2013 Dodge Dart/Alfa-Romeo Bloodline

I saw this in the Detroit Free Press;

http://www.freep.com/article/20111207/BUSINESS01/112070341/The-return-Dodge-Dart-begins-2012-Detroit-auto-show?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

 

Unfortunately, it looks like Fiat took an Alfa and turned it into a Dodge.

 

They even made it bigger for American's...oh joy. If they ruin the Alfa version too they might as well not even bring them in at all. FIAT seem to think bigger cars and an SUV will make Alfa's sell in the USA. I really hope they take a balanced approach. Alfa's should be light and nimble with ALLOY Italian motors.

Tom Tanner/Ferrari Expo 2012-Chicago March

 

Odd article, especially the 1968 slant six mention, the six was offered every year.

Increased size will undoubtedly add weight to an already underpowered car. Easy to believe then the car will be neck and neck with a base Jetta performance wise.

Has to be better than the agricultural Caliber, hope it can offer more than the Focus or Cruze/Verona. Tough market.

 

Wonder who came up with the idea of resurrecting the Dart name? You don't normally hear that car referred to as in " I wish they still made Dodge Darts!" Nor is it normally heard in conversation with the words, exciting, desirable, great handling, high performance, etc. Add to that the bastardization of the Alfa bits, and you gotta think the FIAT boys must have one interesting marketing team. RIP Alfa's reputation once again in the USA....

 

Maybe Dart means something different in Italian.LOL In any case the Italians have to be some of the worst marketers, most of their products sell themselves....

 

Esp. the editor's note which further muddies the water. The writer obviously has no knowledge of his own regarding the subject.

Fiat may think they scooped a bargain at Daimler's fire sale but decisions like this assure they exit once more, tail between their legs to a chorus of "Fix it again, Tony".

 

+1
To me the name Dart is in the same league as the Gremlin, the Pacer or even the Edsel.
What possessed them to resurrect that infamous name??

 

ah... you forgot....

Dodge Dart Demon sporting a 340 c.i. moter with a six pak of carbs..... quite the car for those who wanted performance and the ponies and mid size muscle was just a bit out of reach.

If the new "Alfa" is to be called "Dart" for the masses, then I can't wait for them to bring out an Alfa based "Demon"!


JD

 

The Demon wasn't a six pack car.
The Dart was available as a 340, 383, 440, and 426 car. When factory built as a high performance car the Dart was a screamer!!! My favorite muscle car of all time....

 

Mr. Norm (Grand Spaulding Dodge in Chicago, my home town) built Dodge Dart Demons labled the "GSS" in 1971. Kind of like a COPO thing. He put the tri-carb stup from the Chalanger on the 340. Plymouth had a sister car called the Duster that was also available with the 340.
Dodge from the factory had a "Scat-Pak" option... trim, axle, graphics, instruments, etc.

JD

Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I too loved the old Dart Demon 340.

 

A friend had a '71 six pack 340 Demon back then, pretty sure it was factory original, he bought it brand new.
I'm also pretty sure that 383 was the biggest regular production engine. In stock trim with better tires it would do a 14.0 quarter mile, small block cars would often outrun it though as the exhaust manifolds were horrible.
Mr. Norm did 440 conversions(GSS) and of course the hemis were farmed out by the factory.

Norm Krause takes credit for showing Chrysler that a big block would fit, yeah right.
I have some sentiment for the Dart name, it kills me to see it on a Fiat/Alpha.

 

Nothing "infamous" about it about it at all. It was an economy car that enjoyed a very good reputation. Gremlin and Pacer were odd ducks but never regarded as bad cars either, Edsal was different.