronet 500 that he brings to regional car shows.

Produced for eight generations from 1949 and 1980, the Coronet began as an oblong, full-sized model with a 103 horsepower six-cylinder flat-head engine. A major overhaul in 1953 upped the performance level, with the Hemi V8 241-cubic-inch “Red Ram” engine delivering 140 horsepower. This enabled it to set numerous land speed records in test driving on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

With the original Coronet lineage discontinued in 1959, it resumed in 1965 as one of Dodge’s primary offerings in the midsize segment. This revival positioned the Coronet as a car with the styling of late 60s muscle cars and powerful 425- and 440-cubic-inch V8 engine options. One of the most unique of these models is the 1970 R/T model, which pioneered a powerful 440 Magnum V8 engine and featured distinctive racing stripes. A limited production run of only 2,615 R/Ts, of which less than 300 were convertibles, makes this year sought after among collectors.