With three-on-the-tree and a sturdy Slant Six under the hood, today’s Nice Price or No Dice Valiant is a solid old-school experience. We’ll have to decide if its fully-modern price fully suits it.
The “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)” in the song off of David Bowie’s 1980 album of the same title didn’t just keep him running; they kept him running scared. That album marked Bowie’s celebrated return to pop music following the three-album arc of his artsy-fartsy Berlin Trilogy. In addition to the hit title track, the album also gave us the radio standards “Ashes to Ashes” and “Fashion.”
No one-hit wonder itself, Audi has a long history of scaring owners of its older models with expensive repair bills when something goes wrong. That was the major concern voiced in the comments over the 2008 Audi R8 we looked at yesterday. It features an aluminum chassis, a high-strung V8, and, according to the ad, every option possible, which represented a lot that could go wrong. Most of you felt that warranted an entry price lower than the $68,000 set by the present owner, resulting in us bidding adieu to the Audi with a 70% No Dice loss.
Prince Valiant
Our current economy may seem like a rollercoaster, but so far, that’s nothing compared to what folks had to deal with back in the 1950s. Over the course of that decade, Americans had to deal with three significant economic downturns: one post-Korean War, another late in the decade, and a third that rolled into the 1960s. That topsy-turvy economy forced consumers to engage in a bit of belt-tightening, leading to one of the most significant shifts in American auto production of the post-war era.
That shift saw the American car-buying public begin looking at lower-cost, more fuel-efficient options, leading to a significant increase in sales of smaller cars imported from Europe. American car makers wanted to get in on this act, so each of the big three, along with the nascent AMC, introduced its take on the compact car, looking to stem the tide of imports and give the people what they want. This gave us cars like the Chevy Corvair, Ford Falcon, and the object of today’s interest, the Plymouth Valiant.
Slant Six
Plymouth was already Mopar’s bargain brand when the Valiant was introduced in late 1959 as a ’60 model. Markedly smaller than any other model in Chrysler’s stable, the car’s Virgil Exner-penned design was upright enough that it still offered almost as much interior space. It also helped that the Valiant was a unibody design, Chrysler’s first since the Airflow of the 1930s.
Along with its smaller size and modern architecture, the Valiant debuted a new engine. Offered initially in 170 cubic inch displacement (2.8 liters), the OHV straight six was later joined by 198 and 225 CID big brothers. Canted over to the left by 30 degrees to allow for a lower hood line, the new engine earned the nickname “Slant Six” and would go on to become one of the most legendary engines in Chrysler history.
This 1968 Plymouth Valiant 100 is from the model’s third generation, which eschewed the flamboyant style of the first for a less expressive but still efficient and handsome rectilinear style. Notable design features include the split grille, airy greenhouse, and trunk lid-bookending vertical tail lamps. According to the ad, everything we see here is “almost original except for basic replacement parts!”
Getting benched
That extends to the interior which is fitted with a pair of bench seats, front and rear. Those are upholstered in gloriously gold vinyl as are the door cards and dash. That dash features the optional gauge pack along with the speedo, as well as a trio of aftermarket gauges mounted below the ashtray. Yes, this car is so old-school it has an ashtray.
The best part of the interior, though, is the column shifter giving it the famous “three-on-the-tree” action. That’s a non-sychro on first box so bone up on your double clutching. Ahead of that is the optional “Super 225” Slant Six, good for 145 (gross) horsepower and 215 pound-feet of torque.
The seller says the car has been well cared for over the years and today has only 14,600 miles on the clock. Everything, right down to the engine bay, looks to be in spotless condition. Unlike yesterday’s Audi, this Plymouth is a classic that’s as simple as a pimple, with no A/C or power anything save for the steering about which to worry.
Does this Plymouth rock?
It also comes with a clean title and the present owner’s rationalization for the sale being “due to other priorities in my life.” One of those priorities is getting $14,000 for the Plymouth. That, it should be noted, is about five times what this car cost in 1968. That being said, we’re not going to find a lot of survivors like this, and for the Mopar Maniacs (you know who you are) this is a drool-worthy car.
What do you think? Is it worth that $14,000 asking as presented in the ad? Or does that price tag diminish this Valiant’s valor?
You decide!
Florence, South Carolina, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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