Dodge · 1959–present

Dodge Dart

The Dodge Dart is a line of passenger cars produced by Dodge from the 1959 to 1976 model years in North America, with production extended to later years in various other markets. The production Dodge Dart was introduced as a lower-priced full-size model in 1960 and 1961, but became a mid-size car for one model year for 1962, and was then reduced to a compact for two generations, from 1963 to 1976. Chrysler had first used 'Dart' name plates on two Italian styled show cars, in 1956 and 1957, before it became a Dodge model name. The Dart nameplate was resurrected for a Fiat-derived compact car that was introduced in 2012.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Dodge Lancer · Successor: Dodge Aspen

All Dodge Dart data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years → + Compare

Early history

The Dart name originally appeared on a 1956 Chrysler show car, featuring a streamlined body designed by the Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Ghia, that was later modified and renamed the Dart Diablo. For 1957, Ghia built Chrysler a second, visually similar show car, the Chrysler Ghia Super Dart 400.

First generation (1960–1961)

=== 1960 === The first Dodge Darts were introduced for the 1960 model year. They were downsized large cars developed to replace Plymouths in the standard, low-priced car segment for the Dodge dealer network. Dodge dealers had been selling Plymouths since 1930, but divisional restructuring took the Plymouth brand away from the Dodge dealer network. Project planners proposed the name Dart, only to have Chrysler executives demand an expensive research program that produced the name Zipp. This was promptly rejected in favor of Dart. With the cancellation of Chrysler's upper level DeSoto brand, upper-level Dodge products were pushed upmarket, while using Plymouth products with more features for lower-level Dodge products. The Dart sedans and coupes were based on the unibody Plymouth platform with a 118 in (2,997 mm) wheelbase, shorter than the standard-size Dodge line. However, the Dart station wagons used the same 122 in (3,099 mm) wheelbase as the upmarket Polara wagons. The Dart line was offered in three trim levels: the basic Seneca, mid-range Pioneer, and premium Phoenix. The new Dart came standard with a new engine, the 225 cu in (3.7 L) slant-six. The 318 cu in (5.2 L) (standard equipment on certain Phoenix and Pioneer body styles) and 361 cu in (5.9 L) V8s were optional with two-barrel or four-barrel carburetors, and with single or dual exhaust. The Dodge 383 cu in (6.3 L) V8 was added in 1961. Brakes were 11-inch drums. Sales of the new Dart were greater than those of the full-size Dodge Matador and Dodge Polara, which also created an in-house competitor for Plymouth. Advertising from 1960 and 1961 compared the Dart to the "C" car (Chevrolet), the "F" car (Ford) and the "P" car (Plymouth). After the economic downturn of 1958–59, Dodge production for 1960 rebounded t

Second generation (1962)

For 1962, the Seneca, Pioneer, and Phoenix trim levels and names were dropped – instead trim levels became Dart, Dart 330, Dart 440, and Polara 500, offered in downsized two- and four-door hardtop, and convertible styles, that stood out by their raised, protruding grilles, encompassing what look like inner headlights, similar to the inner headlights in the protruding grille of a 1969 Ford Mustang. The Dodge Polara 500 was dimensionally identical but not officially a Dart by dint of its different name, and it was not built nor sold in Canada. The Dart models were the same in Canada as in the U.S. except that the base model was badged Dart 220. The Dart and Polara were downsized as part of Chrysler's hasty effort to compete with what company leaders thought would be downsized large cars from Chevrolet. However, they had overheard talk not of the big Chevrolets, but of the compact Chevy II Nova. This was a basic front-engine compact to compete more directly than the Corvair with the Ford Falcon, Rambler American, and Plymouth Valiant. Chevrolet's Impala and Ford's Galaxie both remained sized in accord with the prevailing norms of full-size cars. The redesigned Dart was perceived more as an intermediate, like the Rambler Classic or the Ford Fairlane. When Dodge dealers voiced their displeasure at having no true full-size car to offer, Chrysler quickly created the Dodge Custom 880 in January 1962 by putting the 1961 Dodge Polara front end assembly on a version of the 1962 Chrysler Newport body. The 1962 Dart, like the Plymouth, was on a new lightweight unibody "B" platform, featuring Chrysler's well-received "Torsion-Aire" torsion bar front suspension and asymmetric rear leaf springs. The rigidity gained through the nearly pure unibody platform combined with the suspension's

Third generation (1963–1966)

For 1963, Dodge made a last-minute decision to drop the Lancer name in favor of Dart for Dodge's newly designed "senior compact", a marketing term referring to the wheelbase having grown to 111 in (2,819 mm) from the Lancer's 106.5 in (2,705 mm). This longer wheelbase used the same A-body suspension of the Valiant and defunct Lancer, and would underpin all Darts from 1963 to 1976 except the 1963–1966 station wagons which used the Valiant's (106 in (2,692 mm) wheelbase) and the 1971–1976 Demon/Sport which used the Plymouth Duster's 108 in (2,743 mm) wheelbase. The longer wheelbase gave more rear seat legroom than the previous Lancer or the contemporaneous Valiant. The Dart was available as a 2- or 4-door sedan, a 2-door hardtop coupe, a station wagon, and a convertible. Three trim levels were offered: the low-spec 170, the high-spec 270, and the premium GT, which was available only as a 2-door hardtop or convertible. The 1963 Dart has a turning diameter of 38.9 ft (11.9 m). The Dart was an instant market success, with 1963 sales up sharply compared to those of the 1962 Lancer. The Dart remained extremely popular through the end of the Dart's production run in 1976 in comparison to the Ford Falcon and the Chevrolet Nova. Initial engine offerings were two sizes of the slant-six: a 170 cu in (2.8 L), 101 hp (75 kW) version was fitted as standard equipment, and a 225 cu in (3.7 L), 145 hp (108 kW) version was available for less than $50 extra. The aluminum engine block for the 225 was discontinued early in the 1963 model year. After the start of the 1964 model year, an all-new, compact, lightweight 273 cu in (4.5 L) LA V8 producing 180 bhp (130 kW) with a 2-barrel carburetor was introduced as the top engine option. 1964 was the last year for pushbutton control of the optiona

Fourth generation (1967–1976)

=== Engines === The 170 cu in (2.8 L) Slant-6 engine remained standard equipment, though its power rating rose from 101 bhp (75 kW) to 115 bhp (86 kW) for 1967, owing to the installation of the 225 engine's 1 barrel Carter BBD or Holley 1904 series carburetor and the revised camshaft the bigger engine had received in 1965. For North American domestic-market vehicles, the base 170 engine was replaced for 1970 with a stronger new 198 cu in (3.2 L) version of the slant-6. This new base engine was also less costly to make, for unlike the previous 170 engine, the 198 used the same block as the 225. The smaller displacement was achieved with a new crankshaft (3.64 in (92 mm) stroke vs. the 4.125 in (104.8 mm) stroke of the 225 crank) and connecting rods (7.006 in (178.0 mm) long vs. the 6.67 in (169 mm) rods in the 225). Nevertheless, the 225 remained an upgrade option. The 2-barrel 273 cu in (4.5 L) small-block V8 was supplanted on the option list in 1968 by a 318 cu in (5.2 L) 2-barrel engine. The 318 was rated at 230 bhp (172 kW) versus the 2-barrel carbureted 273's 180 bhp (134 kW). At the same time the 4-barrel carbureted 273 235 bhp (175 kW) was replaced on the options list by the 275 bhp (205 kW) 4-barrel carbureted 340 cu in (5.6 L) available only in the 1968–1972 Swinger and the hottest Dart, the performance-oriented GTS models. The Dart GTS came standard with the 340 cu in (5.6 L) V8. A 300 hp (224 kW) 383 cu in (6.3 L) big-block was optional. 1967. The Dart and its sister model—the Plymouth Valiant—were substantially redesigned for the 1967 model year. In addition to new styling, the cars received revised steering systems, wider front track and frame rail spacing, and redesigned K-members capable of accepting larger engines. The Dart kept this basic form, with face

Taxi

Darts were offered to the taxicab industry for their whole production run from 1963 to 1976. While specifications varied by year, interior upgrades generally included heavy-duty front and rear black rubber floor mats, heavy-duty seat cushion springs with full-foam back and air-foam seats, black all-vinyl trim with heavy canvas-backed vinyl seat covers, interior door pull assist straps or handles, and a door-ajar warning light for the driver. Mechanically, Dart taxicabs were generally equipped with heavy-duty brakes, tires, shock absorbers, front torsion bars and rear leaf springs, a high-output alternator, an increased-capacity cooling system, and extra-lean carburetor calibration for greater economy. In 1976, the Chrome Yellow taxi package was available only with a 225 slant-six engine producing 95 hp (71 kW) and 170 lb⋅ft (230 N⋅m); transmission was the (rare) A-727-RG (raised-deck motor, which was the slant-six series) with California emissions, 90 hp (67 kW) and 165 lb⋅ft (224 N⋅m). Options included a radio suppression package and a Fuel Pacer System. Many—if not all—of them had a body-color paint sales code of "999", meaning special order paint.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Dodge Dart

Manufacturer

Dodge (Chrysler)

Production

1959–1976

Model years

1960–1976 (North America)

Class

Full-size (1960–1961), Mid-size (1962), Compact (1963–1976), Luxury car (for Spanish market)

Layout

FR layout

Predecessor

Dodge Coronet (for full-size version), Dodge Lancer (for compact version), Simca Esplanada (Brazil)

Related

Plymouth Valiant, Chrysler Valiant, Dodge Phoenix

Successor

Dodge Aspen, Dodge Diplomat, Talbot Tagora (for Barreiros models/Spain)

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

US EPA fuel-economy records

US EPA test figures (US MPG, US test cycle).

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1468221CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_DartCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1373221554 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1960_Dodge_Dart_Pioneer_Sedan.jpgCC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Niranjan Arminius · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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