When we hear the words ‘Muscle Car’, we all probably think about big block ponies from Plymouth, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford Mustang, etc. and we would be right to think so. But almost none of us would picture a small block compact muscle car like the Chevy Nova SS or the Dodge Dart GT in our mind.

Let us take a look at why Dodge made the Dart GT and GTS, and how much they sell for in today’s market.

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History behind the Compact Muscle Car

Dodge Dart GTS
via SportsCarMarket

Back in the ‘60s, the market of muscle cars blew up like nothing else. People, especially in the US, loved the idea of a big, powerful muscle car. But so did the folks at insurance companies. Back then, if a car had an engine bigger than 400 cubic inches (or roughly 6.5 liters which was common in muscle cars), the premium was added with a big wide surcharge. For some people, the insurance cost was more than they could afford and that hurt the sales of big muscle cars badly. In order to let the people have a similar feeling of a muscle car without the hassle of notoriously big insurance payments, car manufacturers thought of an idea that would lead to the creation of small block muscle cars.

Chevrolet took their Nova and equipped it with a smaller engine that still churned out a good amount of power for a compact car. In 1965, that is exactly what Dodge did too. They took the fourth-generation Dodge Dart, a small, 2/4-door family car, put in a bigger engine than what it had (yet smaller than those big muscle car engines), beefed up the body, and named it the Dodge Dart GT and GTS. The GTS could be distinguished by a ‘GTS 383 FOUR BARREL’ badge found on the front fenders and a bulged-up hood. These compact muscle cars turned out to be a great idea for people who want to have a muscle-like driving experience without worrying about losing traction due to the massive power behind the pedal while also flying under the radar of insurance premium surcharges.

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What Powered the Dart GT?

wine red 1967 Dodge Dart Hellcat engine
Via Mecum Auctions

One of the most defining characteristics of a muscle car is a big, overpowered engine. There is a similar case for the compact muscle cars with small but more than sufficiently powerful engines. Over the course of a few years, the Dodge Dart had gone from a small family car to a full-fledged speedster thanks to the various engine updates it had gotten. The 1969 2-door hardtop Dart GT was offered in four different engines. There was the Chrysler Slant Six 170, a 2.7 liter, naturally aspirated inline-6 overhead valve engine that made 101 horsepower and 155 ft-lb of torque at 2400 rpm. Another option was a Chrysler Slant Six 225, a 3.6 liter, naturally aspirated inline-6 overhead valve engine that made 145 horsepower and 215 ft-lb of torque at 2400 rpm. Then there was the Chrysler LA-series 273 V-8, a 4.4 liter naturally aspirated V8 engine with push-rod overhead valves that produced 190 horsepower and 260 ft-lb of torque at just 2000 rpm!

This engine variant was available in both 3-speed and 4-speed automatic and manual transmissions. Lastly, the 1969 Dart GT was available with the Chrysler LA-series V-8 318, a 5.2-liter V8 engine with a push-rod overhead-valve that would make 230 horsepower and 340 ft-lb of torque at 2400 rpm. Like the other options, this V8 is also naturally aspirated. As mentioned above, a powerful engine in a small car made it both thrilling and fun to drive around and the Dart GT delivered. Especially with the V8, it got closer to achieving a nearly accurate muscle car feel than anything else.

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Design and Other Features

via YouTube

It gets a bit tricky here, Dodge tried to do two things at once, playing it safe and at the same time, rival Chevrolet. Judging by the history, it looks like Dodge succeeded. They did not reinvent the muscle car shape by designing something completely new, we can see the same long hooded side profile with trapezoidal-shaped roof and A, B, and C pillars. But the headlights and the front grille look dangerously close to that of a Chevelle SS. With the angled front grille pointed towards the center and the silver-work stretching out from the front bumper, fenders, skirts to the rear bumper, Dodge did not pull any punches in letting us know who they were targeting to compete with.

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What is the Dodge Dart GT worth today?

wine red 1967 Dodge Dart front quarter
Mecum Auctions

Finding a properly maintained Dart GT, especially the 1969 fourth-gen model is not easy, as it is not among the top Dodge collectible cars like their Charger or Daytona. But a quick search suggests that buying a used one can have a pretty wide range of price. Depending on a lot of things like the engine, trim and the condition of the car, from being able to ride on the road to tip-top pristine condition maintained like it is a close to heart piece of machinery, you can get a 1969 Dodge Dart GT from $29,900 to $59,900 in the North American region from various used car platforms.

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