This 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger was restored by the team at Car Craft Magazine in 1984, then raffled off at the 1985 Street Machine Nationals. The restoration process was detailed in extensive articles that ran in nine issues of Car Craft, all of which are now included with this car.
The Dodge Dart Swinger was introduced as a new performance model for the 1969 model year, it was essentially a muscle car in a small package with the 340 cubic inch V8, heavy duty “Rallye” suspension including firm ride shock absorbers, and dual chrome tipped exhausts.
Fast Facts – The Dodge Dart Swinger
- When the Dodge Dart Swinger was first offered by the American automaker for the 1969 model year it was technically one step under the high-performance Dodge Dart GTS, however both cars shared many of the same parts including the engine and suspension packages.
- The Swinger has long proven to be a popular performance car from this era, it was a relatively small car by the standards of the time, weighing in at 3,087 lbs – less than a comparable Mustang or Camaro.
- The Dodge Dart Swinger was fitted with the 275 bhp 340 cubic inch (5.6 liter) V8 with a four barrel carburetor. A 300 bhp 383 cubic inch big block was optional, but it added weight up front and some felt that this upset the handling of the car.
- The Swinger you see here is a bit of a celebrity in Dart circles, it’s the car that was restored by Car Craft Magazine in 1984. The restoration process was covered in nine issues of the magazine.
The Dodge Dart Swinger
Although some have made fun of the “Swinger” name this version of the fourth generation Dodge Dart has long been a favorite of those looking for a genuine performance package with a lower weight and lower cost than a comparable Mustang or Camaro.
The Swinger was marketed heavily with the catchphrase “6,000 rpm for less than $3,000.” The car offered a lot of performance for the money by the standards of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The Dodge Dart was first introduced in 1959 as a new lower priced car to help Dodge dealers better cope with Plymouth cars being taken away from their dealerships and given their own network.
Chrysler executives didn’t initially like the Dart name, and after some costly market research they settled on the name “Zipp.” This was promptly rejected and the original Dart name was used.
Dodge would keep the Dart in production from 1959 until 1976 over four generations. It proved to be a successful model, and went from being a full sized car in the first generation to a mid-sized car in the second generation, to a compact car for the third and fourth generations – though the term compact car here is being used in the American sense, it certainly wouldn’t be classed as a compact in most other countries.
When ordering your Swinger it would come with the 275 bhp 340 cubic inch (5.6 liter) V8 with a four barrel carburetor as well as a number of other upgrades, like heavy duty “Rallye” suspension with stiffer shock absorbers, and dual chrome tipped exhausts.
This is the 340 cubic inch (5.6 liter) V8 that came as standard with the Dart Swinger, it made 275 bhp and could be ordered with either a 4-speed manual or automatic transmission.
The Dodge Dart Swinger was offered only between 1968 and 1972, it was a performance model that was technically one step below the top of the line Dart GTS however many preferred the Swinger and today they remain popular.
The 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger Shown Here
As mentioned up top this Swinger is well-known in Dart circles as it was restored in a series of feature articles in Car Craft Magazine in the mid-1980s, then raffled off to a lucky winner at the 1985 Street Machine Nationals.
It’s been restored in original B5 Blue and the glove compartment has been signed by Jeff Smith of Car Craft. It has its matching numbers 340 V8 and four-barrel carburetor, with dual exhausts, a 3.91 rear end, and column-shifted automatic transmission.
Inside you’ll find a bench seat interior in two-tone blue and it has the characteristic white tail stripe out back.
Iff you’d like to read more about this car or register to bid you can visit the listing here on Mecum. It’s due to roll across the auction block in January.
Images courtesy of Mecum
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