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Fantastico: 1979 Plymouth Volaré Premier

In the late ’60s and ’70s the Plymouth Valiant was an incredibly popular small car that had gained a reputation for reliability and economy but was built on an aged platform. Chrysler knew that they had to introduce a quality vehicle as a replacement so the Aspen/Volaré twins were developed with much higher quality interiors, much less wind noise and better suspension using transverse torsion bars. This Volaré Premier wagon (submitted by Barn Finds reader Bob J) looks all original and better than most of these looked after just a few years, let alone almost 40 years! Find it complete with simulated wood grain vinyl stickers on here on craigslist near Jacksonville, Florida for $5,500.

How did this very American car end up with an Italian name? With the Valiant being such a good car Chrysler executives decided that the replacement also needed to keep the V in the name. During product planning the Dodge and Plymouth twins were named Aspen and Vale.  Aspen stuck, but Vale didn’t work. Eventually the “V” name to replace Valiant became Volaré which in Italian means “to fly”. The first cars were introduced for the 1976 model year and were given great reviews. But it wasn’t long before these cars had terrible rust problems which plagued the cars even though the problems were mostly corrected in a running change during the 1976 model year.  This Volaré doesn’t show any rust at all with clean white paint and shiny chrome bumpers.

We don’t get a good view of the front seats but the rest of interior looks very clean and well taken care of.  The Aspen wagon that my family owned had an AM/FM/CB radio installed in the dash from the factory and I’m disappointed that I can’t see the radio in this car.  The seller tells us that this car is equipped with power windows and locks so it is a well equipped car and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the CB radio in there.

The trunk of this car looks incredible to me. It’s hard to believe that the white paint beneath the spare tire cover looks this good. And the cover itself is almost perfect.  Did anyone use this car?  The back seats look just like new too.  Incredible.

Under the hood this 318 looks excellent too. It is clean and the paint on the air filter and valve covers looks amazing for a 39 year old car. The seller says that this car has a dual exhaust but I only spy a muffler with two tail pipes sticking out from under the rear bumper. I don’t think that these ever came with a 4-barrel carburetor so the lean burn system was probably mostly removed at some point improving drivability.

I don’t know if these cars will ever be truly collectible but this one seems to be a great find with many factory options, a solid drivetrain, improved rust proofing and even the woodgrain vinyl isn’t peeling or faded. So what do you think this Volare is worth?

Comments

  1. Avatar Rustytech Member

    I noticed that to. This is a good looking car, as I remember they were very dependable once the assembly line quality issues were worked out. My mother in law put over 200k on hers ( identical to this one ) with no major issues. If $5500 is the asking price, it sounds like a fair deal for a driver. Other than the Road Runner ( and it’s questionable ) I don’t think they will ever be collectible.

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  2. Avatar Todd Fitch Staff

    I learned to drive on a car almost identical to this, but a darker tan color wagon, 318, wood-grain, with the upgraded interior, and most interestingly a three-speed floor shifter! my parents factory-ordered because they both preferred standard. The shifter went forward then bent back to clear the split bench seat, with a big black ball on top. How many of those do you think they made?!? Good times…

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    • Avatar DweezilAZ

      Todd, that sounds like the one used on the 60 Valiant ! Wonder if they dusted off the design for the Volare

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  3. Avatar ccrvtt

    This is a great size for a station wagon. Lots of utility without the land barge dimensions. Clean styling, well-equipped, and reasonably priced it’s severely tempting. In this day & age of rampant sameness this car would stand out as a rather attractive daily driver, probably good for another 150,000 miles with proper care and upkeep. Nice find.

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  4. Avatar edh

    In the second photo that “dual exhaust” seems to be piping the blues.

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  5. Avatar chad

    “Lots of utility without the land barge dimensions”
    just what I seek now (? ’83 – 6 LTD wagon?).
    wish it had the 225 slanty, tho
    I owned the dart wagon (a ’64 & ’66) toured the country loaded down, 300K mi in the end. Came back & a decade later drove a fleet of aspens/votaries for a neighbor’s cab/livery co.

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    • Avatar Billy

      225 only if it was the super six. Dad bought the first Vol-are in our town in the fall of 75 if I recall correctly, the slant six was awful, kept stalling. After Chrysler’s crappy warranty in those days had expired, he went the the junkyard and replaced the carb with one off a 72, that did the trick. The 2bbl super six had no such problems. I see improper wheel covers here, something from the early 70s, no matter, this car needs Magnums anyhow. The 318 was a super engine, even in those days. Had a few of those. This brings back memories. Got my first speeding ticket in that car, if you can believe that. Funny, I have owned more then one performance car in my day but the only two tickets I have ever got was in the slant six Plymouth and a lowly 1979 Omni. Life is funny sometimes. (97 MPH in a 55 zone with a 1.7 litre Volkswagon engine non the less! That was a pretty expensive hamburger run that evening, couldn’t help it, I was hungry!))

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  6. Avatar Nathan Avots-Smith Member

    Nice find (if only because so few exist anymore!) and kudos for ensuring that the “é” is properly accented! The choice of name was also probably helped along by the fact that there was a ready-made jingle in the form of “Volaré,” one of the most popular songs of 1958—not exactly au courant when these came out in 1976, but not so old that people didn’t remember it.

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  7. Avatar Jay E.

    A 48 year old car, no collect-ability cache and virtually impossible to have the dealership work on. Zero safety equipment, sub 20 MPG and questionable reliability. $5500.00? Seriously. Try $1500.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Martin Sparkes

      You just described every car on this site. Why exactly are you here again?

      Go ahead and see what you can get on your local craigslist for $1500.00.

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      • Avatar DweezilAZ

        Truly. And why would anyone take it to a dealer to have work done on it? I just had a bunch of things done on my 63 Valiant by a AAA signatory garage. No problem.

        This isn’t the sort of car or site one is looking for if wanting modern safety tech, 30 mpg and dealer servicing.

        That site would be “Late Model Car Finds”, not “Barn Finds”.

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    • Avatar David Barlowe

      Jay E. Evidently you must be a Chevrolet person. If it was a G M all of the nova people would think that is made of solid gold.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Chris

        Great point Dave. These cars were very reliable. Nothing beat a Chrysler product for durability. Just ask any Police Dept or Taxi driver.

        Like 0
  8. Avatar Steelernerd

    The gas tank on these is shifted left leaving little clearance for a tailpipe. It’s typical to run both pipe on the right. I’m guessing it is a true dual exhaust.

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  9. Avatar XMA0891

    My uncle swapped out his VW Notch-back for a brand new ’76 white over blue Volaré coupe. It wasn’t one of those cars that had its corrosion issues “corrected in a running change during the 1976 model year”. He had them corrected – twice – during his ownership. Ran like a Swiss watch though… Neat car; neat find.

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  10. Avatar Nova Scotian

    Nice Volare. But $2000 tops , plus or minus. It’s a pedestrian car. Owned one myself and driven plenty. (Who hasn’t)? Sure it’s a survivor…Would question the trunk pad as original, as it looks too new compared to its surroundings. Same with the stickers on valve covers. I believe someone was restoring it and got onto another project…or took this as far as they wanted, and is now looking for something else. It happens.

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  11. Avatar the one

    had a 78 w/318 4bbl was my medical school commuter, brought home our 1st child from the birth center in that car. It still lives! How, you ask? The front clip was installed in a 48 dodge coupe hot rod about 26 years ago.

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  12. Avatar Jake

    Unreal, had these as company cars back in the day and so many mechanical issues, and body rot issues and all of us that used them were so happy the company switched to different brand in 2 years!!!! Amazing what passes for a classic car barn find these days!!!!! Wouldn’t touch one!!!!

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  13. Avatar Andy

    The year I took Driver’s Ed, my school got a ’77 Volaré wagon and an AMC Hornet from Rent-A-Wreck, and added passenger side brake pedals. I was in the group that used the Volaré. It was sloppy, as you’d expect. It had a warped brake rotor, and a buddy of mine got real-world experience in how to handle a blowout. These days it’s funny to think a six year old car could be that shot. A 2011 Camry is still a really nice car.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Moparman Member

    Ditching those awful wheel covers and substituting a set of Magnums would improve this cars’ look substantially! :-)

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Miguel

    You are probably the first person to call a Volare fantastic.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar James

    I think this is pretty darn neat if you ask me. It reminds us of a period of time the was pre-SUV.
    While not the most attractive vehicle it certainly nails the time period.

    I read comments that it’s $2K max….. cheapos……. How could you contest price on something that there is likely no equal to. Enjoy it for what it is…….. my biggest question would be who would buy it ? ….. Perhaps someone reminiscing about riding in the back of one as a kid? I’d just be interested in the buyer

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Maestro1

    It’s a grocery or parts getter and there’s nothing wring with that. Just don’t assume any upside when you invest in the car. My Company had 4 4 door sedans of this brand in the old days, and they were nondescript and fine. I sold the cars for larger ones because of territorial expansion. No rust issues, nothing to worry about; the cars were on the Left Coast where rust is not an issue. I have a Chevy wagon for the above described purpose, and it’s terrific. Somebody should buy this. Give it what it needs, and simply drive it.

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    • Avatar DweezilAZ

      The buyer would be one that wasn’t looking at the car as an investment or Barrett Jackson contender, Maestro.

      But I have seen $45,000 Falcons and such listed on Hemmings. Insane.

      Like 0
  18. Avatar David Miraglia

    Nothing but headaches for my parents. After the reliable Volvo 164 we got the sister Aspen. Always in the garage for one reason or another.
    Looking at them now. They are still a nice design.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar craig m bryda

    My Dad had one, a ’78 Premier wagon. 225 that ran fine needed to replace a cracked exhaust manifold , ballast resistor twice. But it ran fine untill he gave it to my scummy sister & her scummier boy friend. They managed to kill it. The body was attacked by iron moths too. But otherwise a fine ride.

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  20. Avatar Tommy D

    Yuck, what a horrible ugly car, the 318 is a big plus though…

    Like 0
  21. Avatar Tort Member

    For a well preserved 48 year old car price seems okay unless Gramma has one in her garage. I will call the dealership tommorow and see if they will work on my 55 Chevy or my 37 Chevy coupe!

    Like 0
  22. Avatar Chebby

    For what it is, it looks great. Those hubcaps are from an earlier 70s Satellite but they look good with the meaty tires. Fun driver with the V8 and perfect for pulling a vintage trailer. The dual pipes look sketchy thought and the smoke does seem to be blue….

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    • Avatar Chebby

      Although I’m surprised BF likes this car. A while back I submitted a minty 1978 LeBaron wagon, same body size as this but loaded: factory leather, 360 Magnum four barrel, and rare dealer installed “wooden” mag wheels that matched the woodie sides. BF’s response was “meh”. To each his own, but it was 10x cooler than this wagon.

      Like 0
  23. Avatar Andrew Tanner Member

    This is a sweet find! A friend of mine has a Volare wagon with a 360 and that is really a neat car. Though I prefer its predecessors, I would totally drive this car.

    Like 0
  24. Avatar Ben

    My family had one like this–Dodge Aspen. It sucked, in my opinion. The 318 with the “lean burn” system was crap. This car idled so rough that the seats literally shook while the car was running in park. I was too young to drive it much. My older brother loved it. He said it was a tire-squealing machine.

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  25. Avatar Martin

    That Jay guy shouldn’t waste your time on this sight,he should be on eBay lookin for new cars .I bought one 6 years ago for $2500 with 63 K on it now it has 120K ,likely worth more now ,it still gets a lot of smiles .

    Like 0
  26. Avatar Will

    Here’s the saved ad with all the images and description http://www.craigslistadsaver.com/view.php?name=1979PlymouthVolare

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  27. Avatar Jason

    This is what you buy for your 17 year old kid after he jettisons his 71 SS454 off the road and into the woods…that is, if you were me and I was that kid.

    Although mine was a 79 also, Dodge Aspen, 225 slant 6. He surely knew it was indestructible, as I beat the hell out of it and couldn’t kill it.

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  28. Avatar Ron G

    I have a snowbird neighbor that lives down the street from me with an Aspen wagon. He should actually be coming down here in the next month or so. I always enjoy seeing that car sitting in his driveway with his late model mopars. His doesn’t have the vinyl wood on the side and he has a set of keystone mag wheels on it. Good looking car, he was doing some paint work on it before he went back up north in the spring,I look forward to seeing it when he’s done with it. This Volare is nice and worth the asking price, but no more, while I really do like these things, I don’t ever see them being super valuable.

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  29. Avatar Daniel

    My parents had a tan Volare wagon in the early 80:s when I was a kid. It had the catalytic converter removed since there was no unleaded petrol available here, if I can remember correctly. I just loved that car and it was quite unusual in Sweden too.

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  30. Avatar Mikey mo

    Hell why not some people think beanie baby value is in the thousands so why can some “crazy non popular” car be worth 5gs if it runs drives and is nice like he says run it and you can even fix it yourself
    What does 5 grand buy you of a more modern car a car that needs a ton of work or has a ton of miles and you probably can easily work on it yourself some times

    Like 0
  31. Avatar Tom

    Surf wagon. It would be here in New England for sure!

    Like 0

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