It’s hard to imagine the Duke boys dusting up Hazzard County in the new Dodge Dart, but there’s a little bit of Dixie in every one.
Believe it or not, hidden in the design of the thoroughly modern compact economy car is a tip of the hat to the muscular 1969 Dodge Charger owned by Bo and Luke.
It’s easy to miss with a quick glance, but as the roofline sweeps toward the back of the car it pulls away from the rear window to form tiny flying buttresses like the ones made famous by the Charger, just on a much, much smaller scale. Their inclusion is purely for style, elongating the profile of the car for a more aggressive look.
Despite their subtlety, Dodge head of exterior design Joe Dehner says the buttresses are the sort of touch that resonates with fans of the brand’s heritage.
“We own the buttress,” Dehner says, “this is a way to celebrate it and keep it alive.”
It’s not the only traditional touch seen in Chrysler showrooms these days. The current Charger also has its own take on the buttress, along with side scallops that hearken back to the 1968 version of the car. Meanwhile, the latest Chrysler 300 sports a touch of tailfin on its rear fenders that may be a far cry from the stylistic stabilizers seen on the 1960 model, but a clever Easter egg, nevertheless.
Of course if you really want to go all out with the reformed moonshiner motif, the new Dart is available from the factory with Header Orange paint.
Adding the “01” on the side is up to you.