From a family sedan to a compact car with a Dodge Charger variation, the Dodge Dart wears many hats in the automotive industry. The Dart name has been used many times and refers to so many different types of vehicles. Dodge enthusiasts can easily know which is which.
The first Dodge Dart was originally offered in 1960 as a smaller version of the larger sedan built by Plymouth. This was a low-priced car that Dodge offered in the late 50’s. Many Dodge dealers had offered both Dodge and Plymouth models for decades, but car corporation redirection meant that Plymouth was to become a separate brand from Dodge. The Plymouth brand was going to have separate dealers from just Dodge.
Because of the rebranding, Dodge decided to recycle the Plymouth Savoy with the name Dart. Dodge initially offered the unibody Dart with a new 3.7L Slant 6. Dodge offered it in both a sedan and coupe, with three different trim lines: The Dodge Dart Seneca, the Dodge Dart Pioneer, and the Dodge Dart Phoenix. A couple of the trim levels were offered in a V8 engine.
Upon the Dart’s introduction, sales soared for Dodge because of the Dart. In 1961, auto sales were not doing well across America and the poor Dodge Dart suffered because of it. But in 1962, the Dart was changed again. It was smaller and lighter, and the range of options and features were more simplified. It was also available with the famous Max Wedge 413 V8 engine.
In 1963, Dodge had plans to change the Dart name to Dodge Lanser. It ended up being a last-minute decision to drop the Lancer name and the Dodge Dart stayed a Dart. It eventually became available as a hardtop coupe, a station wagon, and a convertible.
One of the most memorable Dodge Darts was the Dart Charger. Many will remember the yellow GT hardtops with a black interior, a Commando 273 engine, and some of the best mechanical and trim levels known to Dodge at the time. It also had the Charger name, which is a staple in the Dodge community. These were the first Dodge models to use the Charger name. Charger became its own car and the rest of that is a blog for another day :)
In the 70′s, Dodge moved around names and features on the Plymouth Duster, Dodge Dart, and Dodge Demon. All of these offered slightly different packaging and options on each vehicle that generally overlapped.
In1974, the Dart was having troubles, much like many other car brands because of the gas crisis, end of the war, and Americans just not spending their money like they used to. The Dart said goodbye in 1976, but not for good.
In 2013, Dodge brought back the Dart as a compact sedan. The introduction of the Dart is Dodge’s first compact sedan in many years. It also came around after the discontinuation of the Dodge Neon.
The newer Dart came with some of the latest technology, transmission, and engine offerings that Chrysler had.
When the Dart came back, Chrysler didn’t just have one transmission for the Dart, they had three. For trim levels, the Dart comes with a SE (base), SXT, Rallye, Limited and R/T. Each level, above the base, adds items like a larger engine, back up cameras, keyless entry, and larger alloy wheels to name a few.
The performance trim level is the Dodge Dart R/T. It gets the larger 2.4L Tigershark engine. It has sport suspension, frequency-sensing damping shocks, integrated dual exhaust, and many exterior/interior upgrades. Dodge dropped the Dart again to focus on SUVs and sports cars recently in 2016.
While the Dart name has graced a variety of cars, it was almost dropped on numerous occasions. It’s amazing that the Dart name has survived everything that it had been through and was as successful as it was.
It’s not unusual for us to have a Dodge Dart on the lot in many different trim levels. If you’re looking for one, give us a call or check out our used inventory at www.schmitbros.com and we will see what we can do for you today.