[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-main-header” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Open Sans|800|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_font_size=”36px” custom_margin=”||5px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-intro” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Open Sans|300|||||||” text_orientation=”center” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
The 1969 Dodge Charger seemed a world way to a young Rob Squire: five decades on he\u2019s eager to discover whether the drive lives up to its muscle car image<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-byline” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Open Sans|600|||||||” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.3em” text_orientation=”center” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Words EMMA WOODCOCK<\/strong> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/12\/JJP_9100-scaled.jpg” alt=”front of the Dodge Charger” title_text=”JJP_9100″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”has-dropcap” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The garage door swings open to reveal an unrestored, factoryoriginal 1969 Dodge Charger White Hat Special. Its timeworn Y2 Yellow body fills the unit, spanning 208 inches from the inset quad rear lights to where Robert Squire is standing, up against the staved-in front bumper. \u2018Bloody hell,\u2019 he laughs, \u2018Does this thing go?\u2019 It does. Sympathetically returned to the road by owner Dave McSherry of Brooklyn\u2019s Auto Services (brooklynautoservices.com), the 43,000 mile coup\u00e9 drives using the vast majority of its original parts. \u2018I want to capture the feeling of first driving off the Colorado Springs forecourt in June 1969,\u2019 says Rob. Today he\u2019ll take the wheel to discover whether the Charger lives up to his American dream.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018The B-body Dodge was an object of absolute fascination when I was growing up,\u2019 Rob explains. \u2018American cars were in the magazines I\u2019d buy and the movies I\u2019d see, yet they seemed so elusive here. I\u2019ve always wanted to know what they\u2019re like to drive and whether they were as good as people made out.\u2019 A lifelong mechanic who has driven and worked on cars as varied as an Alfa 8C Monza, several aluminium-bodied XK Jaguars and a Facel Vega, he\u2019ll be placing the Mopar coup\u00e9 inside a wide frame of reference.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n He\u2019s in good company. Dave is a hands-on American car fan, whose business specialises in importing cars from the United States. \u2018The Charger is the one car I\u2019ve always wanted,\u2019 Dave explains. \u2018I tried to exchange a Plymouth GTX for this one when I first saw it in 2012. The deal fell through but I never forgot about this Dodge.\u2019 He finally bought the car in 2021. \u2018The seller, Stephen Steele, remembered me from nine years earlier. He was heartbroken to sell it \u2013 it\u2019s phenomenally well-preserved.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/12\/JJP_9017.jpg” alt=”two people looking at the Dodge Charger with the left side door open” title_text=”JJP_9017″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”12px” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Rob is taken aback by the Charger\u2019s unrestored state<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018Now I look closer, there\u2019s so much potential in this car,\u2019 Rob agrees. \u2018The Dodge is a righteous machine, one that\u2019s never been mucked around. I appreciate the original steering wheel, and how Dave\u2019s resisted the temptation to upgrade the brakes and sacrifice that originality.\u2019 Regularly started and moved during its nine years in storage, the recently preserved Charger is in stronger health than it first appears. \u2018Old automatics don\u2019t like to sit, so I\u2019m sure that ongoing attention has helped it. Despite the rough edges, so long as it starts and stops, I\u2019m confident it\u2019ll still be a good drive.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The engine thunders into life and Rob drops the car into gear, feeling the whole body sway beneath us as the torque converter takes up the slack. \u2018I can\u2019t help but smile! The Charger is so completely of its time and place \u2013 the seats are nothing like Recaros and the bodywork is as far from a modern Eurobox as you can get \u2013 which only adds to the experience.\u2019 He laughs and laughs as he opens the throttle wide, turning the mellow V8 purr into a flat, thudding artillery of Harvey Davidson whacks.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-quote-bold” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Poppins|700|||||||” text_font_size=”20px” text_orientation=”center” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018I want to capture the feeling of first driving off the Colorado Springs forecourt in June 1969\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m too busy playing with the loud pedal to even think about the handling or ride quality,\u2019 he says. \u2018A V8 thumping away under the bonnet is enough to keep any petrolhead happy, though I\u2019ll confess to feeling a twinge of disappointment when I lifted the bonnet and saw this wasn\u2019t a 440 R\/T.\u2019 It soon passed. \u2018The 7.0-litre car will always have the ultimate cachet and mystique but a 318ci engine is still pretty big by any other standard. It goes well enough; I can barely believe a cooking pushrod has this much torque at low revs.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n A glance at the speedo needle bumps us back to reality: the Charger is no rocket ship. \u2018I don\u2019t believe the 5.0-litre really makes the claimed 230HP,\u2019 says Rob. \u2018It\u2019s pulling the same trick as an MG Midget \u2013 it seems faster than it really is. In the same way the British roadster sits you way down on the floor to make 40mph feel like twice the speed, the Dodge has all this spectacular noise to cover the fact that it\u2019s really no quicker than my Stag. I can describe the experience in three letters. F, U, N!\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/12\/JJP_9046.jpg” alt=”inside dash on the Dodge Charger” title_text=”JJP_9046″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”12px” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Will the all-drum brake setup be pushed to complaint today?<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Powering through the long curves below Rockingham Castle, Rob is growing confident behind the wheel. \u2018This Dodge isn\u2019t half as bad as it looks \u2013 it\u2019s got accurate steering and a comfortable ride, all while feeling wonderfully different. I\u2019ve only driven five or six miles so far, yet I already feel like I could live with the car in the real world.\u2019 Only the brakes threaten to spoil the show, when a white van starts edging out of a side turning. \u2018He\u2019d better not pull out \u2013 that\u2019s not a good idea! The drums don\u2019t feel like they\u2019d tolerate too many emergency stops…\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018You can\u2019t be a shrinking violet in this Dodge. Everyone is starting at us, which has got to be down to the combination of the engine noise, the styling and the patinated condition. I\u2019ve seen office workers rush to the windows and builders pivot to the edge of their scaffolding just to get a closer look, and that\u2019s only the reactions I\u2019ve spotted!\u2019 We pull onto a secluded gravel spit so Rob can appreciate the dramatic shape for himself. \u2018It\u2019s pure Americana and tones down the overwrought Detroit lines of the early Sixties into an impressive, attractive shape.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018The second-generation Charger stands alongside the Cord 812 and Corvette C2 Sting Ray as one of the very best designs ever to come out of the United States, in my opinion,\u2019 he continues. \u2018I love the front grille treatment, including the way the covers hinge up to reveal the headlights, while the rear buttresses balance out the shape, an idea Dodge employed years before the Jaguar XJ-S. The frameless windows predate the Mercedes and Jaguar installations too, and I really like how I can wind down the rear quarter windows to keep the pillarless coup\u00e9 lines.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-quote-bold” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Poppins|700|||||||” text_font_size=”20px” text_orientation=”center” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018I can barely believe a cooking pushrod has this much torque at such low revs\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/12\/JJP_8987-scaled.jpg” alt=”man in the driver seat of the Dodge Charger with another man looking in from the open door” title_text=”JJP_8987″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”12px” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The driver\u2019s seat offers Rob all the support of a bean bag \u2013 and he loves it<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Mechanically minded Rob can\u2019t resist lifting the gargantuan bonnet and gazing at the original engine bay. \u2018This is like looking back in time. So much of the brightwork has survived, and the engine is still running off points and a tiny original carburettor. Everything looks so simple. There\u2019s an ocean of space in here, surrounded by metalwork of such thickness you can see the build quality. Nobody builds cars this strong any more; it\u2019d take decades for corrosion to eat through the panels.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Opening the long driver\u2019s door, he heaps praise on the stylish cabin. \u2018There\u2019s very little in here I don\u2019t like, from the joystick that operates the door mirror to the interior colour white door shuts. The details set it apart from what Europe was building in the same era \u2013 the time-delayed ignition light and headlamp warning buzzer are so far ahead of their time. I especially like the repeater lights mounted in the bonnet, which I\u2019d never noticed before today.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The bucket seats are another pleasant surprise. \u2018I thought I\u2019d be calling my chiropractor when I first climbed aboard. They\u2019re massive and spongy, so offer absolutely no support, but they\u2019re proving very comfortable and the optional leather centres give a little to hold me in place.\u2019 As we trickle onto faster roads, Rob feels secure enough to start working the steering. \u2018The wheel has so much play at a standstill but it disappears as soon as the Charger starts moving. It\u2019s very light though, just like a Series 1 Jaguar XJ.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/12\/JJP_9229-scaled.jpg” alt=”Dodge Charger being driven, seen from the back” title_text=”JJP_9229″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m really having to concentrate, making lots of little corrections to compensate for each crest and bump. The steering wasn\u2019t designed for B-roads but the chassis, despite its low limits, is more agile than I\u2019d been led to believe.\u2019 Bends toss the Charger around and Rob\u2019s grin only gets wider. \u2018The longer I spend at the wheel, the more the car is talking to me. If I muck up, I know it\u2019ll all be my fault, and that\u2019s the great thing about driving an analogue car. The steering and the pedals are telling me how the car will respond to my inputs as I make them. I\u2019m really enjoying myself.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019ve got to stay mindful of the all-round drum brakes,\u2019 he cautions. The pedal slides to the floor as we approach a tightening hairpin, making almost no difference to our speed. \u2018It feels like there\u2019s a giant spring wedged under my foot. Nothing happens when I start pushing the brakes, then suddenly the servo jumps into action, before the Charger finally decides it doesn\u2019t want to stop after all. I\u2019m used to bad brakes, though. The woeful leather system fitted to a Mercedes SSK is still imprinted on my mind!\u2019 As the corners keep coming, Rob wisely starts braking earlier and earlier as the car floods with the stink of over-exerted brake linings.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/12\/JJP_8908.jpg” alt=”two people looking under the bonnet of the Dodge Charger” title_text=”JJP_8908″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”12px” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The Dodge Charger received a split grille for \u201969, making it appear even wider<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n We sweep uphill and Rob holds a hesitant palm over the gearshifter, waiting to see if the three-speed TorqueFlite will downshift of its own accord. \u2018This a real slushbox. It blurs the changes completely but I\u2019m having to override it manually when I want it to kick down a gear.\u2019 He bumps the lever back a notch and the exhaust note thumps through the cabin. \u2018The car isn\u2019t slow \u2013 I could spin a wheel out of junctions if I tried \u2013 but I can\u2019t shake the feeling that the automatic is blunting the performance.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m trying to get busy and the Charger won\u2019t quite do the work,\u2019 Rob continues as he pushes the throttle to its stop. \u2018There\u2019s initial urge when I hit the pedal but I can\u2019t get the revs up to access peak power, which matches my experience with other American cars.\u2019 He drops back to a steady cruise, the exhaust note falling away to a burble. \u2018The Dodge is happiest as a boulevard cruiser, ambling along between 2000rpm and 2500rpm. It matches the criteria for American motoring perfectly. They\u2019ve got such big, straight roads and I get the impression it could float steadily along them all day.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/12\/JJP_8951.jpg” alt=”Dodge Charger engine ” title_text=”JJP_8951″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”12px” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Rob isn\u2019t entirely convinced the V8 still makes 230bhp, or if it ever did<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Smooth-surfaced A-roads leads us back towards Brooklyn\u2019s, offering a glimpse of how the Dodge might have felt in Sixties Colorado. \u2018This Charger is the ultimate poseur\u2019s car \u2013 a tourer, but a really good one. It\u2019s so long, excessively so, the chassis needs aiming more than steering, and the brakes are a question mark. But the 5.0-litre is everything a petrolhead needs to enjoy the drive. I\u2019ve loved getting back into a car from this era and experiencing it exactly as it would have been, which I can feel in softness of the original springs and dampers. It doesn\u2019t need restoring, that would only turn it into a facsimile of itself.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2018I started ogling Chargers as a teenager and, back then, I expected it to be a tyre-smoking, fire-breathing lairy ride. I think the 318 wants to be that car but it isn\u2019t, and that\u2019s okay. It\u2019s a really enjoyable car in other ways and I\u2019ve liked it more as I\u2019ve learned to accommodate its quirks. I\u2019m really grateful for the experience.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n It\u2019s left him hungry for more. \u2018The 318 has been a joy but I\u2019d have to upgrade to a 440 R\/T to keep a slot in my dream garage. The extra power must turn it into an animal!\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/12\/JJP_9021.jpg” alt=”Robert Squire seen at the wheel” title_text=”JJP_9021″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-h4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_4_font=”Poppins|700|||||||” header_4_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Jaguar XK-SS <\/strong>\u2018Fast even today: 4.2 seconds to 60mph with the right differential. Can you imagine driving one back in the Fifties?\u2019<\/p>\n AC Cobra 427 <\/strong>\u2018A wild child! I\u2019ve tried a 289 but the 7.0-litre would be a real challenge\u2019<\/p>\n Jaguar E-type Lightweight <\/strong>\u2018An amazing feat for a small Coventry manufacturer and quicker than a Ferrari 250GTO. Sublime\u2019<\/p>\n Jaguar XJ13 <\/strong>\u2018With that V12 engine this would be some kind of car at full chat!\u2019<\/p>\n Lotus Esprit V8 <\/strong>\u2018A proper Lotus engine with an unfair reputation \u2013 and I love the Peter Stevens styling\u2019<\/p>\n Lamborghini Miura <\/strong>\u2018The schoolboy image on the wall. Beauty second only to an E-type\u2019<\/p>\n Lotus Europa <\/strong>\u2018The big-valve John Player Special version, a car you wear and it can blow the doors off an Elan on track\u2019<\/p>\n Allard J2 <\/strong>\u2018I drove one with Cherry Bombs back in the Eighties. Rev the engine and people duck. Unbelievably loud and astonishingly quick!\u2019<\/p>\n Maserati Ghibli 4.7 <\/strong>\u2018Better built than a Ferrari and quick. I drove one from Farningham to Silverstone in 2.5 hours\u2019<\/p>\n Dodge Charger <\/strong>\u2018Supreme, and the basis for so many fantastic muscle cars. Everything the Mustang isn\u2019t.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/12\/JJP_9171-scaled.jpg” alt=”Dodge Charger being driven” title_text=”JJP_9171″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”12px” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The Charger met Rob\u2019s heady expectations, but he\u2019d insist on a 440R\/T for the dream garage<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-h4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_4_font=”Poppins|700|||||||” header_4_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Engine<\/strong> 5211cc LA V8, ohv, Carter twin-choke carburettor [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-h4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_4_font=”Poppins|700|||||||” header_4_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Professional engine builder Rob has restored everything from XK120s to a Mercedes 500SS \u2013 and he\u2019s never been afraid to get hands-on with his own cars either.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/12\/JJP_9506.jpg” alt=”1963 FORD LOTUS CORTINA” title_text=”JJP_9506″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”12px” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n 1963 FORD LOTUS CORTINA<\/strong> \u2018I had two A-frame cars and loved both. I was working at Ian Walker back then, who taught me everything about high-performance cars.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/12\/JJP_9507.jpg” alt=”1973 ROVER P6 3500S” title_text=”JJP_9507″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”12px” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n 1973 ROVER P6 3500S<\/strong> \u2018Tweaked up with engine parts from the USA. Very fast but I gave up after the third gearbox\u2026\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/12\/JJP_9508.jpg” alt=”1973 TRIUMPH TR6″ title_text=”JJP_9508″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”12px” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n 1973 TRIUMPH TR6<\/strong> \u2018A car to treat myself. I bought it as a rolling chassis, then got carried away adding a leather interior and building a 175bhp engine.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/12\/JJP_9504.jpg” alt=”1976 TRIUMPH STAG” title_text=”JJP_9504″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”12px” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n 1976 TRIUMPH STAG<\/strong> \u2018Amazing, a genuine 40,000 mile car that I\u2019ve recommissioned. You can\u2019t replicate the way that original components feel!\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/12\/JJP_9505.jpg” alt=”ALFA ROMEO 3.0 GTV6″ title_text=”JJP_9505″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”12px” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n ALFA ROMEO 3.0 GTV6<\/strong> \u2018I was trying to diagnose a suspension fault. The back stepped out, the wheels hit the loose gravel and it flipped. I certainly made up my mind to slow down after that\u2026\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u2018The engine sells it\u2026 the exhaust is so, so loud\u2019The 1969 Dodge Charger seemed a world way to a young Rob Squire: five decades on he\u2019s eager to discover whether the drive lives up to its muscle car imageWords EMMA WOODCOCKPhotography JONATHAN JACOBThe garage door swings open to reveal an unrestored, factoryoriginal 1969 Dodge Charger […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":898,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"kschwarz","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/classic-cars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/classic-cars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/classic-cars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/classic-cars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/classic-cars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=822"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/classic-cars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/822\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1054,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/classic-cars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/822\/revisions\/1054"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/classic-cars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/classic-cars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/classic-cars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/classic-cars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Photography JONATHAN JACOB<\/strong><\/p>\nROBERT\u2019S TOP TEN<\/h4>\n
1969 Dodge Charger 318 V8 \u2018White Hat Special\u2019<\/h4>\n
Power and torque<\/strong> SAE gross 230bhp @ 4400rpm; 340lb ft @ 2400rpm
Steering <\/strong>Power-assisted recirculating ball
Suspension<\/strong> Front: independent, upper wishbone, lower control arm, torsion bars, Oriflow hydraulic dampers. Rear: live axle, leaf springs, Oriflow hydraulic dampers.
Brakes<\/strong> Servo-assisted, hydraulic drums all round
Performance<\/strong> 0-60mph: 9sec. Top speed: 127mph
Weight<\/strong> 1622kg (3575lb)
Fuel consumption<\/strong> 12mpg
Cost new<\/strong> $3947 (approx. \u00a31650 in 1969)
Asking price<\/strong> \u00a343,000<\/p>\nROBERT SQUIRE\u2019S CAR CV<\/h4>\n