Dodge Challenger pulls ahead of Ford Mustang in American pony car sales race
Dodge Challenger storming toward the end of the year
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Challenger is looking like a champion again.
Dodge's pony car has pulled far out in front of its Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro rivals in the 2022 sales race.
The Mustang had a slim 562 car lead through the first half of the year, but the Challenger stepped on the gas in the third quarter with 16,412 sales to the Mustang's 10,354.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}That brings their nine-month tallies to 42,094 and 36,598.
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The Dodge Challenger was the best-selling American sports car through the first nine months of 2022. (Dodge)
The Chevrolet Camaro remains a distant third with 7,922 sales from July through September and 19,177 so far this year, which also trails the two-seat Corvette's 25,380.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Challenger's sales spike comes as Dodge announced that it and the Charger sedan will be discontinued at the end of 2023, which will mark the end of V8-powered muscle cars for Dodge.
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Dodge has announced that 2023 will be the last year of production for the current Challenger and is introducing several limited edition models to send it off with, including the "Black Ghost" muscle car. (Dodge)
They will be succeeded by a production version of the electric Charger Daytona SRT concept that was revealed in August.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Charger sales were also strong for the quarter at 24,201, bringing its 2022 total to 62,660.
Ford has unveiled an all-new 2024 Mustang that is scheduled to go on sale next summer. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
The Challenger dethroned the Mustang as the best-selling pony car last year. The Ford had held the title since 2015, when the then-new sixth-generation car was launched and outsold the Camaro for the first time since 2010.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ford is set to replace the Mustang with the all-new seventh generation car that was revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in September and is scheduled to go on sale next summer with the choice of a V8 engine or turbocharged four-cylinder engine.