The Dodge Dart was one of Chrysler’s answers to its dealership and sales shuffle during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The precipitating event was a sales plunge in response to styling miscues at Plymouth. Virgil Exner’s “Forward Look” was a hit in 1957, but not so much as it aged into the waning years of the decade. The subsequent financial stress was causing Chrysler to starve DeSoto, depriving dealers of inventory in that name. Meanwhile, in the compact car segment, Ford was advancing the Falcon and GM had its Corvair brewing, while Chrysler had nothing. Dealers were in a stew: they didn’t want to sell Plymouth any longer, had very few DeSotos to put on lots, and no compacts at all. To plug the gaps, Chrysler delivered the Valiant in the compact segment, and built the Dart as a lower-priced full-size car. The new Dart was quite successful – at cannibalizing Plymouth sales! By 1963, the Dart had spent two years as a full-sized sedan, one year as a mid-sized, and then nestled permanently into the compact segment, leaving thousands of confused customers in its wake. Here on craigslist is a very original 1964 Dodge Dart GT two-door hardtop project car, with an asking price of $2500. The car is located in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and it has had only two owners. We owe thanks to Mitchell G. for this great barn find!

A 225 cu. in. slant six rests in the engine bay. One of the family of three six-cylinder motors that Chrysler produced from 1959 through 1978, the 225 offered reliability, excellent torque, and horsepower ratings up to 145 from the factory. That’s where this one should slot in, at the highest output, with a single Carter BBS carburetor. The thirty-degree installation slant allowed for a low, sloped hood line, particularly on the Valiant, but having learned the trick, it was employed for the Dart and other cars as well. This configuration also allowed for a variety of manifolds. Our seller reports that this car does not run. No word on whether the motor turns.

The interior needs work as expected in a car that’s been stored for years. The seller managed to leave out a photo of the really swell pushbutton automatic. Here is what it looks like. The upholstery is typical for the Dart, showcasing the car’s GT logo. Dodge gave its customers bucket seats – a nice upgrade over the bench that was so prevalent in the compact class of the era.

I can’t help feeling affectionate toward a car that uses a brick for a brake. For years, I used a brick for my ’65 Falcon’s brake. The seller doesn’t mention rust, but I’m suspicious of the dark spots around the bottom of the back glass. The Dart name was originally used for Chrysler’s Ghia-built concept car made in 1956, the Dart Diablo. While not as futuristic as that Exner exercise, I love the clean lines of this Dart. If it’s not rusty, the price seems right; what do you think?