The Dodge division at Chrysler got its own entry in the expanding Detroit compact wars with the 1961 Lancer. It’s not exactly a Valiant clone, though. Check it out.
When the Chrysler Corporation launched the Valiant on September 21, 1959, initially as a stand-alone brand sold through Plymouth dealers, plans were already in the works for a Ddoge version of the distinctively styled compact. And sure enough, on September 25, 1960, almost exactly one year later, the 1961 Dodge Lancer made its debut. Dodge dealers and the division’s marketing executives were no doubt pleased. In the early ’60s, everybody wanted a piece of the expanding compact market.
The Lancer name was a familiar one in Dodge showrooms, as it had previously been applied to the division’s pillarless hardtop body styles. And while the Lancer and Valiant appear to be peas in a pod at first glance, a closer look reveals that their exteriors are significantly different. Nearly all the external body panels are unique to the Lancer, including the front fenders, hood, door outers, and rear quarters. The roof stampings and glass are common to the Valiant and Lancer, and of course the Unibody platform, suspension, and 106.5-in wheelbase are identical as well.
Powertrain choices tracked the Valiant, too: 170 and 225 cubic-inch Slant 6 engines, offering 101 or 145 hp, respectively, paired to a three-speed manual or Torqueflite 904 automatic gearbox. (See our popular Slant 6 feature here.) There were two trim levels, 170 and 770, and in the deluxe 770 a hardtop coupe was available from the start. Valiant buyers had to wait a year for the sportier body style. The Lancer was also available as a two-door post sedan, a style not offered in the Valiant until ’62.
With window stickers ranging from $1,979 for a 170 two-door sedan to $2,423 for a 770 station wagon, the Lancer was priced competitively with the Ford Falcon, Chevrolet Corvair, and the Valiant, too. Sales amounted to nearly 75,000 cars, only half that of Valiant but almost 28 percent of the Dodge brand’s total volume, so it was a smart move for the Dodge division. However, the Lancer would not be around long in its original form—noted Chrysler designer and historian Jeff Godshall described it as a “stopgap compact.” For 1963, Dodge rolled out a new compact called the Dart.
Better looking front grille treatment to my eye. That platform was a good vehicle for the day, one of the best really.
If you liked the Valiant, you’d like the Lancer. Both were too bizarre for many buyers as was shown by the very conservative restyle Valiant got first opportunity. Dodge, as the articfe says, just produced a down market version of its regular car.
I had a 1961 Dodge Lancer 770 4 door, it had a 3 speed on the floor only offered one year, I paid $50 for it in a farmers yard. I put a battery in it and drove happily away. Pretty good deal it May of 1977.
My son has a ’61 Valiant… for all the engineering advantages that Chrysler had, this was not one of them. Phew… did not think LSD was available at the time of design, but… maybe Chrysler was ahead of the curve compared to the CIA and Timothy Leary.
12/13″ wheels with a FOUR inch bolt pattern? Really?