Dodge Magnum

Dodge Magnum
Overview
Manufacturer	Chrysler Corporation (1978–1979) DaimlerChrysler (2005–2007) Chrysler LLC (2008)
Production	1978–1979 2005–2008
Chronology
Predecessor	Dodge Charger (For Coupe Version) Dodge Intrepid for (For 2005–2008 Models) Chrysler Valiant Super Bee (For Mexico)
Successor	Dodge Mirada (for 1980) Dodge Journey (for 2008) Chrysler Shadow GTS (For Mexico)

The Dodge Magnum name has been used on a number of different automobiles. The most recent is a large rear-wheel drive station wagon introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year and produced through to 2008. This new Magnum is Dodge's first car to use the new Chrysler LX platform, shared with the Chrysler 300 and the Dodge Charger. The LX Line is assembled at Brampton Assembly Plant, near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Historically, the Dodge Magnum model name had been used from 1978 to 1979 for a large coupe in the United States. In Brazil, the Magnum name was a top of the line version of the local Dodge Dart from 1979 to 1981. In Mexico, the Dodge Magnum was a sporty rear-wheel drive two-door car based on Chrysler's M body (American Dodge Diplomat/Plymouth Gran Fury). It had a 360 CID (5.9L) V-8 engine with a single 4 barrel carburetor rated at 300 hp (224 kW). From 1983 to 1988 it was a sporty two-door K-car with available turbocharger from 1984 on. Four engines were offered for the Mexican Magnum K, a SOHC I-4 2.2L (K-Trans-4), a turbocharged SOHC I-4 2.2L (1983–86) and two other 2.5L SOHC I-4s, with and without turbocharger (1987–88). The Mexican front-wheel drive Magnum was officially called "Dodge Magnum 400" between 1983 and 1984, as it was a sporty Mexican variation of the American Dodge 400 of the early eighties. For 1985, the "400" suffix was dropped. For the 1987 season, the turbocharger received an intercooler and the power from the turbo engine changed from 140 to 150 hp (112 kW). The K-car based Magnum was replaced by the Mexican Chrysler Shadow GTS for the 1989 model year.

1978–1979

1978–1979
Overview
Production	1978–1979
Assembly	Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Body and chassis
Class	Mid-size
Body style	2-door coupe (1979)
Layout	FR layout
Platform	B-body
Related	Chrysler 300 Chrysler Cordoba Dodge Charger Dodge Monaco Plymouth Fury
Powertrain
Engine	318 cu in (5.21 L) LA V8 360 cu in (5.9 L) LA V8 400 cu in (6.6 L) B V8
Transmission	3-speed A727 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	115.0 in (2,921 mm)
Length	215.7 in (5,479 mm)
Width	77.2 in (1,961 mm)
Height	53.1 in (1,349 mm)

The 1978 and 1979 Dodge Magnum in the United States and Canada was an addition to the Chrysler line up that allowed Richard Petty to continue racing with a Mopar. The Magnum replaced the Charger SE in Dodge's lineup in two forms; the "XE" and the "GT". It was the last vehicle to use the long running Chrysler B platform. The appearance was somewhat of a rounded off Charger, and was in response to getting a car that would be eligible for NASCAR that would be more aerodynamic, something the 1975-78 Charger was not. Styling features included four rectangular headlights behind retractable clear covers, with narrow opera windows, and an optional T-bar or power sunroof. The Magnum was well-featured with power steering, brakes and seats; the suspension included Chrysler's standard adjustable, longitudinal torsion bars, lower trailing links, and front and rear anti-sway bars. The base engine was the 318 in³ V8 with Lean Burn, while two and four-barrel carbureted 360 and 400 V8s were also available; weight was nearly 3,900 lb (1,800 kg). The 400 was dropped from the option list in 1979 as Chrysler stopped production of big-block V-8's in production cars at the end of 1978. A performance model, the "GT" was available with the 400 V8 in 1978 and the "E58" police interceptor (360 V8-195 HP) engine in 1979 along with HD suspension, special axle, special "GT" badging and a "turned metal" dash applique. Technology was advanced for the time with an onboard spark control computer from inception, electronic ignition, and a lockup torque converter. The Magnum name was discarded quickly in favor of the Mirada, a smaller car that was also a rebadged Chrysler Cordoba. The Magnum has something of a cult following today, with several clubs and enthusiasts who are dedicated to the recognition and preservation of Chrysler's "last B-body". In 1979, they made 3,704 Dodge Magnums with the T-Top.

NASCAR

For the 1978 NASCAR season, the 1974 Charger that Chrysler teams had continued to use was no longer eligible for competition. Chrysler worked on several car designs to smooth out the current 1975 bodied Charger into something that would be reasonably aerodynamic for the big racetracks and the Magnum design was settled on early in 1977 for use in the 1978 racing season. While not as aerodynamic as the previous 1974 Charger body, the shape of the Magnum showed promise, and the Petty built test cars easily reached 190 mph (310 km/h) on test runs. Once out on the tracks the cars ran well with Richard Petty almost winning his Daytona 125 (finishing 2nd), and lead 30+ laps of the Daytona 500 until a blown front tire caused him to wreck. However, the lack of factory support of continued development of the small-block Chrysler 360 V8 as a race engine was becoming more of a problem, and in high speed racing traffic the Magnum did not handle well. Richard Petty was particularly harsh in his criticism of the car. By the latter half of the 1978 season, Petty and Neil Bonnett (the two top Mopar teams) gave up on the cars inconsistent performance and switched to Chevrolets, leaving independent drivers Buddy Arrington (who bought a few of Petty's Magnums, along with some parts) and Frank Warren, and C&W singer Marty Robbins to soldier on without any substantial (Chrysler did provide sheetmetal and some engine parts to teams driving Magnums) factory support. From August 1978, 2-5 independent teams showed up with Magnums in NASCAR races until January 1981, when NASCAR switched to smaller bodied cars. The Magnum never enjoyed the racing heritage of its predecessors, but it was not without its own glorious moments. Petty scored 7 top five finishes in his 17 races with the car, and Neil Bonnett won three poles and scored 5 top five finishes with his. Richard Petty recognized the Magnum with a commemorative decal, depicting his famous number 43 emblazoned on a Magnum for his 1992 Fan Appreciation Tour. Though Richard never won a race in a Magnum, Petty's son, Kyle Petty drove one of his father's year old Dodge Magnums in his first race (1979 Daytona ARCA 200), and won! Kyle raced in 5 NASCAR races using the left-over Magnums in 1979, but by the end of that year wrecked them beyond reasonable repair. As of now (JUL 2008) only two NASCAR Magnums still exist; one (an ex-Petty car) resides in the Talledega NASCAR museum, and the other; (Marty Robbins' 1978 Magnum #42) has been superbly restored and is owned by a private party in southern CA. The owner occassionally races it in the vintage NASCAR series.

Brazil

Brazilian Dodge Magnum (1979–1981)
Overview
Production	1979–1981
Assembly	São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door coupé or 4-door sedan
Layout	FR layout
Platform	A-body
Related	Dodge Dart
Powertrain
Engine	318 cu in (5.21 L) LA V8
Transmission	4-speed manual, 3-speed automatic

In the old Simca Factory in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil, the Dodge Dart was produced from 1969 until 1981 (more than 92,000 cars were sold). They were built with minor changes from the original model, starting in 1969, and were all largely based on the 1968 Dart GT (and GTS). For its last three years of production, a two-door upper trim level version of the Dart was sold as the Magnum, featuring the 318 in³ V8 engine used in all Dodge coupé and sedan models in Brazil. A unique fiberglass front fascia that included four headlights to give it a more modern look was used, while the rear end was very similar to the American Dart 1975 (the Dart model from the same year having been identical to the Swinger from USA). The Magnum (top of the line) was sold as a separate model from the Dart (bottom line), despite being technically almost identical to the Dart.

The Dodge was very well received in Brazil. Today you can find cars clubs with lots of Dodge coupes in good condition. The coupe and sedan models in Brazil were (all variations from the Dart 1968 model): Dart [1969-1981] (as a 2-door coupé from 1970 until 1981 or as a four-door sedan from 1969 until 1981), sporting but lower priced Dart SE, bettwr equipped Dart DeLuxo (two or four doors), Gran Coupé (more luxurious yet than the Dart DeLuxo, with two doors only), Gran Sedan (above the Dart DeLuxo model, with four doors only), Charger R/T [1971-1980] (coupé bodywork only, from 1971 to 1980 it was the top model in sport segment), LeBaron (replacing the 'Gran Sedan' with four-door sedan body, from 1979 to 1981) and Magnum (substitute for the 'Gran Coupé', Brazil's top model in the luxurius segment from 1979 to 1981).

Dodge Magnum, showing different front clip

Mexican market

First generation Mexican Dodge Magnum (1981–1982)
Overview
Production	1981–1982
Assembly	Toluca, Mexico
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door Coupe
Layout	FR layout
Platform	M-body
Related	Dodge Diplomat Plymouth Gran Fury Chrysler LeBaron Plymouth Caravelle Salon
Powertrain
Engine	360 cu in (5.9 L) LA V8
Transmission	4-speed A833 manual 3-speed A727 automatic

First generation

In 1970 Automex (former name of Chrysler de Mexico) started the production of the Chrysler Valiant Super Bee based in the Chrysler A-Body semi-fastback (notchback) platform (same used on the American 1970-1976 Plymouth Duster). First, it had a 318 CID (5.2L) engine rated at 270 hp (1970–74), then, in 1975 was this was replaced by the famous 360 CID 4-barrel (5.9L) engine rated at 300 hp (224 kW). It was produced from 1970 to 1976, and then (for the 1977-79 model years) it changed to the F-body (Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volaré) body, being very similar to the American 1976-1980 Plymouth Volaré Road Runner. The F-body Valiant Super Bee was the fastest car in Mexico in the seventies, with a 360 CID engine rated at 300 hp (224 kW). It lasted through the 1980 model year. In 1979, Chrysler de México introduced the Chrysler LeBaron based in the M-Body Platform, and two years later it introduced the Dodge Diplomat as Dodge Dart. This Mexican M-body Dart was very similar to the American Plymouth Gran Fury in appearance/trim, but had Chrysler's Rallye road wheels instead of deluxe wheel covers. As the same case that in 1970, Chrysler de Mexico used a small platform and the name of an American sports car (the B-Body Dodge Magnum) and equipped it with the 360 LA V8 engine. The Mexican Dodge Magnum had the 360 CID (5.9L) engine with a Carter Thermoquad four barrel carburator rated in 300 hp (224 kW), oil cooler Mopar, a 3-Speed A727 automatic transmission, with the 4-speed A833 manual transmission optional, heavy duty suspension, power brakes, estabilizer bar in the front and rear and a Dana 44 differential with positive pass and positraction. All the windows and windshield chromed metals were painted flat black, only the bumpers and the front grill were chromed, and the front fascia wore "Magnum" logo, in the side of the front fenders was put again the "Magnum" logo with a 5.9L decal. The Mexican RWD Dodge Magnum was offered only for the 1981-1982 model years.

Second generation

Second generation Mexican Dodge Magnum 400/Magnum K (1983–1988)
Overview
Production	1983–1988
Assembly	Toluca, Mexico
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door Coupe
Layout	FF layout
Platform	K-body
Related	Dodge 400 (USA) Plymouth Caravelle K (Canada) Dodge Aries K (USA) Plymouth Caravelle (USA)
Powertrain
Engine	Chrysler SOHC K-Trans-4 engine 2.2L-2.5L I4 Chrysler Turbo SOHC K-Trans-4 engine 2.2L I4 Turbo
Transmission	4-speed manual 5-speed manual 3-speed automatic

The K-car based Mexican Dodge Magnum was a sporty 2-door compact, based on the Dodge Aries coupé body (with blackout 1982-1985 Dodge 400 grille in 1983-1985 and a blackout 1986-1988 Plymouth Caravelle grille in 1986-1988) offered from 1983 to 1988 with available turbocharger ("TurboChrysler" engine) from 1984 on. Four engines were offered for the Mexican Dodge Magnum K, a SOHC I-4 2.2L (K-Trans-4, 1983–86), a turbocharged SOHC I-4 2.2L (1984–1986) and two other 2.5L SOHC I-4s, with and without turbocharger (1987–88). When it was introduced, the Mexican Dodge Magnum 400 Turbo was advertised as "Mexico's fastest car" in the TV commercials of the time, and it surely was in 1985, when the "Fox" (1979–1984) 5.0L Mexican Ford Mustang was dropped from the catalog of Ford Mexico. The Mexican front-wheel drive Magnum was officially called "Dodge Magnum 400" between 1983 and 1984, as it was a sporty Mexican variation of the American Dodge 400 of the early eighties (without the vinyl roof of the US version and with high output 2.2L engine (available turbocharger from 1984 on), heavy-duty suspension, sporty wheels, tires, dash, steering wheel, console, shifter and seats). In 1984, the Mexican Magnum 400 Turbo was the closest thing to an American Dodge Daytona Turbo south of the border. For 1985, the "400" suffix was dropped. For the 1987 season, the turbocharger received an intercooler and the power from the turbo engine changed from 140 to 150 hp (112 kW). The K-car based Magnum was replaced by the Mexican Chrysler Shadow GTS for the 1989 model year.

2004–2008

Dodge Magnum (2004–2008)
Overview
Production	2004–2008
Model years	2005-2008
Assembly	Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Designer	Ralph Gilles Freeman Thomas
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size
Body style	5-door station wagon
Layout	Front engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Platform	Chrysler LX platform
Related	Chrysler 300 Dodge Challenger Dodge Charger Mercedes-Benz E-Class Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Powertrain
Engine	2.7 L (167 cu in) EER V6 3.5 L (215 cu in) EGJ V6 5.7 L (345 cu in) EZB HEMI V8 6.1 L (370 cu in) ESF HEMI V8
Transmission	4-speed 42RLE automatic 5-speed W5A580 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	120.0 in (3,048 mm)
Length	197.7 in (5,022 mm)
Width	74.1 in (1,882 mm)
Height	2005-07: 58.4 in (1,483 mm) 2008-present: 58.3 in (1,481 mm) SRT8: 57.9 in (1,471 mm)

The Magnum name was revived in 2004 as a 2005 station wagon on the Chrysler LX platform. The new Magnum was essentially a station wagon version of the Chrysler 300, with minor cosmetic changes. It was built in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

The Magnum was Dodge's first station wagon since the discontinuation of the Dodge Colt wagon in 1991, and though it was the largest American-brand station wagon introduced since the discontinuation of GM's B body wagons in 1996, at 143 cubic feet of combined passenger and cargo volume, it does not qualify as a full-size wagon according to traditional EPA standards (160 cubic feet or more). It is however, the last mid-size station wagon (140 to 160 cubic feet of combined passenger and cargo volume) sold by an American automobile manufacturer in the United States (though in Europe and Australia the Chrysler 300 Touring- a version of the Magnum with the 300C's front clip and interior- was sold). The Cadillac CTS Wagon comes close, but is classified as a "sport wagon." Based on the similar size and styling, the Dodge Magnum could be considered by some a spiritual successor to the AMC Concord.

The Magnum had four engine options; the SE features the 190 hp 2.72 L LH V6, the SXT had the 250 hp (190 kW) 3.5 L V6, and the RT had the new 340 hp 5.7 L Hemi V8. The SRT-8 has a 425 hp 6.1 L Hemi engine.

All-wheel drive became an option in 2005 on SXT and RT models. The SRT8, AWD SXT, and the RT use a Mercedes-Benz-derived 5-speed automatic transmission, while all other models use a four-speed automatic.

The Magnum was on Car and Driver's Ten Best list for 2005.

Police version

As with the Intrepid, the Magnum was made available as a police car. Like the related LX Charger, it was rear-wheel drive. As such, it was hoped that its rear-drive handling would appeal to departments retiring their few remaining Caprices, as an alternative to the Ford Crown Victoria. Available only to law enforcement, emergency agencies, and government agencies, the vehicle had the SXT's V6 as the base engine and the Hemi as an option, along with police-specific options such as a steering-column mounted shifter, deactivated interior rear windows and locks.

SRT-8

A high performance SRT-8 version debuted at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show. It went on sale in 2005 as a 2006 model. Like the 300C SRT-8, it featured the new 6.1 L (370 cu in) Hemi engine, which produces 425 hp (317 kW). 20" wheels, firmer suspension, bigger brakes (Brembo), new lower-body treatment, and a revised front and rear-fascia completes the transformation. The SRT-8 was named Best New Modern Muscle Car in the 2006 Canadian Car of the Year contest.

Motor Trend Test Results:

• 0-60 mph: 5.1 sec
• 0-100 mph: 11.7 sec
• Standing 1/4-mile: 13.1 sec @ 108 mph (174 km/h)

See also: Street and Racing Technology

2008 changes

2008 Dodge Magnum SRT-8

For the 2008 model year, the Magnum received a facelift as well as an updated interior in line with that of the Dodge Charger. The front fascia sported new aggressively squared off headlights and a smaller rectangular grille more reminiscent of the Charger. The SRT-8 variant gained a new hood scoop. A new bright red paint scheme was introduced. The new changes brought the car closer to its Charger platform mate, away from the Chrysler 300.

Cancellation

On November 1, 2007, Chrysler announced that, as part of its restructuring plans, the Dodge Magnum would be one of four models discontinued after the 2008 model year. In Chrysler's words: "The Magnum, along with the PT Cruiser convertible, the Crossfire, and the Pacifica were not earning their keep". The production ended in late March, 2008. The Dodge Magnum, (along with the short-wheelbase Dodge Caravan), has been replaced by the Dodge Journey.

On July 17, 2011, Ralph Gilles (Chrysler Group Design Chief, head of the SRT division, and former head of Dodge Division) told the New York Times that Chrysler may revive the Magnum.

Gilles says folks at Chrysler are still proud of the Magnum—which attracted famously loyal owners. "With the Magnum, we owned the station wagon segment," says Gilles, who oversaw the wagon's creation as design chief. "It was always a pleasure to go to car shows and trade fairs and see the number of Magnums that owners had personalized with such obvious loving care." He blames its death on a single suit who didn't survive with New Chrysler: It "was single-handedly killed by one executive who is no longer with the company. He's retired. A lot of people in the company still like that vehicle -- a lot."

Gilles says Chrysler now is in a position to dream, but he backed off when asked whether Magnum, the Sequel is a sure thing, telling the NYT: "Stay tuned. Great things are coming. That's all I can say."

Europe and Australia

In Europe and Australia, the Magnum was sold as the Chrysler 300 Touring. It is essentially the same as the U.S.-market Magnum, but with the Chrysler 300C's front end and interior, and right-hand-drive for Australia and the U.K. The 300C Touring adds an available 3.0L CRD Turbo Diesel version. The 300C Touring is assembled in Austria.

External links

• Official website
• Marty Robbins #42 Dodge Magnum
• Original Dodge Magnum and 2005-current Dodge Magnum at allpar.com
• 2005-current Dodge Magnum R/T
• Chrysler 300C Touring (Australia)