A 1969 Dodge Swinger concept is up for auction

A vintage Dodge concept car will be offered at Mecum's January auction in Kissimmee, Fla.

The Dodge Dart Swinger 340 concept debuted at the 1969 Chicago Auto Show, previewing a production version of the Dodge Dart Swinger, which debuted shortly thereafter as a compact Dart trim level.

The concept, built by Alexander Brothers of Detroit, was based on the Dart but with considerable modifications. The roof appears to have been cut off, and the concept has square civvy headlights (as opposed to the round production version), a pair of foglights in the center of the grille, and a Charger-like rear fascia. According to the auction listing, the hood scoop and custom grille frame were inspired by designs later adopted for the production model.

The concept features maroon metallic paint with black tail stripes, a design feature of Mopar at the time. It wears Ansen Sprint slotted aluminum wheels with Goodyear Polyglas tires. The lack of windshield wipers and the fact that the washer reservoir is a capped type tell us that this is a concept car.

Power comes from a 340 cubic-inch V-8 with a four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust. A similar engine was used in the production Dart Swinger. Power was sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission with a Hurst shifter.

Dodge kept the Dart until the mid-1970s, when it was replaced by the Aspen. The Dart name was revived for the 2013 model year, but this 21st century version only lasted through the 2016 model year. Dodge created several concepts in the vein of the Swinger, but unlike the 1969 concept, they never produced a production model.