The 1978-1979 Dodge Magnum XE GT

I know, I know...I'm probably getting a few raised eyebrows from those MOPAR-savvy among you who are saying, "Wait, didn't you just make a post about the 1979 Chrysler 300 a few days ago?" Indeed, the Dodge Magnum XE in GT trim could be ordered nearly identical to the Chrysler 300 if you chose your options carefully. It's true that both vehicles were built on Chrysler's venerable B Body platform, sourced from the more common Cordoba/Charger SE corporate twins; as such, they shared many drivetrain, suspension and interior parts. However, I believe (for a few reasons) that the Dodge Magnum GT is a beast unto itself that deserves to be treated as such. So let's d(r)ive right in, shall we? First a bit of historic preamble:

By 1974, the muscle car era had ended. Insurance premiums were up, gas prices had skyrocketed due to the 1973 OAPEC oil crisis, government smog regulations were in full force, and most people were more concerned about luxury and creature comforts than horsepower figures. Accordingly, Dodge decided to completely restyle the iconic Dodge Charger as a personal luxury coupe for 1975, borrowing heavily from the styling of the Chrysler Cordoba, which debuted the same year. While the Cordoba was an immediate home run for Chrysler, the new Charger definitely was not. While Cordoba sales hit a peak of 160,000+ in 1976, the best the poor Charger SE could muster was around 50,000 that same year. By 1978, sales had plummeted exponentially. Dodge realized they had to do something to better differentiate the Charger from the Cordoba in the minds of potential buyers. Thus, the Dodge Magnum XE was introduced in 1978 as a 'louder', sleeker and more muscular-looking take on the Charger/Cordoba formula, with the goal of revitalizing Dodge's market share in the luxury coupe segment. Even a cursory comparison between the two models shows how much of an improvement the Magnum is stylistically:

1977 Dodge Charger SE

1978 Dodge Magnum XE

As you can see, the fender/door bulges, square covered headlights and raked, aerodynamic grille on the Magnum all make for a much more modern, aggressive stance, which served Dodge's performance image far better. Although mechanically identical to the Charger in every respect, this restyling & re-badging saw a jump to over 55,000 sales for the Magnum's first year on the market, while the Charger SE quietly disappeared with just under 3,000 sales the same year.

While the Magnum XE was a cool car on its own, we're not really here to talk about that. After all, it was still mechanically a Charger/Cordoba underneath all that sleek sheet metal. No, no...we're here to talk about the GT upgrade package, which could potentially add a great deal of "bite" to the Magnum's "bark"! When optioned appropriately, a stock Magnum GT could hold its own against any sports car of the late 70s. "Appropriately" is the key word here...unlike the clearly defined Chrysler 300 package of 1979, the Magnum GT package could be ordered with a myriad of exterior, interior and (most importantly) engine choices, varying from the 318 2-barrel V8 with only 140 hp, all the way up to the ultra-rare 400 ('78) or 360 ('79) 4-barrel Heavy Duty Police V8s with 195 hp! With that in mind, I'm going to focus exclusively on the option packages that could really make the Magnum GT roar to life:

Drive Train:

• 1978: (Code E68) 400 c.i. 4-barrel Heavy Duty Police V8, with 195 horsepower, 305 lb/ft of torque(!!), and 8.2:1 compression ratio
• 1979: (Code E58) 360 c.i. 4-barrel Heavy Duty Police V8 with 195 horsepower, 280 lb/ft of torque and 8.0:1 compression ratio
• Firm-feel suspension, including: Heavy Duty torsion bars, front and rear anti-sway bars, heavy duty shocks and springs
• Heavy duty power brakes, discs/drums
• Extra wide 15"x7" rallye wheels with GR60x15 tires

 Exterior:

• Front fender "GT" logos
• Color-keyed fender flares

Interior options were wide-open to the buyer's tastes. Again, you could definitely get some nice 'performance' touches, like engine-turned dash applique, three-spoke sport steering wheel, console w/shifter, and factory tachometer, much like the '79 Chrysler 300. You could also load it up with plenty of luxury appointments, like power locks/windows, power moonroof or T-Tops, leather seating, Am/FM 8-Track stereo, etc.

The most incredible thing about the Magnum GT is its scarcity, particularly with the above-mentioned performance options. Unlike the Chrysler 300 package, which was essentially a "one-size-fits-all" offering, the breadth of Magnum choices meant that there are vehicles out there that are virtually one-of-a-kind! Here are some numbers to illustrate:

• Out of 55,000+ Magnum XEs produced for 1978, only 681 came with the GT package. Out of those 681, only 345 came equipped with the Code E68 400 4-V Police engine. 
• Out of 25,000+ Magnums produced for 1979, only 1,674 came with the GT package. Out of those 1,674, only 583 came equipped with the Code E58 360 4-V Police engine. 

When you further factor in the numerous choices of exterior/interior colors, seating and luxury options (such as power windows, moonroofs or T-Tops), you quickly realize how incredibly rare and exclusive these cars are...especially low-mileage examples in excellent shape. In summary, it's no surprise that the '78/'79 Dodge Magnum XE GT (much like the '79 Chrysler 300) are my favorite cars in the world, and fall firmly into the GOTTA HAVE ONE!! category. Although they only managed a two-year run before Chrysler pulled the plug, the Dodge Magnum XE GT enjoys a serious, devoted cult following (myself included). I hope you find it equally fascinating! With that, please enjoy some more photos:

All photos are property of their original owners
Sources include: allpar.com, moparfan.com