Original, Survivor, and Gorgeously Ugly: 1962 Dodge Dart 440 Carries an Expensive Secret

The chief stylist at Mother Mopar at the time (1957, to eliminate all confusion) was the reputed Virgil Exner, the father of the Forward Look 100-million-dollar designs from the 50s. He was still recovering from a heart attack he had suffered in 1956 (and had put him out of active duty for a long while), and he opposed the idea of chopping down the cars. Still, the brass pressed on, so Exner was forced to follow orders despite clearly stating his warnings about the imminent failure of this decision.

Virgil Exner was right; the cars came out looking less than appealing, and sales reflected this ugly duckling reality, with under 35,000 units. After throwing the whole toolbox in it, not just a wrench, the head honchos from Chrysler couldn’t just throw facts under the rug. Instead, they axed their chief designer in a pale attempt to save face. The Ugly Duckling Dodge Dart of 1962 grew into the prodigal swan, but only metaphorically. It was, in fact, Exner’s Swan song at Mother Mopar. He was unceremoniously fired and kept as a consultant.

Granted, the public was right (in matters of taste, anyway): the Dart was considered about as good-looking as a capital sin, with its proportions widely out of tune with the styling. That’s why the 1962 Dodge Dart (a mid-size automobile) wasn’t a spectacular money maker. Still, there were enough interested prospects who bought one to build a small pool of the model for future collectors, enthusiasts, and car nuts to pick from.

As years went by, the once-hideous automobile began growing on people (fashion is never settling down, even in the car industry). A very competitive candidate for the title of ‘The Ugliest Chrysler Product Ever,’ the odd-penned Dart is now a certain conversation starter, and buyer contempt morphed into nostalgia.

Of course, being so wildly out of the mainstream concept, the Dart was the inevitable target for jokes (how about this: ’20,000 cars into the ’62 production, Dodge execs realized the Dart’s front and rear were swapped for one another’?). But that was 66 years ago, and the car is now a classic. Granted, it's not a vaunted timeless icon, but it's classic nonetheless.

Imagine the surprise car gatherings attendees experience when a Dodge Dart from that leap year. No, there weren’t 29 days in February. Chrysler took a leap of faith from the ugly tree and landed on its face, hitting every branch on the way down. Today, the car is so ugly it’s beautiful. Have you ever seen another equally or more over-designed low-priced automobile than the 1962 Dodge Dart?

Now, picture that hypothetic car meets crowds gawking at the aesthetically challenged Dodge and then finding out it’s a survivor. What could be the reaction? We would love to find out, too, but one man has already taken this experiment into its practical field-testing phase.

He is Andy Welemin from Casa Grande, Arizona, and last December, he bid $8,750 for one 1962 four-door Dart 440 sedan that is still wearing the original paint, engine, transmission, and pretty much all other major components.

What’s even nicer about this spectacularly unignorable automobile is that it only has 34,890 miles on the clock (56,150 km). At least, that’s what it had in February when it was the guest star in one of Lou Costabile’s video shoots. Between December 5, when Andy purchased the car, and February 3, the new owner added 230 miles to his survivor (370 km).

Mr. Welemin openly admits his new car is one only a father could love (referring to its visual appeal), but he enjoys driving it. Despite its almost seven-decade age and untouched powertrain, the car drives well. Play the video below and see what this top-of-the-line Dart is about. The 318 cubic-inch V8 (5.2-liter) is the emblematic polyspherical combustion chambers variant. Chrysler called it the ‘Poly’ (the maker had a knack for copywriting catchy four-letter engine names).

The 318 eight-cylinder standard equipment included a two-barrel carburetor, which delivered 230 horses and 340 lb-ft (233 PS, 461 Nm). At extra cost, a Power Package was available with dual exhaust, four-pot induction, and a performance camshaft. Everything else was the same as the 2-bbl variant, down to the 9.0:1 compression ratio. The Power Package offered 30 extra horses and five more lb-ft for 260 hp and 345 lb-ft (264 PS, 468 Nm).

The unlikely survivor in this story has the low-key 318 V8. Still, the original buyer optioned it for comfort and ease of driving, opting for the $210.70 pushbutton three-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission. Add the %49.70 Sure Grip differential with its 2.76 rear (the lowest numerical gearing offered on the Dart line), and the drivetrain alone is one-tenth of the car’s base price of $2,691.

That the car is a survivor is easily seen in its minor imperfections on the body (faded paint, rust chips, small scratches, and dents here and there), but it’s a survivor that had a good overall life. The first owner (a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) kept a watchful eye over the car - and a strict track record of the snow tires ‘On’ and ‘Off’ duty intervals and mileage (see it in the gallery). That would probably explain that very out-of-place mud-and-snow spare in the trunk (particularly for a car that now lives in Arizona).