The Fratzog Emblem Made Its Way Into ‘Archer’ Along With a 1970 Dodge Challenger
After an unprecedented 14 seasons on the air, “Archer” came to a close in a satisfying and delightfully ambiguous finale. However, before James Bond parody superspy Sterling Archer hung up his slightly darker black turtleneck for the last time, he drove some serious cars in his silly storylines. However, the only one to merit its own episode was none other than Sterling’s 1970 Dodge Challenger and its Fratzog emblem.
The Fratzog emblem greeted Sterling Archer upon his first meeting with his decked-out 1970 Dodge Challenger
In “Drift Problem,” episode seven of the third season, Sterling Archer gets a birthday gift from his emotionally unavailable mother, Malory. However, it’s not a tchotchke; it’s a gleaming, albeit animated, 1970 Dodge Challenger. Still, you’d expect someone who openly (and in public) refers to themselves as “the world’s greatest secret agent” to have some gadgetry in his black Dodge.
You’d be right. Archer thumbs the blue button on the muscle car’s center console, and a Fratzog emblem pops up with a message listing the various accouterments and facilities. Of note, the animated spy car features a 440 cubic-inch V8, active countermeasures, and James Bond-esque .30 caliber machine guns.
The car does more than fit a loud, boisterous American personality like Sterling Archer’s. The show features an aesthetic language of the 1960s and 1970s. A look around the series’ automotive confirms that fact. Hell, the first season showcased a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, a 1960 Fiat 500, and a 1978 Aston Martin V8 Vantage. However, in a fantastically anachronistic style choice, GPS technology and cell phones make near-constant appearances.
Unfortunately for Sterling, his mother quickly orchestrated the theft of the classic Dodge Challenger. And to further illustrate how unhinged Malory is, she sells the car rather than returning it to him with a lesson about ownership.
However, Archer might not be aware of the significance of the Fratzog emblem that greeted him. For starters, the emblem debuted on the 1962 Dodge Polara 500, per MotorTrend.
After its debut, the triangular emblem adorned badges, manuals, and grilles throughout the 1960s and mid-1970s. Today, however, the Fratzog is the visual representation of Dodge’s commitment to progress. It’s evidenced by the emblem’s presence on the next-generation electric Dodge Charger.
