<VV> Valiants, Darts, Torinos (not Corvair)

[Bill H.]

                                      B"H

Chrysler had a hodgepodge of names through the 1976
model year for their "A" body compacts.  Dusters were
originally badged as Valiant Dusters, but the
"Valiant" name was removed in 1971 or 2.  Valiants
produced until 1976 were the Scamp Hardtop and the
Valiant 4 door sedan.

South of the Border, "Valiants" were rebadged Darts
during the 60s and early 70s.  In Mexico and South
American, Darts were built until around 1979 (3 years
after the US car was discontinued), they had an
attractive fastback roofline for the hardtop.  The
US-issue Volare and later the K-car Aries were sold
there, but were badged as Darts.

The name Torino was used by VAM in Mexico for a car
assembled there.  VAM was American Motors' Mexican
counterpart.  The Torino line of hardtop coupes and 4
door sedans were built until 1983,  This car was based
on the 1966 Rambler American, but had restyled front
and rear ends, and the interior rivalled a Jaguar in
luxury, with leather seats and a woodgrain sport
dashboard that was nothing like the US Ramblers.

The Falcon was continued in Argentina until 1990 (yes
nineteen ninety) with the 1963 US body and updated
front and rear styling.  Obviously the interior was
modernized and the door handles were upgraded, but the
body itself is easily identified as a '63 Futura.

In the same country, Chevrolet was assembling and
selling a car called the "Chevy Malibu" up until the
1981 model year.  This car was the 1969 U.S. market
Chevy Nova, with the "Nova" badges replaced with the
word "Chevy."
This car featured 1968 Impala hubcaps (factory photo
seen in "World Car Catalogue 1981" one day while I was
browsing our library's collection).  The story goes
that the Nova didn't sell down there, because "No va"
in Spanish means "doesn't go!" so they changed the
name to Malibu.

Too bad they didn't continue making Corvairs in South
America into the Seventies.  It seems to me that the
Corvair (the 4 door?) would have made an inexpensive
lightweight and economical means of transportation to
working-class families down there...Bill Hershkowitz
69 Monza 110 PG