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OCTOBER 2026: SPIRIT OF ’76 DODGE DART SPORT

Jerry Admin

1976 was a huge year for the United States because they were celebrating a 250th birthday party.

You couldn’t go past a city block in ’76 without seeing or hearing something about the big bash and Detroit knew it had to cash in on the celebration.

Thus, the Spirit of ’76 Dodge Dart Sport was born.

Jerry Sutherland

Ron Keller realized how unique these Mopar A-bodies were when he bought one in 1979 and sold it for a big profit three days later when another guy bought it. The buyer wanted the car before Ron did, but he was too late and Ron scooped the car up. In other words, he missed the bus on a fire sale, but he was willing to pay a premium for the Spirit of ’76 Dart.

The original owner had to sell it to accommodate his new family, so the sale was quick and final. Ron paid $4100 for the Dart, and his wife was unimpressed, but he nearly doubled his money. He was happy with how it played out in ’79 but he realized how much he liked the rare Dart, so he went on a lengthy search to find another Dodge Dart (Spirit of ’76 Edition).       

Flash forward to about seven years ago—that’s when Ron found this mint 1976 Dodge Dart Spirit of ’76 Dodge with an extremely rare 360 V-8/4-speed option. This car crossed the US/Canada border more times than a long-haul trucker because it changed hands between Canadian and American owners a few times over its history. The last stop in the States was in Montana and the last stop before Ron was in Regina, Saskatchewan.

There were several owners in the mix but the last one before Ron was a hot rod guy with a shop and he took the Dart to another level, The 360 was stroked out to 411 cubic inches and there are some other tricks under the hood.

Ron said the biggest improvement was the aftermarket 5-speed because it drops the revs down on the highway from insane to very manageable. That’s the secret to not grenading the factory block under the hood. 

Ron said he “puts about 1500 miles a year” on the rare Dart–that’s just enough exercise to keep the car running well and he doesn’t baby it. In fact, Ron’s Dart gets put through the paces because it wasn’t built to loaf while it’s on the road, and he’s happy to oblige.

There are risks when you drive something this rare because while Chrysler built many Dart Sports over the years, very few of them are this rare. They are cult cars within the Mopar A-Body community, but to Ron it’s a car he wants to drive—not stare at.

Specialty models are always a time and a place, and some are far more prominent than others. For example, the Dodge Little Red Express surfaced two years later than the Spirit of ’76 Dodge Dart Custom, but the LRE is far more well-known in 2026.

But it didn’t celebrate a 250th birthday party for a nation   

By: Jerry Sutherland

Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post,  Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.

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