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Originally Posted by Frank Lee
Thinking about that "36mpg"- it's probably a typo- 26 sounds reasonable/attainable.
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If your talking about the Feather Duster/Dart Lite that indeed was the EPA hwy rating for it. That particular model was available for the '76 model year only.
I agree 36 mpg sounds ambitious and its likely very few got that but even upper 20s/low 30s is still pretty good on 1970s technology considering many newer and smaller cars aren't rated much better.
New Dart Lite Competes For Compact Economy Crown
Funny that back then this was considered by some to be a compact car lol.
Spirit of 76 Dart Lite — CLUNKBUCKET
Dodge Dart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dart Lite
In response to increased interest in fuel economy, Dodge offered the "Dart Lite" fuel economy package which weighed at least 150 lb (68 kg) less than the ordinary Dart Sport.[4] The 225 Slant Six was the only available engine, equipped with an aluminum intake manifold for the first time since 1960 and a specially calibrated carburetor and distributor. Bumper reinforcement brackets were aluminum instead of steel, while the hood and trunk lid bracing and inner panels were also aluminum. The Slant Six engine block had already been modified for reduced weight in 1975; in the middle of 1976 production its crankshaft was changed from forged steel to lighter cast iron. The high-flow exhaust system included a dual-biscuit catalytic converter, a 2¼" headpipe, and the muffler used on V8 models. The Dart Lite was equipped with a 2.94:1 rear axle rather than the customary 3.21:1 ratio when the car was ordered with a three- or four-speed manual transmission. The A833OD overdrive 4-speed manual transmission housing was made of aluminum. Like all other Darts, the Dart Lites with automatic transmission came with a 2.76:1 rear axle as standard equipment.[4] The Dart Lite with manual transmission was rated by the EPA at 36 mpg (6.5 l/100km) in highway driving. The Plymouth version was the Feather Duster.
I can't find a supporting link right now but I remember reading in a car rag years ago that Chrysler made an all aluminum block 225 slant six in the early 1960s. It was short lived and were mainly used for performance/racing. I wonder how much economy one could have squeeked out of something like that if built strictly for economy?
And for the extreme eco Duster/Dart enthusiast how about an electric Duster:
MOPAR fan converts Plymouth Duster to electric