Glacier Blue “Forward Look” Beauty: 1961 Dodge Dart Phoenix Hardtop Coupe

As one of the final expressions of famed stylist Virgil Exner’s long running and massively successful “Forward Look” design theme of 1955-63 for the Chrysler Corporation, the original Dart was the Dodge Division’s mainstay big car line for 1960-‘61. Positioned below the high-end Polara, the Dart line was heavily facelifted for 1961, a model year that continued to include the Phoenix Hardtop Coupe, featuring a sleek semi-fastback roofline and huge sloping rear window. The 1961 Dodge line also remains significant as the last to feature now-passé tailfins.

Our subject car was acquired by the seller in 2008 from a friend who had just purchased the car out of a Wyoming-based car collection. The factory 225ci ‘Slant Six’ was a bit tired, so our seller installed a new engine rebuilt by NASCAR’s Joe Gibbs Racing and fully serviced the chassis with everything either new, rebuilt, or replaced. As the seller advises, the car has plenty of power and is a pleasure to drive with its Torqueflite 3-speed automatic transmission. A super rare, one-year-only “wide-spaced fin” alternator charges the battery and was professionally rebuilt. The solid, mostly rust-free body looks very nice overall and proper care has stopped some bubbling on the right rear-wheel arch. Glass is stated “excellent,” including the signature rear window of the Phoenix, and the Glacier Blue paint finish is estimated at 80% original. Sold only to thin the seller’s herd down to a more manageable size, this 1961 Dodge Dart Phoenix is a fun and very nicely preserved example indeed.