Dodge Does a Do-Over: The 1963 Dart

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For 1963, Dodge gave its compact-class entry a comprehensive makeover, blessing it with a new, larger size and a new name: Dart. 

 

Introduced on October 2, 1962, the 1963 Dodge Dart represented a comprehensive rethink of the Chrysler Corporation’s product strategy in the compact class. Dodge’s previous compact, the ’61-’62 Lancer, was essentially a reskinned Plymouth Valiant (see our feature here). But this new Dodge ompact was a full 10 inches longer than its Plymouth counterpart, and it was sporting a new name as well. Of course, the Dart badge was borrowed from a previous full-sized Dodge model that first appeared in 1960.

Car Life magazine duly noted that with its larger size, the Dart was actually a “senior compact” like the Pontiac Tempest, Olds F-85, and Buick Special. While it continued to share the Valiant’s A-body platform, including the cowl, doors, and windshield, its wheelbase was nearly five inches longer (111 inches), producing a noticeable improvement in passenger legroom and ride motion. And at 2600+ lbs the Dart was 100 lbs heavier, too. (Dart wagons shared the Valiant’s 106.5-in wheelbase.)

 

With Virgil Exner now out of the picture at Chrysler, new styling chief Elwood Engel adopted a more conventional look for the Dart with cleaner, straighter lines than the Valiant/Lancer. Indeed, Dodge brochures called the theme “Straight-Line Design.” The quad headlamps of the Lancer were discarded for a pair of 7-inch single lamps and a front-end treatment that mirrored the standard-sized Dodge 330 and Polara. Reportedly, nearly $10 million was set aside to ensure that the Dart version of the Chrysler A-body would have a clear Dodge identity.

 

The product line included three models, in ascending order: 170, 270, and Dart GT. Two-door, four-doors, and a four-door wagon were offered at the 170 and 270 levels, while the GT was available as a Hardtop Coupe or a Convertible—Dodge’s first compact ragtop. Engine choices were limited to the 170 CID and 225 CID Slant sixes, paired with a three-speed manual transmission with column shift or the Torqueflite 904 automatic with push-button control. Chrysler’s 273 CID V8 wouldn’t become available until the following year.

 

There’s no question that the do-over in its compact strategy was the right move for Dodge, as the division sold nearly 154,000 Darts in ’63, a 150 percent jump over the ’62 Lancer’s volume. In fact, the ’63 Dart outsold the ’61 and ’62 Lancers combined. The 1962 model year had been a disaster in general for the Chrysler Corporation, which must have made the Dart’s success all the sweeter.

While the Lancer’s volume had lagged far behind the Valiant’s in ’61-’62, by ’65 the Dart was outselling its Plymouth stablemate, its volume topping the 200,000 mark. The Dart would remain a key element in the Dodge product line through 1976, when it was finally replaced by the Aspen. The Dart name would appear one more time in the Fiat-Chrysler era on a U.S. compact (2013-2016) based on a Fiat Group platform.

 

10 thoughts on “Dodge Does a Do-Over: The 1963 Dart”

  1. Nice car and thank goodness Elwood Engel got rid of that awful Exner styling.

  2. The family resemblance to elder cousin, the ’63 Chrysler, is evident from a rear view; unmistakable. Side view of the hardtop, definitely relates to big brother Dodge. Side view of the four door sedan? Hmm…could there be some Fairlane DNA in there?

  3. In 1965 or 1966, my dad bought my mom a ’63 Dart 2 door hardtop, red, red interior, pushbutton Torqueflite, bucket seats & console. He installed an aftermarket underdash A/C unit, & we took that car everywhere. From where we lived just outside Charlotte, we traveled all over the South & the East coast in it. Mom got a ’67 Caprice 4 door in 1969, & dad drove that Dart from then until 1984, never needing to do anything other than routine maintenance to it. Once I got my license in 1977 I drove it often myself. Most reliable car I can recall in my 62 years on earth.

  4. The Dart was the Corolla of its day. It did everything required of a car and nothing more. I’d rate in the top 5 of American cars 1963-1973, particularly with the 225 Slant Six.

    • You read my mind about the Dart – Corolla connection. I was born in 54 and when I started driving in 70, it was common knowledge that the Dart was the go-to indestructible car, that or a VW Bug. In fact, I think everyone my age in southern California owned one or the other or both at some point. The old saying was, “don’t change the oil, just top it up…” which of course was wrong, but those slant sixes were great.

  6. These were actually designed under Exner, along with the ’63 Valiant, full-size Plymouth, Dodge, and Chrysler. Engel made some tweaks on all of them for ’64, but not these. They were locked in by the time he arrived.

    • I’ve read basically the same thing, that Engel only added the tiny fins at the rear of the Valiant and Dart to square off the rear end from the side view.

  7. Was brought home from the hospital in a medium blue metallic 63 coupe with an automatic. My brother used to suck on matches left in the ashtray. Might be the reason why he turned out to be such a moron.

    Eventually got traded in around 1969 — after the harsh Pittsburgh winters, complete with the city spreading highly acidic cinders left over from steel production on the streets instead of salt or sand, lightened it up a few hundred pounds due to rest.

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