Daily Pick: 1962 Dodge Lancer 770

Detroit’s response In 1960, the Ford Big Three introduced three imports, and several sister models were introduced that same year: the Mercury Comet joined the Ford Falcon mid-year, and the Valiant-styled Dodge Lancer arrived in 1961. Our pick today is a 1962 Dodge Lancer 770, with the exact same body as the Valiant, but with different styling and a fancier interior. A seller in Jarrell, Texas, has listed this car for sale on ClassicCars.com. (Click the link to view the listing.)

In 1960, the all-new A-body Valiant was introduced as a separate brand, but it was officially merged into Plymouth in 1961. Dodge succeeded that year with its own version, which it named the Lancer. Previously a name used to distinguish Dodge’s hardtops from sedans, the new Lancer was distinguished from the Valiant by a horizontal grille and quad headlights at either end; round taillights at the rear hinted at the direction of full-size Dodge cars for 1962. Trim levels were 170 and 770, the latter with more bling and a more luxurious interior. Body styles included four-door sedan, four-door wagon, coupe, and two-door hardtop.

The 170ci “Slant Six” comes standard with a floor-shift three-speed; the push-button TorqueFlite is optional. A larger 225ci Slant Six is ​​also available, including an aluminum version. The parts counter’s Hyper Pak package adds a ram intake manifold and Carter four-barrel carburetor, cast-iron headers, a hotter camshaft, and more.

In 1962, Dodge updated the Lancer’s grille, and the Lancer 770 two-door hardtop became the Lancer GT, with bucket seats, pleated leather interior with front bucket seats, full carpeting, wheel covers, and a padded instrument panel. Lancer 770 sedans and wagons now had five badges on the rear fenders to distinguish them from the smaller 170 models. For enthusiasts, the standard three-speed manual transmission was moved to the column.

In 1963, Chrysler redesigned the Plymouth and Dodge Model A, the latter of which received a new name that has been used for many years: Dart. The Lancer returned in 1985 as a stretched K-model sports sedan. It lasted until 1989, after which the name was no longer associated with Chrysler.

This Medium Blue Metallic 1962 Dodge Lancer 770 four-door sedan uses Chrysler’s famous push-button transmission and is connected to a Slant Six, but the seller doesn’t specify which model it is, only saying it’s “original, with new cylinder heads and hardened valve seals.” Also under the hood are new parts such as the alternator, voltage regulator, water pump, thermostat and housing. The same goes for the brakes, master cylinder, wheel cylinders and brake hoses.

Inside, the front and rear seats have been restored; the carpet is three years old. “New headliner, new heater, new seat belts, new speakers, new Custom Autosound radio,” the seller adds.

This Lancer has all the charm of Vigil Exner’s zany 1960s concept, but with the added bonus of reliability and common sense, as the Lancer can easily seat six people. You could even imagine using the Slant Six as a regular mode of transportation, thanks to its reliability. At just $16,000, this Lancer will give you something to talk about every time you fill up your tank at the gas station.

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