Dodge 440 Classic Cars for Sale

Marketed by US brand Dodge, originally the Dodge 440 was a trim level on the 1962 Dodge Dart but between 1963-1964 it became the mid-range Dodge model.

Background to the Dodge 440

During the 1950s Chrysler had been struggling to find their place in the market; dated, flabby cars were driving consumers away in the early 50s. These gave way to a restyled range in the mid-1950s which made Dodge a hot brand. By the end of the 1950s Chrysler should have been enjoying a financial upturn, but the cars which should have boosted sales in the short term, did not improve the economic situation of the Chrysler brand. Whilst the cars looked better, that look didn't extend to build quality and the cars struggled to last much beyond the showroom.

Out of this came the genesis of the Dodge Dart 440 and its successor the Dodge 440. The idea behind them was to create a smaller car than the standard Dodge Plymouth spec. The idea was not well thought through - there was no understanding of what consumers were looking for or of what the new model would bring to the market place.

Reception to the Dodge Dart 440

The new car was an odd looking beast, a bit like a clunky, squashed version of a bigger car. It came in 4 versions- a two-door sedan, a four-door sedan, a two-door hardtop and a four-door station wagon. The '440' in its name referred to the spec level on the car, with the Dodge 440 being equipped with back up lights and exterior mouldings. In spite of its looks the smaller size and leaner weight improved the Dodge 440's fuel efficiency and performance. On the forecourt though the Dodge 440 struggled to hold its own: it didn't reflect the 'bigger is better' mantra of the day and whilst it was a well-built model with lots of potential it cost as much as the bigger models being built by Ford and Chevy.

The Dodge 440

By 1963 the Dodge 440 had been separated from the Dart range and became the mid-range model for Dodge. It was longer than the Dodge Dart 440, but this did not solve the Dodge 440's problems. Within two years the model was put out of production, replaced by the Polara. After this the Dodge 440 label was used as a trim level, this time to the Coronet range.