Long before the Dodge Dart was a disappointing compact sedan introduced in 2012 that lasted just four miserable model years, the Dart was a relatively affordable “compact” with muscle car pretensions and loads of potential performance. Now, a beautiful teal example is a lot at next month’s Mecum auction, and it just might blue you away.
While the Dodge Charger R/T surely caught more attention from enthusiasts and performance-minded buyers, the 1969 Dart Swinger offered plenty of performance in a compact body style that also happened to be priced at about half that of a brand-new Charger at the time.
This Swinger features a two-tone blue vinyl interior, raised white letter tires, and sports a numbers-matching 340 V-8 engine paired to a 3-speed automatic with a 3.91 rear end.
One signature of the ’69 Dart models is the switch from round to square exterior design treatments for the indicators and side reflectors. 1969 was also the first year head restraints were required, so those are included, too.
This particular ’69 Dart is a special example, featured across eight issues of Car Craft Magazine back in 1984, where it underwent a heavy restoration. In one of the original restoration articles, Car Craft editors noted the model started off as a mess, having sat in a barn for a few years collecting wasp nests. Oh, how far it has come since back then. The articles outline the restoration process one month at a time, focusing on one of the vehicle’s features each month. One month for the engine, one for the transmission, etc.
