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2026 Subaru Crosstrek ReviewThis ‘72 Dodge Dart Swinger
This purple ’72 Dodge Dart Swinger is a Scat Pack alum with vintage looks and loads of modern upgrades.
The Dart Gets Fast
The Dodge Dart was a car of many guises. The Dart began as Dodge’s full-size offering, it scaled down and styled up for the 1962 model year and transitioned into a “compact” for 1963. By its fourth generation the Dart was finally ready to get as quick as its name would suggest with a succession of performance iterations from a Hemi-equipper dragster to the original Dodge Demon. The Dart Swinger 340 eschewed the Dart’s typical slant-sixes for a 340 V8 lurking under the hood.
We found a 1972 Dodge Dart Swinger that serves as a perfect reminder of those glory days in the late 1960s when the Dart was a card-carrying member of the Scat Pack. This example retains all the classic Dart elements of the period including the double-scoop hood and bumble bee rear stripe. Below we’ll trace some of the Dodge Dart’s history and showcase this exemplary 1972 Dart Swinger.
Dodge Dart Evolutions
If car models are to stick around for any length of time they must serve the business purposes of the carmaker. The Dodge Dart frequent pivots, mechanically, aesthetically, and otherwise, ensured the car remained relevant to prospective buyers. So, when two-door coupes with powerful V8s became the hot new thing with the advent of the muscle car era, the Dart was already well positioned. The Dart’s first “fast” iteration was added for the 1965 model year when a new 273 cu.-in. V8 sporting 235 horsepower was introduced. (This was also the first year of the Dart Charger, Dodge’s first use of that now storied name).
The Dart’s transition to a fourth generation saw a much greater emphasis on speed and power. That started with the Dart GTS, launched midway through the 1967 model year with a 300-horsepower 383 cu.-in. V8 to keep pace with GTOs and Mustangs of the muscle car world. 1968 saw the addition of a 340 cu.-in V8 (275 horsepower) as the new standard engine for the Dart GTS, while the 383 remained an option. That same year, Dodge produced a limited number (80 in total) of 426 Hemi-equipped Darts intended for competitive drag racing.
For the 1969 model year, Dodge added yet more performance variants with the new Dart Swinger and Swinger 340 (rebadged as the Plymouth Scamp). The latter was running the aforementioned 340 V8 along with an optional limited-slip differential and mag wheel covers. The Dart GTS received its most potent powerplant to date with the new optional 440 V8.
Changes arrived for the six-cylinder Darts a year later as the stock 170 cu.-in. slant-six was replaced by a larger 198 slant-six. Simplification was also in the offing for the V8s as choices were trimmed back to the 340 V8 as the largest available engine for the 1970 model year. That year the Dart Swinger upgraded to a Rallye suspension and front disc brakes.
For 1971 Dodge retitled the Swinger 340 as the Demon 340, keeping the Swinger Special. In addition to the 340 V8 motor, the Demon 340 got exclusive access to the four-speed manual with Hurst shifter. The Dart’s double hood scoops were also introduced this year.
1972 Dodge Dart Swinger
The 1972 model year, of which our featured listing is an example, saw major updates to the Dodge Dart. A new grille and new parking lights refreshed the exterior while a new FM radio option and new seats were among the interior upgrades. The slant-six engines were modified to run on unleaded fuel and the sole remaining V8s were the 318 and the 340, with the latter still the sole province of the Demon 340.
Luckily, our featured 1972 Dodge Dart Swinger isn’t sufficing for a slant-six. Instead, it’s running a stroked 408 cu.-in. V8 with electronic fuel injection sending power to an automatic transmission. For style points, a Hurst shifter has been installed as the gear selector. Four-wheel disc brakes improve stopping power over the stock front disc and rear drum. Other upgrades included an exhaust cut switch, aftermarket stereo with subwoofer, tachometer and dash gauges, a reinforced chassis for added stiffness, and BF Goodrich radials.
With a mere 52,092 original miles, this 1972 Dodge Dart Swinger is priced at a mere $34,806, making it an excellent entry point to vintage muscle cars.
