The Dart Sport’s wood trim on the panel sides is laughably fake, more like wallpaper than anything that came from a tree. This Dart Sport’s interior was likely quite jaunty in its day, with red carpeting contrasting the beige surroundings.ĭespite the Dart Sport’s basic nature, Dodge still managed to slip in as much fake wood as they could. The laminated windshield also looks remarkably thick and bulky in its construction. It looks like the Dart Sport’s cousin, the Plymouth Duster, that was hit from behind in this “CHiPs Wrecks” post. Modern rear panels are typically all-plastic, so the amount of metal in the Dart Sport’s bodywork really does seem to be from another time. It’s likely that this Dart Sport’s rear panel was pushed in by whatever the yard’s caretakers used to pry open the trunk. The grille was a model of molded complexity, with an eggcrate pattern that seemed much more functional than fancy. That ’70s bumper had the trendy center-V that was so trendy at the time, and that V needed extra-bulky rubber blocks to protect it. In this case, we see the sturdy box that framed the engine bay. One of the more interesting aspects of junkyard cars is seeing the styling artifice degrade to show the unglamorous structure underneath. This junkyard‘s Dart Sport appears to be another California car, with minimal rust. So while Dart Sport buyers were likely attracted by the styling, the majority of them still specified one of the Dart’s most economical hearts. Slant Sixes made up 63% of the Dart Sport’s production run. In fact, the most popular Dart Sport spec included a Slant Six engine, in displacements measuring 198 or 225 cubic inches. At 3,951 units, this performance flagship represented only 6% of the Dart Sport’s production total, which further pointed to the end of the muscle-car era. The Dart Sport was the platform for the Dart’s sportiest variant, the Dart 360 Sport. The Dart Sport sold a bit less than that, at 63,518 units. The ubiquitous Dart Swinger was the more popular Dart coupe, with 89,242 units sold. Related: Streetside: 1974 Dodge Dart Sport – Economical FlairĪmid these unwelcoming conditions, there were still buyers who wanted practical wheels with a little extra style. Meanwhile, the US economy was headed headlong into crippling stagflation.
74 DOGE DART SPORT BUMPR FULL
Government mandates for crashworthy bumpers and emissions controls were in full force, and keeping up with them required massive capital investments from all automakers. Model year 1974 was a transitional one for US automakers. The 1960s muscle-car market had been hollowed out by the one-two punch of skyrocketing insurance rates and the gas lines of 1973. Basic transportation was the Dodge Dart’s forte, and the two-door Sport version promised a little bit more than that.
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