Dodge hit its stride in 1969 with a whole new line of big cars with new “fuselage” styling and the first of the aero cars aimed at wresting the NASCAR championship away from Ford. The Charger Daytona won its namesake race in the hands of Bobby Isaac and swept the first four places. The Daytona featured a two-foot long extended nose cone, a three-foot high rear wing and curved back glass, like the more subdued Charger 500. Later on, Isaac would set a closed course record of 201.104 mph.

Visually, the regular production 1969 Dodge Charger changed little from 1968, apart from a divided grille and horizontal taillights. Perhaps the most recognizable ’69 Charger is the #01 General Lee of the TV show “The Dukes of Hazzard,” and the 300 cars smashed up in the course of that series were 1969 models.

Dodge actually sold the Charger this year with a 145 bhp 225 cid slant-six engine, but only 500 buyers went for it. The performance R/T models were all V-8-powered and the base engine was the 375 bhp 440 cid V-8. It was good for 0-60 mph in about seven seconds and a 13.9-second quarter-mile at 101.4 mph. The 425 bhp 426 cid Street Hemi was even faster, but the extra cost deterred all but 400 buyers, 192 of whom chose a 4-speed gearbox.

In addition to the R/T option, a Special Equipment (SE) package offered leather seats and gratuitous wood trim effects on the interior. Also included in the R/T package were heavy duty suspension and brakes, dual exhausts and stripes around the tail.

Other options included air conditioning, automatic transmission, 4-speed, power steering, power brakes, power front disc brakes, power seats, console, power windows, AM/FM 8-track, cruise control, rally suspension, and vinyl roof.

Dodge offered many exterior colors for the 1969 Charger, including Silver, Light Blue, Bright Blue, Medium Blue, Dark Blue, Cordovan, Light Green, Medium Green, Bright Green Dark Green, Beige, Light Turquoise, Bright Turquoise, Charger Red, Red, Light Bronze Copper, Dark Bronze, White, Black, Yellow, Cream, Gold, Citron Gold, Bahama Yellow, Orange, Rally Green, and Hemi Orange.

In all, 503 streamlined Charger Daytonas were built in 1969 and most were powered by 440 cubic-inch V-8s, but 70 were fitted with 425 bhp 426 cid Hemi engines and one is documented as having a 390 bhp 440 cid six-pack setup that was dealer installed.