The Dodge Dart was largely a mundane compact car for most of the 1960s. But there were a few notable exceptions, like a 1969 Dart Swinger 340 or the 1966 D/Dart. If you’ve never seen a D/Dart, that’s because only 50 were built for racing purposes so few of them likely still exist. Their 273 cubic inch V8 engines produced a minimum of one horse per cube. Stored for the last five years, this auto is presented as one of those rare muscle cars and is begging to be restored. Located in Fernley, Nevada, it’s available here on craigslist for $12,000. Thanks for the nifty Mopar tip, T.J.!
The 1966 Dodge D/Dart would not have been ordered by your grandmother. Unless she was into drag racing in the mid-1960s. Chrysler took what was a nicely equipped Dart GT and stripped it of non-essential stuff to get the weight of the car down. Then they stuffed a tricked-out 273 V8 under the hood with a 4-speed manual transmission. The combination resulted in a small, light machine that had 275 horsepower being sent to the rear wheels. Dodge only built 50 examples and off to the drag strips they all supposedly went.
We don’t know the racing heritage of the seller’s D/Dart if it has one. Tracking one of these Darts down must be a major task as only a handful weren’t used up and discarded by the 1970s. We’re told this one has been sitting for five years thanks to a clutch job that was never completed. We hope the engine and tranny are original to the car, but no mention of that is made. Nor is the health of the motor discussed.
The seller admits the interior is trashed, but the body looks pretty fair with the limited photos provided. Mileage is more than 100,000 as the odometer has turned over, which suggests it may have not seen as much racing as the other 49 could have. With low production numbers and even lower survival rates, when these cars do surface for sale in any condition, they won’t be cheap.
Sitting in a clutter next to a Hemi for a teaser.
What’s that emblem on the side of the top say?
It’s a stylized “GT”.
The post has already been deleted. I’ve never heard of a “D/Dart”, maybe somebody else here has. And 1of50? A 273 with 275hp isn’t exactly hair raising dragstrip material. Doesn’t seem like anything all that special, hell, you could by 289 Hi-Po Mustangs all day long in 66.
Yep there was such a package
https://www.supercars.net/blog/1966-dodge-ddart-super-stock/
D stood for D Stock to run in NHRA..Got runner up in Atlanta $10,000 in 1966 in one owned by Bill Tanner sponsored by Atlanta’s Lenox Dodge
273ci V8 “commando” when teamed w a manual transmission, was a fantastic driver for the street.
Yep – I owned one!
Well this is a new one on me. I never heard of a D-Dart. I knew the Ramchargers had there special set ups back in 63..Then later B weight 65 Dodge Coronet with Max Wedge 426 . I knew the Darts where set up for road racing with the trick out 273. Thats it. So thank you for teaching this old man something new Russ ! 🐻🇺🇸
Had one of those in the 70s, quick car but had to change the tiny clutch a couple of times a year.
HRJR
Can you provide any info on the D/Dart that you had? I have a registry of them and was curious about yours. I currently have 2 of them. One being Ted Spehar and Ralph Costa’s car known as “The Politician” that was raced in the Detroit area.
Big Bear 🇺🇸: Think a Dart won the first TransAm race.
Yes, Group 44,,,, But, got beat for overall win by Rindt in an Alfa GTA
Long about 1967 or ’68 when I was about 16 years old and working as a lot boy at a Ford dealership in Escondido, CA, there was a V8 Dart on the used car lot. Dark blue, four-speed trans, “chrome reversed” wheels. I made every excuse I could think of to start it up and listen to the V8 and even drive it a little bit “just to keep the battery charged.” No, it wasn’t a great muscle car but it was still memorable and my first contact with a hot car.
Scott…I just read about in Hemmings …it has pictures and write up on the original D-Dart that raced back then. It’s going to Mecum auction they are looking at $75,000 to $100,000.. who knew!🙄
I have a friend who’s been working on his d/dart for at least 20 years. We don’t talk about it much as I think his work and family have taken up much of his time.
I almost bought one myself about 35 years ago but I had just gotten my ‘73 dart sport 340 a few months before.
I had this for a short time, bought it to resell. I almost kept it as it was so much fun. The 273 with what was obviously an aftermarket cam and fender well headers was fast. I had a 65 442 that would have been no match for this 273 Barracuda.
They never reached that much. Maybe in the $40,000 to $50,000 range. Ted Spehar and Ralph Costa campaigned one in the Detroit area. Ran a best of 12.95 @ 105.
If it was a D Dart someone got the deal of the year. Very rare, built for the stock classes I believe. From what a buddy of my dad’s told me years ago they had no radio, heater, carpet under layment, ect. Built to win races. He was SS class winner in the 60’s , had a lightweight 64 Hemi Polara and a lightweight 65 Hemi Coronet, so I believed his description. Rare car.
This car is sold already to someone who knows exactly what it is. These 50 D-Dart cars are the original LO23 supper stock cars. It will be 100% restored.
If this car is what he says it is then why isn’t he asking an outrageous price like everyone else does? 12K and it still has its drivetrain.
I had a super rare 1965 Dodge Dart Charger a few years ago, it had a pearl white vinyl interior with silver and gold metal flakes built into the vinyl. I sold it to a collector in Cali.