Picasso had his Blue Period. Another Blue Period is occurring around my house in northern Virginia, where some odd set of coincidences has caused a number of blue Dodge Darts and Plymouth Valiants to appear on nearby streets, long after the Chrysler A-Body twins have disappeared from common usage in the area. Far from being immobile driveway or yard sculptures, they all remain registered and ready for the road. Each is, in its own way, a work of art.
Some may question how anyone could declare a car as mundane as a Dodge Dart or Plymouth Valiant to be a work of art. Many would confine the term to the best of Ferrari and other exclusive European marques from the 1960s and earlier, along with the more brilliant creations of Bill Mitchell and other American designers. The essence of art being expression, however, the simplicity and vulgarity of the elements used is immaterial. For example, no one would contest that this simple collection of lines and colors, “Blue, White and Yellow” by Piet Mondrian, is a work of art (although many would call it pointless and wonder why anyone finds it interesting or worthy of acclaim).
The Darts and Valiants that I have found nearby are equally works of art. Take this 1974 Dart. I could point out the obvious resemblance between the shapes and colors in this photograph and those of “Blue, White and Yellow”–each with a yellow square, a blue rectangle, and parallel black lines–and rest my case. It goes far beyond that basic visual similarity, though. This generation of Dart and Valiant was a perfect blank canvas for the owner to express his or her own personality.
During my teen years in the 1980s, Dart and Valiants of this generation were the aging cars of frugal parents and teachers and hand-me-down first cars for teenagers. I experienced several of them. A friend’s father had a ratty 1969 Dart convertible with a 273 V-8 that was one of the most uncomfortable yet fun cars in which to be a passenger. My Russian teacher, without whom my various stories of Russian vehicles such as the GAZ-24 Volga and GAZ-66 would not exist, drove a late 1960s Valiant. My clarinet teacher had a mid-70s Valiant with a Slant Six/3-speed manual whose three on the tree was the first and only one that I have seen in action.
This 1974 Dart perfectly captures the look and spirit of those Darts and Valiants of the 1980s. It is faded and dented but complete and almost entirely stock, like a well used but diligently maintained example would have been thirty years ago. It has rust holes in one of the fenders and some surface rust on its right side but otherwise appears to have a sound body and a good vinyl top. The owner is keeping it clean and in original condition, and cares enough to clean up the trail of gas from the exposed filler that was the mark of a beater A-Body back when they were common. It may need adjustment to its front torsion bars to get it back to its original ride height, but since that adjustment is quite easy, it is likely that the owner is keeping the rake intentionally.
The white rectangle visible between the windshield wipers is a cassette of a Bryan Adams album which, along with the old-fashioned aftermarket AM/FM/cassette with knobs and buttons sans display screen or LEDs–possibly a period Kraco or Sparkomatic, keeps the car Eighties-correct.
“Ironic hipster doofus” is the first thought that many will have upon hearing these details, but they would be wrong. A passing dog walker informed me that the driver of the Dart is a high school student, which puts this Dart in an entirely different light.
That was confirmed when I later found it parked at the local high school. A student preserving a 1974 Dart as a tribute to the eighties, an entire decade before he was born, must have an interesting reason for doing so. It is akin to a high school student in the eighties driving an unrestored early 1950s Chevy with a Stovebolt Six. One possibility is that he is driving the high school car of his father, who based on a back of the envelope calculation, likely was a teenager during the 1980s. Whatever the reason, seeing this Dart serving as the daily driver of a teenager is a heartwarming sight. Here is one teenager getting started in the hobby early and in the right way, with a modest and easy to maintain starter classic.
Alas, the other blue Dart/Valiant examples in the area are less heartwarming, although no less expressive. On to them.
The preceding 1963-66 generation of the Dart and Valiant had already disappeared from the streets in the area during the 1980s and are more self-consciously classic cars, so I am not surprised to find the surviving examples near me to be more shouty and obvious about their old-time status. This vanity plate equipped 1965 Dart has become a defiant patriotic symbol with its “One Less Import” and “God Bless America” stickers. Since it was sitting unused on a weekday, however, it probably is a second or third car that has not prevented the sale of an imported car in a long time, if ever. Art is not always subtle or entirely accurate, unfortunately.
Speaking of Picasso’s Blue Period, his favorite subjects during that deeply depressed period of his life were beggars and other down-and-out members of society. Fittingly, I found this 1964 Valiant Signet living under the shelter of a highway overpass. It appears to be complete and rust-free aside from the holes on the leading edge of the hood, so hopefully it is living on the streets only temporarily. It wears an antique plate from 1964 and probably has since 2007, the year of its last inspection sticker (in Virginia, cars registered as antiques are exempt from state inspections).
In addition to the 1964 antique plates, this Valiant has a bumper sticker for the 1964/1965 World’s Fair in New York attached to its rear bumper. It is in far too fresh condition to be period-original, so it is clearly a new addition to make the car’s age more evident. It is a sign that someone cares about it even though it appears to have been sitting in this spot for so long that a mound of leaves and dirt that the street sweepers were unable to reach has accumulated around it. I hope that this unpretentious classic stops living under an overpass and rolls into the light of day on its own power soon.
I have presented three blue classic Darts and Valiants here, but there are more in the area that I know about but could not find and photograph in time. Another 1964 Valiant Signet, a dark blue example parked only a few hundred yards away from the one under the overpass, almost became my Gambia road trip car instead of the 1986 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser that I ended up buying when I was thinking that the simplest, most foolproof American classic would be the right tool for the job. It has disappeared from its long-term street parking space, probably to re-join the rest of the owner’s fleet of four Darts and Valiants parked in his garage and yard.
The popularity of these Darts and Valiants as practical classics, parked outside and driven regularly, is not surprising–being inexpensive to buy, easy to maintain and repair, and respected for their reliability and durability, they are an ideal starter classic, and as shown here, they are an excellent blank canvas for an owner to use to make his or her own statement to the world. If this many exist within a few miles of me, then their numbers around the country must be quite high.
The vinyl roof on the first car represents everything wrong about the brougham-ization of the Malaise era 🙁
A young man dating a pretty blond teen neighbor used to visit driving a ’74 sedan. It was new at the time, and probably the Valiant. White vinyl top and dark metallic green. A higher trim line like this one. Perhaps not a work of art, but always spotless and surprisingly sharp – even my mom caught notice.
The young man or the car? 😉
Since adopting a 60s car and driving it whenever possible I admire these vehicles so much more. I was raised on attending local car shows with my father and of course those were “showroom condition and hot rod” cars down to the last one. Now these survivors are so much more interesting regardless of how “original” they are or not, just un-restored.
Patina rocks!
Well said!
Everything I’ve read about the Dart and Valiant leads me to the same conclusion you came to, that these make the perfect starter classic. I think they’re quite attractive, too; more than just plain. If I could find someone willing to trade me their pre ’74 Valiant 5.2 sedan for my Civic, I’d take it.
The 63-65s – Exner’s final fling (I believe) at an uncompromised design – are particularly nice, especially the Signet and Dart hardtops and convertibles. I also like the well-resolved ’67-69 models. Things got a bit sloppy and Brougham-y after that, but to the end they were solid cars that saved the company in the mid-70s. And you have to like the “Italian” flair of the original models.
Too me, the only real miss across the Valiant/ A Body Dart lifespan were the ’66s, which tried to hard to “Engelize” Exner’s designs. Honorable mention, too, to the flat-fronted ’65 Dart.
$5900 each asking give or take buys you one of two REALLY nice looking (‘de-patina-erized’) 318/904 two door examples I have noticed currently sitting for sale at a NY classic car sales yard.. cheap! 🙂
..74 Plymouth Duster 318 ($5900 asking) Hollywood Motors West Babylon NY
..73 Dart Swinger 318 ($6900 asking) Hollywood Motors West Babylon NY
Big fan of A bodies here,Dad had a 66 Aussie Valiant and a 68 Dodge Dart both 4 door 6 cylinder plain vanilla cars Spent a lot of time in these as a kid in the late 60s and early 70s.These cars were an everyman car,miser’s specials to V8 tyre burners and everything in between.
Another A admirer here. I have a history with these that goes way back. I am still kicking myself for turning down a 64 Valiant convertible that a fellow tried like crazy to sell me. I wouldn’t even go look at it. At the time, I wanted V8 excitement so the slant 6 in his car did not interest me. It was even black with red interior. Doohhh.
I would own another of these today if I found the right one. The 71-72 are my favorites due to being (mostly) pre emission control, but any of them can be sorted out well enough.
These continue to delight my eye. The proportions are so right, and there are so many cleverly done little lines to capture the attention. The Volare/Aspen which followed was a style-dullard by comparison.
Have to admit, that generation Dart actually got BETTER looking as the years went by, and actually wore its safety bumpers better than most. The pointed beak was a nice touch.
I grew up with a 1970 Dart in the family so I am biased and would only buy a 1970-1972 Dart; which I want to do someday. Several family friends had Dodge Darts and many of them say they would have taken better care of them if they knew how long they were going to last.
I love the old license plates on the first Dart and they add to the car’s persona. I am thrown off though by the presence of an embossed state name in the P Series though. Also perplexed as to where the Virginia safety inspection sticker has gotten to.
http://www.15q.net/va.html
The rest of the Darts are also nice to see.
Nice find. I think the 64 has the best looking body style. But if I was going to use one of these cars as a daily driver, I would use the 74. The car is old enough that the engine can be made to run right without emission check issues, and new enough to have modern belts and steering column to feel safe. In 74, a cassette player would be period correct, They were pretty much replacing 8 tracks by that time. I don’t know if I would call these cars a great work of art, but if a Campbells soup can painting is, why not? As far as that cassette tape on top of the dashboard goes, how far can you throw it? It looks like, in addition to the rake, those tires on the stock wheels are slightly oversize. Hope it has a slant 6 in it.
I’ve long been a fan of the Hamtramck Moderne school. Growing up I had several aunts and uncles who were enthusiastic patrons of the artists’ colony on Rue Joseph Campau (located in a massive 6-story loft) from which these works originated.
These were the everyman’s products of the studio. Originals can still be acquired quite modestly. Unfortunately they have been overshadowed by the works of the studio’s Hemispherical Period between 1964 and 1971 that often sell at auction for well into six, and occasionally seven figures.
The ’65 or the Signet appeal to me, as theyre both 2 door h/t. These A-bodies often get accused of being ‘mundane’ or the ‘cammaccord of their day’….I couldn’t disagree more. Granted, the sedans definitely are solid reliable transportation…that’s about as good as it gets for a 4 door sedan.
R.K. took the words straight out of my mouth when he said ‘blank canvas’. To me, the 2-door is exactly that. Theyre honest, clean looking cars that at minimum provide economical dependable transportation…both then as an everyday car and now as a classic that is easy to live with. When I see the 2 h/t cars here, ideas literally explode in my brain. Even the /6 has a plethora of hop up parts available to make one of these a total sleeper. The patina on both is such that it adds enough character…I might not even touch the paint on either. Although if I had one of these to forge into my ideal A-body, these are already prime examples. 2 door h/t eats 2 door post sedan every time, or even a ragtop. Fresh blue paint, all black interior upgraded to buckets, 4 in the floor with a warmed over 340 and of course coke bottle mags would round either out. A tribute car, no but definitely a resto-mod to recreate it as I would have done it back in the day.
True that the A-body’s downgrade to federalized bumpers wasn’t a TOTAL dumpster fire…but to my eye, the Plymouths softer face didn’t quite look as bad as the ‘beak’ on the Dart. Although the Demon (nee dart sport) pulls off the beak a bit better.
This is a sweet find, R.K. I just hope the owners manage to preserve all 3 of these sleds from the brutal salt up there. A bodies are still around and affordable but they aren’t getting MORE common….
Very well written, sir!
These Darts and Valiants are like a fine wine as they just keep getting better and more appealing. Once upon a time they appeared as horrid little monsters to me, but now I am rather smitten with them.
When the right one comes along…
I love that a high school kid is driving the Dart while his parents have a generic silver sedan and SUV in the carport. Very Christine-ish.
Great article Robert, thanks. Glad to see classic Mopars alive and well in my home state.
I had a 1975 Dodge Dart Sport, with 360 & Torqueflight for all of six weeks back in 1980. I wrecked the thing on black ice crossing a bridge in Northeast Ohio. It was fun six weeks, though…
A girl I knew in high school had a Dart like the one in the pix, but hers was red rather than blue. It had that weird issue with the carb where it would stall on left hand turns, something specific to that model of Carter carb and slant six. She tried very hard to get me to run away with her to Florida; it was a tempting offer, but at the ripe old age of 16 I don’t know what the heck we would have done for money…
I’ve had a lot of experience with A bodies, as friends of mine raced three of them (over several seasons), some of the best that Chrysler ever put out. These will be great starter classic cars for the folks who might be interested.
But me, I’d want the Dart Sport back…
These things were ubiquitous on Vancouver Island during my undergrad days, circa 1985 or so. They had a justifiable reputation as being tough as nails. Like most Mopar stuff, the Valiant-Dart was always hit and miss. If you got a good one, it would last twenty years. A bad one hardly made it past the warranty.
Due to our mild winters, they didn’t rust much, either. However, by about 1990 gasoline was getting dear enough that the legions of Granolas and Hipsers that drove them moved onto stuff that was cheaper to run, like old Volvos. The Toyota Tercel, especially the wagon, was the direct beater successor to the Dart.
Before the valiant(mine was a ’63 baby blue wagon) was the Ford Cortina. There were a million of them in Victoria
…ah a bumper sticker from the World’s Fair of 1964… 50 years ago at this time the New York World’s Fair was the introduction of so many automotive wonders, not the least of which was the introduction of the Mustang -and the Chrysler Turbine car.
Since this article pays homage to Valiants, below is the view of a Valiant Signet at the Chrysler Pavillion at the ’64 World’s Fair -that’s a lake filled with Mopars, each on a pedestal, surrounded by its own fountain.
Excellent A-body tribute.
I much prefer the Dart as a piece of art rather than the Mondrian.
Robert Kim:
You proof to be an artist yourself. The pictures of the ’74 Dart echo the “Blue, White and Yellow” painting by Piet Mondrian perfectly. The blue Dart is nicely contrasted and balanced by the white house and the yellow blooming Forsythia. The trunks of the tree provide the rigid structure of the black lines in “Blue, White and Yellow”. I would not be surprised if your shots of this Curbside Classic will be displayed in a Museum of Modern Art, Somewhere, USA. If not, the second of these photos is certainly worthy of decorating the month of April in the, I am making this up, 2015 Curbside Classics Calendar.
I have only driven a Dart once in my life. It was October 1969 when I was taking driver’s training at night. Attending a Catholic High meant no driver’s training so I went to the local public high for their night class. It was a 4 door, of course, and for my first drive around the neighborhood it was a dark rainy night and I remember how hard it was to see the lines on the street.
What is ironic is that I am first and foremost a Ford guy but my first ride was a Mopar and then my second, for fine tuning, was my mother’s 68 Satellite wagon before getting my father’s 68 Cougar.
There’s a Valiant of this same generation that lives near me, and while I’m not sure it’s anyone’s primary mode of transportation (I’ve seen it sit in the same spot without moving for more than a week on end on multiple occasions) it has a current registration and gets driven at least semi-regularly. Nice 70’s shade of olive with a vinyl top, and a primered patch at the bottom of one of the rear fenders to speak of some body repair, but it’s a survivor. Much like the dented, most likely I6-equipped ’67 Mustang that lives on the same block–not restored, not high-spec, just honest transportation that has stood the test of time.
There is a pretty late 1960s LPG powered Valiant that lives just next door to me, in Grandma’s bathtub green. A bit further is a sludge green early 1970s Valiant ute complete with original canopy. Both are in original ” good second hand” condition and regular use. I love ’em.
While swapping engines in mine, I found a billion things I need to fix, but I should be driving my ’65 again in a couple of weeks if I’m lucky (which isn’t always the case).
A ’65 Dart has always been somewhere in the back of my mind; it just took me a while to realize it. 🙂
Nice finds and write up!
I’ll take one of Chryslers “mundane” A bodys over anything anyone else has to offer.
oh, it’s a Valiant! i drove one of those, but eventually i went to the Volare because, lacking of power brake, i had to use both of my legs to push it down to stop, and i dont like the trim level, since driving in a hot summer in Detroit without AC is miserable! a Volare moved from Arizona has both of that! and i wouldnt feel too guilty of getting a scratch of it, and in real case the huge old bumper is pretty tough.
the problem is, i blew the slant six earlier for lacking of engine oil on the way to driving it to the garage 200 miles away, thus leaving me strangled plus a $1000 bill of repair ( which is still under way, for 4 months ) and i had to stick to a 93 Chrysler New Yorker but eventually that Mopar died for hitting something on the rustY fuel lines. even though i knew that thing wouldnt last long at the price of an unlocked iPhone, but it was too soon. i had to ask from my parents for help about something necessary for tough Michigan winter, considering i spun my Lincoln Mark VIII ( second one, first one was hit by a Mopar truck ) several circles on the only occasion in winter driving on the highway, thus a two grand and half LeSabre came, with dealer saying they could eventually move it after 3yrs. it didnt have a single issue, though, except a flat tire after driving on the pothole on Woodward Avenue.
the slant six would be rebuilt soon and i really look forward to driving it again!