Remember theopening course credit ofDazed and Confusedwhen that sweet muscle car pulls into the parking lot to the rouse sounds of Aerosmith ’s " Sweet Emotion " ? Or the cruising collage to War ’s " Low Rider " ? Or the myriad other scenery that featured some hair - raising combination of ultimate ' 70s jam and ultimate ‘ 70s car ?
There ’s something truly royal about those current of air - in - your - hair , Zeppelin - on - your - stereo drives of yore , and here ’s your very tangible , veryaffordablechance to animate the magic : a1972 Dodge Dart Swingeris on the auction stoppage later this month atAuctions America ’s Santa Monica auction , and it ’s expected to sell for the non - Earth - shattering nitty-gritty of $ 12-$16,000 .
Classic American muscle car? Check.
First , countenance ’s hesitate and appreciate how perfectly inspired it is that Dodge named a car " Swinger . " To be utterly honest , the Dart was n’t always this sang-froid : for a while it was an inexpensive sedan chair known as much for its mediocrity as its ratherdisparaging reference in the existentialist writings ofJean - Paul Sartre . By the belated 1960s , though , Darts were out - and - out muscle cars that rightly earned a place in the pantheon of American classic .
Debuting in 1969 , the Swinger nameplate mean the machine is a two - threshold hardtop adaptation of the Dart . This is the Dart at its coolest , the Dart in its prime .
The sound under the hood is pure America
Under those ominous – and working ! – cowl scoops lie a Chrysler 318cid V8 . It ’s part of the same locomotive family that ultimately led to the evolution of the Viper ’s V-10 … three decade after .
This special Swinger is n’t one of the fastest ; it puts out a much more modest 150hp . Buthorsepower is n’t everything , folk , and some of the most classic muscle auto areslower than a modern minivan . The visceral element matter just as much as the speedup . Of the sound , there can be no debate . That V8 will sound just as effective as any other classic rolling down the street .
This thing is made for cruising
Take a look inside and a few things will endure out to the keen observer . First , it ’s clear in great condition . Second , the marketer bring the stereoscopic picture up to modern glasses , so once you get world-weary of that V8 soundtrack , you’re able to crank all mode of ' 70s Americana rock . Third ? OK , so it ’s got an automatic transmission . It ’s notthe good sort of automaticeither , which is why the car is so cheap .
But a car this gloriously retro and gloriously chintzy sha n’t be ignored . If the splanchnic throwback to the goldenAmerican Graffiti / Dazed and Confusedera of cruise does n’t pluck you , just recall about all the Austin Powers - y puns you could make . It ’s time to swing out , baby .
Want more of the world ’s best auto delivered straight to your inbox?Click here to contract up for our daily electronic mail .
Courtesy of Auctions America
Courtesy of Auctions America
Courtesy of Auctions America
Courtesy of Auctions America
