The auction for this 1979 Dodge Magnum ends soon, and with an opening bid of just $1,500 and no reserve, it seems like a good opportunity to get into one of the more intriguing Mopar products of the quickly-dying personal luxury coupe era. The Magnum was sort of a last-gasp effort from Chrysler in an automotive environment that was rapidly turning away from big body coupes in favor of more fuel-efficient offerings. Still, the Magnum offered great styling, good power, and loads of options in this B-body swan song. Find it here on eBay with the auction ending tonight at 8:00 p.m. EST.
For me, the styling is what always draws me in. While many of the Big 3’s products didn’t differ that much across the lineup, the Magnum always looked like a car where they actually tried to make it distinctive. The enclosed headlights, the flat-face hubcaps, the optional targa roof – all of these things stood out in a marketplace that wasn’t showing the personal luxury coupe demographic much love. The seller’s car is rough around the edges and does have some rust, but it’s not terrible; it’s all pretty manageable, in fact. The listing notes that it was sold new in Canada but spent winter months in Arizona, so evidently it was a snowbird’s car.
My other favorite detail was the interior, as Dodge seemed committed to including intriguing cloth upholstery patterns in addition to loads of factory options. Power brakes, steering, and I believe seats were all standard. You could get a sunroof or the rare targa top. Opera windows were still a thing, too. The seller notes this Magnum needs a deep cleaning but the interior is presentable as it stands (obviously, I’m sure it’s full of all sorts of interesting smells and textures.) The listing also notes it has some electrical issues and that the ignition tumbler needs to be replaced.
The one major bummer is this Magnum features the base 318 engine with the awful “Lean Burn” system. This is not the motor you want, sadly, which may explain why there are no bids at present. You could excuse a project-grade Magnum if it had the optional 360 or 400 engines, as those were fairly decent despite the ongoing decline in power across the industry. Several new parts have been thrown at it, including tires, spark plugs and wires, a fuel pump, and a professionally rebuilt carb. The seller claims it does yard drives, but it will be up to you to make a reliable runner. Is this 318-powered Magnum worth it?
Dodge and Luxury do not go together. Dodge was a low end car, always.
My 1979 Dodge Magnum XE had the 318 and there was nothing wrong with it. It wasn’t built to race.