1976 Dodge Charger SE: Close, but no Cordoba

Prior to 1975, the Charger SE was the Broughamed-out version of the Coke-bottle-styled 1971–74 Chargers. Starting in 1973, it featured a canopy-style landau top with triple opera windows and usually sported the de rigueur wire wheel covers and whitewall tires. Such ornate trim on what was a fairly sporty-looking body was kind of jarring, but for ’75, formal styling would finally catch up with all the chromed gingerbread.

According to an article published in 1995 in Collectible Automobile, what would become the Cordoba was originally designed as a personal luxury Plymouth. But at the 11th hour, management decided it would sell better as a Chrysler. And so it did. Meant to compete with GM’s Monte Carlo, Grand Prix, and Regal, along with the Ford Elite and Mercury Cougar, the Cordoba’s upper-crust Chrysler nameplate led to most everyone remembering the commercials, and the car’s “fine Corinthian leather.”

Lost in the Cordoba’s marketing frenzy, however, was the Dodge Charger Special Edition, or SE. Based, like the Cordoba, on the midsize B-body chassis, it was the lone Charger in the lineup that year, while in 1974 there had been several different models: base coupe, base hardtop, Rallye, and the top-of-the-line SE.

But with Cordoba fever starting to accelerate, I imagine many Dodge dealers were happy to have the SE. Starting at $4903 ($29,920 today), a total of 30,812 were sold by U.S. Dodge dealers.  But that was a spit in the ocean compared to the Chrysler version.

The 1975 Cordobas, with a base price of $5581 ($31,208) sold 150,105 units. (Corinthian leather was optional, naturally.) Holy cow! Despite the SE being over $600 cheaper and almost identical save the grille, taillights, badging, and some other minor trim bits, the Cordoba completely clotheslined it, sales wise. Was it the Chrysler nameplate’s cachet, or the power of the Cordoba’s marketing blitz? Maybe a little of both.

By 1976, the year of our featured car, Charger SEs had a base price of $4763 ($25,183), weighed in at 3945 pounds, and came with a standard 115-horsepower, 318-cubic-inch V-8. The price was down a little, as some previously standard equipment became optional. If you wanted more oomph than the 318 could provide, optional 360 and 400 V-8s were available.

Also new in 1976, there were two different Chargers. The former 1975 Coronet two-door hardtop was now redubbed “Charger,” with a fancier “Charger Sport” version, though both were cheaper than the SE, which remained top dog.

Standard features on ’76 SEs included bucket seats, shag carpeting, power steering, automatic transmission, and a deluxe sound package. Also standard (this was a personal luxury car, after all) were power front disc brakes, dual horns, electronic ignition, bumper guards, and a heater/defroster.

An optional package for the SE was the “Charger Daytona.” It included two-tone paint, black grille, color-keyed tape stripes, sport mirrors, and steel-belted whitewall tires. A “Tuff” steering wheel—a remnant of the fire-breathing Chargers, Challengers, and Super Bees of just a few years prior—was still available, as well.

Sales for ’76 SEs was up, to the tune of 42,168 units. Cordoba production was down some from 1975, but it still handily outsold the Charger, with over 120,000 leaving dealerships. And so it went, with the Chrysler version selling better pretty much every year.

The Charger SE last appeared for a short 1978 model year; later that year the Magnum XE replaced it, with a more blunt nose and flares added to the front and rear fenders. It would survive through 1979.

As for the Cordoba, it got a complete redesign for 1980, while the Dodge version of the new car became the Mirada. Both would last through 1983, when Lee Iacocca decided to bet the farm on K-cars and minivans, and the final personal luxury coupes, along with the Imperial, were unceremoniously axed.

Yes, these were pretty much eclipsed by the Cordoba and its ad campaign. Though I do remember in high school, circa 1995, someone had one—gold with a black landau top and tan interior. But the lower rockers had kind of a zig-zag two-tone with flat black paint, and it was jacked up in the back with fat tires and wheels.

Of course, since far fewer Charger SEs were built than Cordobas, they are even harder to find today. Which is why I got so excited when I saw this metallic blue one back in December 2019. Although weathered, it appeared to be a largely original car, with the correct SE wheel covers, bucket seats and triple pinstripes outlining the wheel openings, hood, and trunk. It was great to see one after so long!

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