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Junkyard Gem: 1988 Dodge Diplomat Salon

Except for the Viper, Prowler, and some Mitsubishi-derived AWD machines, all Chrysler cars went front-wheel-drive starting in the 1990 model year and continued that way until our current century. The last holdout was the Dodge Diplomat (and its Plymouth Gran Fury and Chrysler Fifth Avenue siblings), and these cars were the most common police cruisers in America throughout most of the 1980s and well into the 1990s. You won't see many Diplomats today, but I found this high-luxe civilian Salon version in my local Denver self-service yard. This one was purchased new in Cheyenne, which is just up I-25 from Denver. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. A Diplomat was one of the automotive protagonists in the classic car-chase scene from the 1990 film, Short Time. Diplomats have figured heavily in many films over the years. I got my first driver's license in 1982, in a Navy town with ruthless Diplomat-equipped traffic-law enforcement, and so my right foot still twitches in the direction of a brake pedal when I see this grille. This one was full of Denver-centric ephemera from the early-to-middle 1990s, layered with the shredded paper and rodent poop that indicates long-term outdoor storage, so I'm guessing that the car's elderly owner stopped driving it 20 years ago and it sat until finally evicted by an angry landlord. These cars weren't known for being particularly quick in stock form. This one has the carbureted 318-cubic-inch V8 (yes, some cars still had carburetors as late as 1988), good for 140 horsepower. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Fiendishly seductive! Related Video:

Dukes of Hazzard reruns dropped amid Confederate flag controversy

Those Duke boys are in a mess of trouble again, as TV Land announced Wednesday that it will be dropping the classic 1980s action-comedy the Dukes of Hazzard from its roster. But it may not be Bo and Luke's fault this time. Rather, it appears to be the changing political landscape. Entertainment Weekly reached out to TV Land, which is devoted to airing episodes of classic TV series, but it had no further comment. While the network didn't say why the episodes were removed, EW speculates that the cancellation is part of the reaction to the racially motivated murder of nine people in a historic black church in Charleston, SC, last month. The shooter was often photographed carrying a Confederate flag and other trappings of white supremacy. Since the tragedy, Confederate flags are being dropped from state houses, license plates, and toys. Last month, Warner Bros. said it would stop producing toys featuring the rebel flag, including a die cast miniature version of the Dukes of Hazzard's trademark ride, The General Lee, which was a bright orange 1969 Dodge Charger with a Confederate flag plastered to the roof. The same week as the shooting, the Supreme Court decided that states can reject license plates featuring the stars and bars as part of the states' right to free speech. Nine states currently use the flag in license plates, and the ruling will allow Texas, North Carolina, and Tennessee to remove the motif from their state's plates. Georgia is also considering redesigning its plates in the wake of the shooting. For our younger readers, the Dukes Of Hazzard was a television show that aired from 1979 to 1985 on CBS. It feature the antics of the Duke boys in a fictional place called Hazzard County, GA. Related Video:

2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody: Bring your friends on a 797-hp thrill ride

For a couple years now, if you wanted the ultimate in Dodge performance, your only option was the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. The 797-horsepower engine was exclusive to it and its widened body, and if you needed four-doors, you were out of luck. But following the addition of a widebody Charger, the company has finally seen fit to create the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye, complete with the monster Hemi. Unsurprisingly, the addition of 90 extra horsepower makes the Charger Redeye significantly quicker than the standard Hellcat. On a 2.1-mile road course Dodge tested at, the Redeye lapped 1.2 seconds faster than the regular car. The Redeye also finishes the quarter-mile in 10.6 seconds, close to 0.4 second faster than the standard Hellcat Widebody. Top speed also increases from 196 mph to 203 mph. Visually, there are a few subtle cues that distinguish the Redeye from the Hellcat Widebody. It of course gets Hellcat badges with red eyes, but it also gets a unique hood. The hood, in combination with the Widebody front fascia and a special air intake opening near the wheel liner give the Redeye the maximum amount of air flow to the engine bay of any Charger variant. While the big news is the Redeye coming to the Charger, prospective Hellcat buyers have some good news, too. All 2021 Hellcats pick up 10 horsepower for 717 total. This matches the limited-edition Charger Hellcat Widebody Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition. So even if you can't reach a Redeye, the regular Hellcat will be even more potent than before. Pricing for the new Redeye has not yet been announced. Dealers will be able to start ordering 2021 Chargers this fall, so we should have pricing around that time. Cars should begin arriving at lots in early 2021. Related Video: