THE MAGNUM PORTAL...
A dedication to one of the most unique cars made by the Chrysler Corporation!!
What is the Magnum?
Sig I made, cause I'm a freak!
The Dodge Magnum is a personal luxury coupe introduced in the 1978 model year, to replace the aging Charger nameplate.
The Magnum was not a commercial success, selling less than 100,000 units per year.
It was the reason why Richard Petty switched over to GM products in NASCAR, due to the Magnum's lack of aerodynamic ability and stability.
Photo taken during one of the last few laps of the 1978 Daytona 500. RIP.
It is simply a car of the times. Castrated with emissions equipment, adorned with a no-nonsense grille inspired by the Cord 812, and fitted with massive bumpers enough to put a Volkswagen Jetta out of commission, people with acquired tastes find the Magnum to be refreshing in today's barrage of plastic dishwashers on wheels, while others find it archaic and useless when comparing it to it's big block predecessors.
Seventies cars just don't get any love. But I love them!
It was offered in two trims, for two years.
XE, being the luxury-oriented package, and GT being the performance appointment package.
XE was all about hubcaps on thin striped tires with vinyl roofs, opera window lights and whatnot, whereas the GT package was groovy seventies tape stripes and fender moldings and whatnot.
What did Ford or GM put out that was their equivalent of the Magnum, you might ask?
Simply put, it was whatever the Magnum "competed" with in NASCAR. And a few others match the criteria.
One example would be Ford's LTD II Sport.
For someone who has seen alot of cool shit, I've never seen one of these in person!
Another, being Chevrolet's Chevelle Laguna SS.
Here's one with the magnum! :-D
The Magnum hit the silver screen in 1982 with H.B. Halicki's "The Junkman", the spiritual successor to Gone In 60 Seconds. The movie is about Harlan Hollis, a stuntman/actor (who does that remind you of? xD) escaping assasins in a brand new Cadillac Eldorado...and one of the assassins drives a Magnum XE! It's a two-tone '78 on some period turbine rims....ultra dope! The Thunderbird driven by that other assassin is cool tho. Would recommend a watch!!!!
Badass.
I think this is good for now. More Magnum talk on the way!
