To attract younger buyers, Dodge created the Dart Swinger in 1969. It was a 2-door hardtop that looked sportier than their stodgy sedan. Plymouth copied the idea two years later and called it the Scamp as part of the Valiant line-up. This 1972 example looks to be in great condition and the only miss might be the removal of the A/C hardware. Located in Canandaigua, New York, this V8 Mopar is available here on craigslist for $21,500.
With the addition of the fastback Duster in 1970, it’s interesting that Plymouth would also choose to copy the Swinger a year later. Perhaps it was a matter of staying on an equal footing within the family as Dodge duplicated the Duster in 1971 and called it the Demon. Unlike the Swinger, the Scamp never had a performance version with the 340 V8. An inline-6 was standard and the 318 cubic inch V8 was optional. That’s the engine in the seller’s car, pumping out 150 hp at the new SAE net ratings.
This edition of the Scamp from ’72 sports Sunfire Yellow paint which was redone in the 1980s and still presents well (except perhaps for a discolored area behind the driver’s side door). The vinyl top is Honey Gold and there is no mention if it has been redone. In recent years, the Plymouth has only served as a show car, which indicates the care it has received. The interior is upholstered in matching materials and looks great, especially with bucket seats and a fold-down armrest which we assume were optional and not added later.
Mechanically speaking, the Scamp seems to be quite solid and was treated to a recent tune-up and a rebuilt 2-barrel carburetor. The TorqueFlite automatic transmission was refurbished last year, and everything is said to be in great running order at 69,000 miles on the odometer. The Rallye wheels add a nice touch to the “top dollar” look of this Valiant and have new radial tires affixed. Should you be interested, the seller has a spare 318 engine that could be had for extra $$$, but it probably needs to be rebuilt. Considering that Plymouth built nearly 50,000 Scamps in 1972 alone, when was the last time you saw one?
$21,500?………Uhmmmmmmmm NOPE!
I sound old but man everything is crack pipe money these days.
Seriously stupid for everything
I don’t think those seats are original.
Anyone who pays anything close to that is crazy!¡!!!!! Not worth that kind of money!
The Scamp was the result of a corporate trade at Chrysler. Dodge wanted a version of the Duster, and Plymouth demanded a version of the Dart Swinger in return. Look closely at the pics and note how the front wheel opening has a flare and the rear does not. That’s the result of mating a Plymouth front clip to a Dodge body. The reverse is true for the Dodge Demon.
That info about the wheel openings is awesome. Glad I learned that aspect of the platform sharing that most aren’t aware of. Thanks!
My few doors down neighbor when I was a kid had a Scamp – light green with green interior. They (Darts / Scamps) used to be somewhat ubiquitous decades ago but I cannot recall seeing one around in many years. This one looks fairly clean but the price is, um, ambitious, to put it mildly.
Most of these rotted away within the first ten years, so the few that are left and in good shape seem to bring big money, but I don’t see anyone paying anywhere near that much for a boring Scamp.
On the East coast EVERYTHING rotted away within the first 10 years.
Crazy money
I believe the bench/bucket seats are original Dodge just not sure if it was an option for this car.
I have the ’74 version of this car in my garage. Mine is the slant 6, an original survivor, with 42,000 miles. Like this one, no a/c. The color and vinyl top are similar, but the paint color is Golden Fawn. Interior is same color as this car. If this car sells for the asking price, I will have to increase the insurance coverage on mine
My Brother in Law bought a new ‘74 Scamp for my sister. Slant Six,2 door hardtop, same paint color with black vinyl top. It was an unmitigated disaster. It had the new interlock system which disabled the ignition if the seat belts weren’t buckled. Unfortunately, there was also a sensor in the seat, which did not function properly as designed. Since it wasn’t “broken” it couldn’t be repaired. The “solution” was a toggle switch on the dash- which sometimes worked/sometimes not. Mechanic gave her a screwdriver to short across the starter solenoid if all else failed. For some reason she wasn’t thrilled with that solution. The brand new car sat and collected dust for a couple years, and then sold for whatever they could get for it.
Not sure it should have qualified as a disaster because of the interlock system…Every 1974 car that was built and sold that year had one. Every such car that I know of had this system disabled (usually by the dealer) within a few months of purchase.
True. When first installed by NHTSA edict, it was against Federal Law to disable the system. So many people complained to their Congresspeople and Senators, that Congress passed a Law that banned the seatbelt interlock systems, which President Gerry Ford immediately signed into law, as he was running for election in his own right at the time. With the signed bill now the Law of the Land, the dealers could now legally disable the systems without fear of running afoul of the bureaucrat’s edict, as violations carried fines of hundreds of dollars per day for each car “defaced” by disabling the hated systems before the then new law was passed.
Pretty nice driver. Anonymous? Yes. Bland? Yes. Boring? Yes. $20K? No!
Old does not equal gold.
We had one of these, blue with a white vinyl top, blue interior. It had been one of those oversize-load escort cars, so it had high miles but was in really good condition. The 318 in that thing would scream – pretty impressive if you like squealing the tires at 45 on kickdown. First time it did it, I was surprised; too light in the rear, common problem with Dart/Valiant. We passed it through the family during the ’80s, but rust finally took it’s toll. Was a great car as long as you didn’t want to get in the back seat.
I’m a A body fan since 1968, but this money is ridiculous. Come on! A 904, 8 1/4 rear and a low compression no frills 2bbl carb with a small cam, small chamber heads, cast crank and crappy ignition. Is their a suite case in the trunk with 10,000 dollars
Still wouldn’t buy it.
OK, maybe if there was $19k in the trunk . . .
I have a 72 Scamp. Avocado green with a 2-tone green bench seat interior. The interior on this car is not a Scamp interior, but more likely a Duster interior. Back then, Plymouth did some TV commercials with Frank Sinatra singing a version of “That’s Why the Lady is a Tramp” called “That’s Why the Lady Drives a Scamp”. A vinyl roof was standard on these cars because it was the only way Chrysler could hide the hideous job they did joining the roof to the quarter panel. So when you see one today that has a solid, painted roof, it was redone (hopefully professionally) and there is no longer a need to hide the seam. While it’s nice that it has the V-8, without a VIN or a data plate, you can’t tell if it’s original. For that kind of money, I would want to be sure. And without heat or A/C available, it would make driving it difficult all year long. For this kind of money, I think you can do better.
I bought and sold a “nice” one of these. I was going to keep it and fix up for my Daughter. It had a vinyl top also, WARNING, check for RUST under top!!!!
Good advice! In addition to their assault on good taste, vinyl tops trap water under the vinyl, which rots the roof steel. I would remove the vinyl roof on any car I owned that had one, even a convertible roof! The convertible would get a far superior cloth top as a replacement in short order. Vinyl roofs are a crime against vehicle styling, IMHO! They are attempting to make a steel roofed car look like a convertible, but the attempt is blatantly obvious and unconvincing.
When’s the last time I saw one? 1987 when mine went off to the crusher. The right fender literally fell off while driving home from college. These cars rusted out quickly with no real protection between the front wheels and the outer sheet metal. Not sure where this one hails from but no way did it run 69,000 miles around Canandaigua, New York.
The buckets are the ’73 and newer design. I don’t believe buckets were offered in the Scamp in ’72 . They were, however, available in ’71 and the backrest was quite different, with a ‘thicker’ look.
I believe those seats came out of a ’74 Duster 360… I had a friend in college who had a red one with those same exact seats.
My first.car was a ’74 Scamp with a Slant Six……Golden Haze metallic with a black roof. I would still have the car if my ex -fiance hadn’t run the engine out of oil.
That “Lady Drives a Scamp” advert is from 1974……
i miss my Scamp….