Built on a 111-inch wheelbase, the new Dart is 16 feet, 4 inches long. Nine models are offered, including two convertibles.
The new low-price compact is one of three separate Dodge lines for 1963. The others are the popular-price, standard-size Dodge and the medium-price Dodge 880.
Dodge General Manager Byron J. Nichols said the Dodge lineup for 1963 gives buyers the widest choice and greatest variety of cars in the company's 49-year history.
Nichols said the new Dart provides "more room, more comfort, more convenience -- in short, more of everything the average buyer of a compact car seems to want."
He asserted that the Dart is small enough to provide exceptional ease of handling and parking yet large enough to accommodate the average-size family in comfort.
The nine Dart models are in three series: the economical "170," the deluxe "270," and the "GT" sports series.
Dart buyers have a choice of two engines. Standard is a slant six with a 170-cubic-inch displacement. A larger, 225-cubic-inch "six" is a low-cost option. Both provide excellent mileage on regular grades of gasoline.
Also available on the Dart are power steering, power tailgate window for station wagons, factory-installed air-conditioning and a three-speed automatic transmission.
The new convertibles have an easy-to-operate manual top, but an automatic power top is also offered.
The Dart offers buyers a selection of 12 exterior colors and 11 two-tone combinations.
The exterior of the Dart is completely new and its styling is modern and functional.
The front features a broad concave grille, a wrap-around bumper and seven-inch, single headlights. Highlights of the side view are a flat roofline, wide pillars at the rear end and a sculptured body line which extends the full length of the car just below the windows.
From windshield wipers to mufflers, Dart components have been designed to give longer, even more reliable service. From bumper to bumper, it is built to provide the utmost in safety and sturdiness, Nichols said.
The easiest-to-see engineering improvement on the new Dart is the windshield wipers. Parallel wiping action eliminates the center "blind spot," and blades are an inch longer. Newly designed blades utilize the pressure of air while the car is in motion to provide positive cleaning action even at top highway speeds.
The easiest-to-hear improvement is the new, all-transistor radio. The new radio provides "instant sound" the second the switch is turned on. And it uses less power, thus reducing the drain on the battery.
Other value-adding features of the 1963 Dart:
Improved design of the unitized body makes possible greater strength and eliminates useless addition of weight.
Seats have been redesigned to provide additional support, more comfort and longer life. Seat materials are higher-quality and more wear resistant.
A larger fuel tank -- increased from 14 to 18 gallons -- extends the non-stop cruising range of the compact Dart by 30 percent.
A new filter keeps automatic transmission fluid free from dirt and contamination, ensuring trouble-free operation and allowing a 32,000-mile interval between oil changes.
"The compact Dart for 1963," Nichols said, "offers a near-perfect combination of all the things that buyers look for in a new car: room, comfort, convenience, appearance, economy, safety, dependability and durability."