I didn't know Chryslers had any plants in Swiss-land
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| Real unusual '70 Dart https://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=68512 |
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| Author: | SlantSixDan [ Wed Jan 21, 2026 3:12 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Real unusual '70 Dart |
Lookit this '70 Dart, built new with a 170 Slant-6 engine. Wait, what? The 170 was discontinued after '69 and the 198 was the new base engine, wasn't it? Well, yeah, in North America, but this car wasn't sold new in North America. Take a look at the VIN, LL41A08170624. "A" isn't listed in the US/Canada parts catalogue for an engine code; the base engine is "B" for 198. And what's that "8" build plant code? That's not on the list, either. This looks to be maybe one of the Swiss-built cars, and that's what the actual auction site (with a bunch more pics) says, but I'm not so sure about that. Could be one of the last cars built at Chrysler Rotterdam (which I think I recall is what the 8 means as the build-plant character in the VIN), and the manufacturer plate shows Chrysler Corp as the builder, not AMAG (the company who built the A-bodies in Switzerland until 1972). The more you look, the more you see: bucket seats without head restraints, upholstered a whole lot more nicely than even a high-trim US '70 Dart ever got. 3-point seatbelts rather than separate lap + shoulder items. Rear reflectors down within the European height limits. Marchal pre-halogen replaceable-bulb headlamps (with selective-yellow bulbs installed, which tracks with the auction description of the car as spending most of its life in France) with built-in parking lights, rather than the US amber ones built into the turn signals. A red engine amidst a bunch of probably-original engine bay details (red paint on PCV valve and flakes of it still remaining on the grommet, black paint on master cylinder cap, paint mark on back half of alternator housing…). Headlight flasher button on the end of the turn signal stalk. Export data plates over on the driver side inner fender. Dealer sticker next to the deck lid. Car appears to have power steer and power steer and power disc brakes. Looks to have the carburetor anti-ice system used on US/Canada '69s and optional in Canada from '60 or '61 through '68. If not for the air cleaner, we might be looking at the export-only '67-'75 2-barrel setup, which used that heat tube setup for the integral automatic choke. A rear fog lamp has been added, probably to comply with regs where it was being driven – looks like a licence plate from Belgium. No amber rear turn signals; some European countries allowed low-volume cars to keep the US-spec red ones, and the rear side marker lights are US-spec red rather than Europe-spec amber for the same reason. Headline on the ad claims it's near Grosse Point, Michigan. Maybe or not; I wonder if the winning bidder will also have to pay to transport and import it. Looks like a real nice car! Anyway: way cool, eh! |
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| Author: | Greg Ondayko [ Wed Jan 21, 2026 5:51 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Real unusual '70 Dart |
Yep, For sure. I thought it maybe would have been a 3-on-the tree car.. But Nope it's an automatic. Looks like different horns than our US Spec Prestolite's. Dan, do you happen to know what is that chrome-looking squarish thing next to (to right of) the radio delete plate on the dash? I do not think I have seen that bit of chromed stuff on the us spec '70 Darts. Greg |
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| Author: | Rick Covalt [ Wed Jan 21, 2026 6:20 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Real unusual '70 Dart |
Quote: Swiss-built Actually built there or just built for there?
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| Author: | Reed [ Wed Jan 21, 2026 6:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Real unusual '70 Dart |
I do believe the car is in Belgium and is being sold in a European Auction. See HERE |
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| Author: | Greg Ondayko [ Wed Jan 21, 2026 7:18 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Real unusual '70 Dart |
Nevermind. I can see it in the broad arrow listing. It's a clock. Cool! |
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| Author: | SlantSixDan [ Thu Jan 22, 2026 1:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Real unusual '70 Dart |
Yeah, late-late last night it occurred to me this car might not be a Swiss-built one, but built at Chrysler Rotterdam. The actual auction for the car lists it as "one of 312 Darts built in Switzerland", but I still have questions. Original post edited. |
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| Author: | Rick Covalt [ Thu Jan 22, 2026 3:02 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Real unusual '70 Dart |
I didn't know Chryslers had any plants in Swiss-land
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| Author: | SlantSixDan [ Thu Jan 22, 2026 3:15 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Real unusual '70 Dart |
They didn't. A company called AMAG built Chrysler Corp cars in Switzerland until 1972, and then a company called STREAG did so for awhile ("-AG" at the end of a business name is a German-language equivalent of "-CO" in English). Here's the relevant Slant-6 News article from September '88. |
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| Author: | Reed [ Thu Jan 22, 2026 6:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Real unusual '70 Dart |
Coool! |
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| Author: | Vettefab [ Fri Mar 06, 2026 8:58 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Real unusual '70 Dart |
Hi, just saw this post. I can tell you from the "Simca" fender tag alone, this car has been ordered/sold new in France. The rear reflectors aren't just height related I believe, but more a French-approved "DOT" type of reflectors. They aren't seen on Belgian, Netherlands or German-sold cars, only on the French ones. Also the dealer tag on the rear left quarter panel is 1/2hr south-southeast of Paris. The rear fog light isn't period, it must have been installed when the car had been registered in Belgium (mandatory there since 1975, but retroactively enforced on cars newer than 1959! My Barracuda has one also) With that upholstery and 3pt safety belts it is definitely an AMAG of Switzerland car. The Nekaf-Chrysler Benelux cars are much rougher around the edges, and definitely do not have an "Oven-cured body enamel" (as stated by the paint tag in the glovebox). Also the handles for the passenger to hold onto over the doors are a easy give for an AMAG car, on some models like here they're affixed to the roof, but on others they're on the door panel (I clearly see two 71-73 Chargers from a few members of the french Mopar Owner's Club) I don't know if AMAG was really a manufacturer or more an homologation and custom-order shop. I know the mentionned above Charger are Hamtramck-built then modified at AMAG. It might have been the same here, but with a Nekak built body? Most of the 64-70 A-body cars I know here are Nekaf-built, sold in France, Netherlands or Belgium without the cool AMAG touch-ups we see here. French A-Bodies were mainly 4 speed or automatics, with power disc brakes, and nearly all 67-up have power steering. NL cars were much more basic, and Belgium in the middle. A-Bodies were mostly medium-priced slant 6 cars and were sold to people that needed to travel long distances or towing a camper with a large sedan (yup, that's how they were looking here) most cars on the road where more Beetle-sized, and our biggest sedans were under geared 70hp lugs. And a lot of 1st and 2nd gen Barracuda were sold as sports cars/GT Very few a bodies were on the premium side with a V8 and luxury interior, people who could afford a nicer car usually bought a bigger one. |
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| Author: | SlantSixDan [ Fri Mar 06, 2026 4:13 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Real unusual '70 Dart |
Fantastic details; thanks! |
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