For the fifth straight month (April 2013), the new Dodge Dart has posted record sales figures with 8,099 examples of the sporty compact sedan sold. That number presents only a slight improvement over the previous monthly sales record of 8,091 (March 2013), the Dart is still headed in the right direction as the model nears its one year anniversary.
8,099 units sold makes the Dodge Dart the third-bestselling vehicle in the Dodge brand lineup, trailing only the Avenger and the Caravan family while outselling the Dodge Charger that has often been the brand’s top selling car over the past few years. In addition to the Avenger, the only car from the five Chrysler Group brands to outsell the Dart in April was the Chrysler 200.
On the year, Chrysler has sold 31,064 examples of the 2013 Dodge Dart with 56,367 Dart sedans sold since the car was introduced last June. With the one year anniversary of the Dart coming up in June, the sporty compact sedan is on pace to sell around 65,000 units in the first 12 months. The company is certainly hoping that sales continue to improve but 65,000 units sold in the first year of sales is very impressive – especially when we consider the fact that the first couple months saw less than 1,000 units sold each month.
While the new Dodge Dart has a long way to go in terms of sales to compete with the segment’s heavy hitters–including the Ford Focus, the Toyota Corolla, the Honda Civic and the Chevy Cruze–the steady growth of this new model shows that the new Dart has done a great job of replacing the funky little Caliber hatchback. The company didn’t expect that the new Dart would instantly become one of the US’ bestselling vehicles but their efforts to once again offer a competitive vehicle in the super hot C-segment have seemingly paid off.
The introduction of the higher performance Dart GT and the super efficient Dart Aero should help the numbers to improve as these models will make the Dart the most efficient non-hybrid in the segment as well as one of the most powerful.
Dodge Dart Sales:
2012:
Jun – 202
Jul – 772
Aug – 3,045
Sep – 5,235
Oct – 5,455
Nov – 4,489
Dec – 6,105
2013:
Jan – 7,145
Feb – 7,720
Mar – 8,091
Apr – 8,099
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
