Retro Overdone?

Filed in archive on December 28, 2005

Or do I mean underdone? I have to admit, I go back and forth on this whole retro movement. I mean, I like the look of the current retro cars (ford mustang, Chrysler 300, now-discontinued Plymouth Prowler) but I do wonder if they have legs. How long will they sell so well? And what's up with design guys not coming up with something fresh? A prime example is the concept for Dodge's Challenger. The Car Connection has spy shots of the 2009 Dodge Challenger and I have to say I'm very disappointed. Oh, I know... every muscle-car guy out there is going to get all upset because the Challenger is what the Charger should have been and I don't know what I'm talking about. But look at the Challenger pictures. Did Dodge do any work on this thing? It looks straight out of the 70s. OK, bigger wheels, I guess. If this is what is passing off as work now well, heck, I could get hired as a designer and I can't even draw a circle that doesn't look like an oval! I'm not saying don't build the Challenger. I'm saying to Dodge, show the world that the Challenger can be resurrected to look like it's from 2009 and not 1979.