Jalopnik: swinger

Boy, You Know There Ain't No Free Swinger Automatic Transmissions In This Life!

Murilee Martin — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Since my cultural knowledge has giant gaps when it comes to old TV shows, I have no idea whether the character of the super-stereotyped Southern Sheriff in this ad was lifted from a TV show or created from scratch for this ad. Either way, it appears that he's getting ready to put the Dodge dealer on the chain gang for the crime of giving the Sheriff's wife an automatic transmission in her '70 Dart Swinger at no extra cost. How about a 4-speed manual at no extra cost?

1975 Dodge Dart Swinger

Murilee Martin — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:00:00 EDT

The '65 Barracuda won our Favorite DOTS Chrysler A-Body Poll back in March, but since that time I've found this '75 Dart Swinger. Would the Swinger, with its name conjuring up images of Malaise Era key parties, have triumphed over the Barracuda? Perhaps I'll have another A-body poll, once we've seen a few more of them; until then, we can only speculate.

The Swinger was the name Chrysler put on the 2-door Dart with the Custom mid-level trim package. The Special Edition series was the priciest Dart, though the real hot ticket was the $254 "Hang Ten" package, which got you surfer-esque graphics and tape stripes.

The standard engine on the '75 Dart was the 96-horsepower Slant Six 225, though you could get the Dart 360 Sport with a V8 boasting 200 horses.

This Swinger is in decent condition, with all four hubcaps still present and accounted for and no visible rust. The vinyl top is bad (of course), but other than that it's weathered 33 years quite well.

Turn In Your Badge: 1971 Dart Swinger

Murilee Martin — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:30:00 EDT

An automatic transmission! Hubcaps! All standard! Yes, it's no wonder the jowly small-town police chief assumes his officer has been taking bribes from the local Dodge dealer, no doubt in exchange for overlooking various legal indiscretions. And what better car for a key party than a Swinger?