Some might forget that while muscle cars are generally remembered as drag strip warriors, they were (and had to be) utilitarian as well. Before the days of pampered show queens, many not only drove their Mopar back and forth to the track, but also every day to work and on family vacations. In the original late-1965 commercial, Pamela Austin perfectly described the new-for-1966 Dodge Charger as a “sports wagon.” As a recent Classic Industries feature explains, this ’66 Charger fits that description perfectly.

According to the article, Mark de Dubovay purchased the bright red example from the president of the Dallas Mopar Club. In fact, the club sticker is still proudly displayed at the bottom of the giant, sloping back glass. Under the hood is a 440 cubic inch big-block that looks to have been modified with Hooker headers and an Edelbrock Torker single plane intake.

Behind it is a floor-shifted 727 automatic hiding a reverse manual valve body. The custom exterior touches are subtle but provide enough statement for stoplight challengers to take heed; 5-spoke American Racing rims and a healthy hood scoop with black accent paint add to the already menacing look of the vintage fastback.

“He calls it his ‘ultimate surfboard carrier’ as a result of the 8-foot flat loading area that perfectly fits his board behind the front bucket seats,” the article explains. Sports wagon, indeed. Of course, the restoration involved plenty of nosing through the thorough Classic Industries Mopar catalog, with Mark going as far to that Classic is, “the best – my go-to parts superstore!”

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