A Mischievous Upstart of a Car

“An unscrupulous and often mischievous person; rascal; rogue; scalawag. A playful, mischievous, or naughty young person; upstart.” That is how Dictionary.com defines a scamp.

When you think about it, a scamp probably isn’t the first word that comes to mind when naming a car. But Plymouth did that very thing in 1971. The Scamp was a trim for the Valiant which was introduced in 1960 as an entry in the newly emerging compact car range. The Valiant, like many successful Chrysler cars, was designed by the extraordinarily talented Virgil Exner. Originally Chrysler wanted to call it the Falcon but Ford had beaten them to the punch.

The Valiant went through two generations through 1966 with typical changes. In 1967 the third generation was introduced. This year saw a whole new style for the Valiant. It also saw Plymouth dropping the station wagon and convertible from the Valiant line. There were two and four door sedans on a 108 inch wheel base. There were six engine options ranging from the economical 170 cubic inch slant six all the way up to a 340 cubic inch V 8 that more than bordered on muscle.

In 1971 Plymouth borrowed the 110 inch wheelbase from the Dodge Dart Swinger and created a slightly roomier Valiant that they badged the Scamp. The Dart and the Valiant had shared a number of things over their lives; both having come to market in 1960. The Swinger was an attempt to make the Dart a sportier car and it worked. Plymouth wanted to do the same for the Valiant.

The Scamp helped prop up the Valiant in a similar manner. 1972 saw Valiants best sales ever at over

330,000. Throughout the early 1970s Valiants accounted for about 40 % of all Plymouth sales. 

By the onset of the next generation in 1974, the standard 108 wheelbase of the Valiant was dropped and all cars that size were rolling with the Dodge badge. All Valiants became 110 inches and that brought the end to the short lived Scamp. It was to become the Brougham and luxury began to brush aside the sporty aspects. That year there was something called a “Scamp Package” which featured a 318 cubic inch V 8 and a three speed automatic with lots of options such as power steering, power brakes, vinyl top, and air conditioning. 

Both the Valiant and the Dart saw their end in 1976 as they were replaced by the Plymouth Volare and the Dodge Aspen.