In 1968 Chrysler Corporation unveiled a new ad campaign featuring a Bee with an engine on its back. These cars were called the "Scat Pack". The Coronet R/T, Super Bee, Dart GTS and Charger R/T received bumblebee stripes (two thin stripes framing two thick stripes). The stripes were standard on the R/T and came in red, white or black. They also could be deleted at no cost.

At its Chicago unveiling, Dodge general manager Robert B. McCurry declared the 1968 Charger to be "a full sized sports car featuring semi fastback design and jet age aerodynamic styling."  The new Charger represented a radical departure from the fastback styling of the 1966 -1967 models,  but continued the performance image. 

From Chrysler's description of the car:

The wedge form  design places styling emphasis over the rear wheels with the design tapering forward to convey a forward thrusting look. A recessed backlight has been added for improved visibility and curved sides hint of aircraft cockpit styling. Instruments canted to the driver continue the aircraft theme.

The 117 inch wheelbase Charger features a longer, lower hood line and a wind spoiler that is an integral part of the rear deck. Headlights are set in the grille and concealed by an eyelid type of door that automatically moves up and out of the way when the lights are turned on. The grille has a bright decorative aluminum molding.

The Charger's integrated bumper with vertical bumper guards blends with the design of the car and still accomplishes its functional assignment. Other performance and styling features in the new Charger include simulated air scoops in the hood and body sides, a large quick fill style gas cap located  on the quarter panel, and bumper mounted parking lights.

A new special performance model, the Charger R/T (Road and Track) has been added to the lineup. This new model is equipped with the high performance 440 cubic inch V8, V-S1 heavy duty suspension and brakes, dual exhausts, and wide tread tires. Wrap around "bumble bee" stripes accent the R/T's sporty flavor. The stripes run across the rear deck and down the quarter panels.

Charger's all new six passenger interior features front bucket seats with an optional center cushion console in an exclusive all vinyl design. A new rallye clock and the addition of convenient map pockets on both doors are sporting new touches for 1968. The standard engine in the Charger is the 318 cubic inch V8. Options incline the 383 cubic inch V8, the 426 Hemi, and the 440 Magnum for the R/T models.

The glove box door is hinged at the top so that it cannot fail open and downward. All window crank knots are made of soft plastic formed into a tulip shape that will yield in the event of impact. The top of the front seat back incorporates a corrugated section metal structure covered by a pad of energy absorbing foam.  Instrument panel padding has also been extended around the lower portion of the dash for added leg and knee protection. Federally mandated side marker lights are located at the front and rear of the Charger. Fold down front seats will offer manually operated seat back latches to prevent any forward pitch.

Other standard safety features include recessed instrument panel ashtrays and a power window safety lockout, a child protection feature which requires the ignition switch to be turned to either the on or accessory side in order far the power switches to be activated. Optional safety equipment includes front seat head restraints, lap belts for center seat passengers, shoulder belts for front and rear outboard passengers, padded steering wheel, and factory installed rear window defogger.

The 1968 Charger came in a choice of six interior and 17 exterior colors. In 1968, three out of every four Chargers sold were equipped with a vinyl top. It nicely broke up the horizontal plane without interfering with the design. Inside, the four bucket seats and console (300 inspired, no doubt) were replaced by front buckets and a rear bench seat.

Adding to the legendary status of the car was the movie "Bullitt," which starred Steve McQueen as San Francisco Detective Frank Bullitt.

The movie features one of the best car chases in movie history, in which McQueen uses a 1968 Mustang GT to chase down a black 1968 Charger R/T driven by actor / stunt driver Bill Hickman. The movie used two stock Charger R/Ts purchased from Glendale Dodge in Glendale, California. Stunt driver Bud Ekins did most of McQueen's driving. Hickman did all of his own. Hickman also appeared as a stunt driver in The 7 Ups and The French Connection.

Not to be outdone, a friend of mine who shall remain nameless decided that he could outdo both Hickman and McQueen, and piloted his new R/T to 150 mph in the rain on Connecticut's Merritt Parkway, shown below, an outdated two lane (in each direction) highway designed for 1935 traffic. It was at night, and I was with him. We hit two cars, although we did manage to slow down to about 100 mph before impact. Nobody got seriously hurt. 

That aside, previous to the accident I considered the Charger to be the most outstanding automobile I had ever seen in every respect. My friend, who I'll just call Artie, took delivery of the car after a stint in Vietnam as a combat medic. We went for a ride, and I couldn't believe it; the car was a dog! It was to the point where I asked him if he had bought a pair of R/T emblems, as there was nothing else on the car to distinguish it from a common Charger. It was light blue with a black vinyl top, factory road wheels, and whitewall tires. No stripes, and a column shift automatic with a split bench seat.

He swore it was a genuine R/T, so off we went to Paul T. Uhrynowski's Back Yard Garage in Fairfield, Connecticut. One good tune up later (everything was WAY off), the car performed the way it should have. And then some. 

I had a little more experience with MoPars than Artie did; the post tune up test run was much better, but there was more to be had. Much more. I taught Artie how to do the "40 mph punch," where the driver mashes the gas pedal to the floor while manually shifting the car into first. It was amazing; the car leapt forward as though shot out of a cannon, smoke pouring from the incinerated tires, all with four people aboard. The engine screamed to 6500 rpm. "Shift!" I yelled. Artie obeyed, and the Charger chirped the tires and pulled even harder. In mere seconds we were going over 100 mph. I couldn't believe what I was seeing; he slowed down eventually and grinned at the rest of us.

"Runs good now," he said.

The Charger decimated everything that came near it. I personally humiliated a Corvette that was turning 12.9 at the local drag strip to the point where the driver thought his engine had stalled. Burnouts typically dug small trenches into the pavement that remained for several years. It was a true freak, you just couldn't believe it. Nobody would run this car, and I mean nobody. The top end was insane; the car would pull hard right up to 140 or so, then it would even out with a thrumming noise that sounded like a diesel banging against the governor. It would consistently pull up to 6500 in Drive with 3.23 gears.

My friend Bob Mackey went for a ride in the Charger and returned ashen faced, the only time I had ever seen him look like this. He walked over to his 300K, where I waited, and looked off into space. He lit a Marlboro Light and looked at me.

"You ride with this guy all the time?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

He looked away.

"Think about that," he said. "You'll die in that car. Take my word for it. I know about things like this. I've been there."

His warning almost proved to be true, although I paid no attention. At 21 you don't pay attention to warnings, because you can never die. I certainly couldn't, anyway. 

Some things are just too good to be true, and the Charger appeared to be one of them. It lasted 14,000 miles before being crashed. It was fixed, but my friend was ordered to get rid of it by the Dept. of Motor Vehicles. His aunt kept the car for several years, then sold it. Its whereabouts are unknown to me. Part of me is glad, because I still want to own that car. Some people never learn.

One note for when you look at the gallery pictures....a lot of restorers make this mistake. The standard performance 440 engines were always painted Chrysler turquoise, (1970 - 1971 engines may be Turquoise or Chrysler Blue) whereas the high performance engines such as the 440 Magnum and 440 Six Pack engines from 1969 on were always painted Hemi Orange. The 1967 and 1968 440 HP engines were turquoise. See picture below from Dodge's 1968 scat pack showroom brochure.  There were no high performance engines for 1972-1973, so those would all be Chrysler Blue.