Chrysler Dart

Vehicle Overview

The Chrysler Dart Concept was built by Ghia in Italy to defy wind. It was very aerodynamic and finely tuned in one of Europe’s largest wind tunnels. At the time of its construction, it was the most aerodynamic car in existence. It had less than one-third the air drag of any other passenger car on the road. The design of the vehicle was handled by Virgil Exner’s design studio at Chrysler. The bumper was a wrap-around rubber mounted unit that provided protection while still preserving the vehicles design and aerodynamic principles. There was a sliding roof panel which could be removed and carefully concealed in a special compartment behind the rear seat. Part of the roof could also be retracted which would leave the rear seat mostly closed, but the front seat open. The Chrysler Dart was unveiled at the 1956 Turin Auto Salon and inspired the concept cars Chrysler 400 Superdart and the Chrysler Diablo.