Dodge added the Swinger 2-door hardtop to the Dart lineup in 1969 to add some pizzazz to the otherwise stodgy compact. A couple of years later, the Swinger Special came along, a stripped-down version of the car for those on a strict budget. The seller’s Swinger Special is from 1975, the year before the Dart was discontinued in favor of the new Aspen. This one appears to be an original survivor with just 58,000 miles and shows some wear. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this Mopar cheapie is available here on eBay, where the current bid is $1,136 with no reserve.
The Special shaved a few bucks off the Swinger MSRP by using rubber floor coverings instead of carpeting, poverty hubcaps instead of full wheel covers, and so forth. This example has at least two extras: a TorqueFlite automatic transmission and factory air conditioning (still mounted under the dash). A 225 cubic inch Slant-Six was the standard engine, and the original buyer was happy with that powerplant instead of opting for a 318 V8. If you’re going to keep adding extras, why get the Special?
By 1975, the Special wasn’t so special. Dodge built 9,300 of them that year vs. 45,500 regular Swingers. Buyers were more interested in saving money on gasoline as prices had risen to more than 50 cents per gallon after the OPEC oil embargo (gadzooks!). This Dart is being sold out of an estate, and the listing implies the owner may have had this Dodge for a long time. As such, the mileage is low, and it has been sheltered for much of its 50+ years. There is a little rust in the rear quarters, and the factory Frosty Green paint is fading and thin in a few places.
We’re told it’s a good running car that may be fine mechanically. The front seat covers don’t match the ones in the rear, so we assume they succumbed to the elements at some point and were redone. The seller points out NADA prices for these autos, which can range from $7,200 to $12,500. So, we assume the car will get closer to the first number than the latter. If you’re a fan of plain and simple cars from the 1970s, would you scoop up this little Mopar?
At the end of the auction you will see what someone is actually willing to pay for a drivable rough around the edges Dart with a slant 6, with cold AC.
Steve R
I usually prefer all original but this one has sleeper written all over it. $4k ish sounds about right
Aren’t those hubcaps called
Dog dish hubcaps too?
I was pretty broke when I had them on my battered Dart but I did not know I was advertising my brokenness.
I was upwardly mobile when I got a lovely set of Baby Moons which were stolen in a week, so back to the Dawgs went I.