With the release of the Valiant in 1959, Plymouth entered the nascent compact vehicle segment. It was constructed on the brand-new Chrysler A chassis, which debuted in that year and remained in production until 1978. Originally offered as a stand-alone vehicle, the Valiant joined the Plymouth lineup for the 1961 model year. Dodge debuted the Lancer, their own A-body, at that time. In 1963, the more famous Dart took the place of the latter.
Mopar also offered A-body cars overseas. The Chrysler Valiant was sold in Australia from 1960 to 1981 (it included a Valiant Charger muscle car version), while the DeSoto Rebel, essentially a rebadged Lancer, was marketed in South Africa from 1971 to 1963. But it was Plymouth who used the Chrysler A platform for most vehicles. In addition to the long-running Valiant, the division also used it for the related semi-fastback Duster from 1969 to 1978. The Barracuda also featured A-body underpinnings from its introduction in 1964 until the arrival of the third-gen E-body model in 1969.
Finally, there’s the Plymouth Scamp, a nameplate few people remember. Launched in 1971, the Scamp was also based on the Valiant. However, it used the two-door hardtop body of the Dart Swinger, a Valiant front clip, and taillights from the 1970 Dart.
However, although being a more equipped and sportier option than the Valiant, it was devoid of the performance-focused 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) V8 found in the Plymouth Duster and Dodge Dart. Only the slant-six and 318 cubic inches (5.2 liters) of the Valiant’s LA V8 were available for the hardtop. The latter was capable of producing 230 horsepower.
The Scamp was a successful product, despite some overlap with the Duster. 48,253 hardtops were sold in the hardtop’s first year of availability in showrooms, or roughly 17% of all Valiant/Duster deliveries. Through 1974, sales were robust, averaging around 50,000 instances year. In 1976, the Scamp was phased out along with the Valiant and Duster.
Come 2023, the Scamp is largely forgotten and not exactly a collector’s item. However, thanks to diehard A-body enthusiasts, some all-original examples in pristine condition still exist. The 1971 version you see here is not one of them, but it’s a rare car worth saving. What makes it scarce, you ask? Well, it was ordered in Curious Yellow, one of the rarest High-Impact colors from the golden muscle car era.
Introduced in 1971, Curious Yellow (code GY3) was Chrysler’s last High-Impact color, and the only such hue launched that year. A vibrant yellow in bright light and more of a lime green in darker light, it’s one of the most intriguing shades from the iconic palette. Also available on Dodge vehicles as Citron Yella, Curious Yellow wasn’t desirable at the time.
Sure, it’s not quite as scarce as Bright Green / Rally Green and Panther Pink / Moulin Rouge, but Curious Yellow Mopars are hard to find nowadays, especially since many have been repainted over the years. This derelict Scamp is still wearing its original coating, and that’s amazing, to say the least. Curious Yellow was also a controversial color back in the day. The story goes that many viewed it as a reference to the 1967 Swedish erotic drama “I Am Curious (Yellow),” which was banned in some American states. And some speculate it’s because of this association that Chrysler removed the color after only one year.
Whatever the case, I think it’s among the most spectacular High-Impact hues and rounds out my Top 3, alongside Panther Pink and Sublime.
Back to our Scamp, Chrysler did not keep production records based on colors alone, but registries for most Mopar nameplates suggest fewer than 0.5% of all vehicles were ordered in this vibrant yellow. This means fewer than 250 Scamps were likely finished in this hue in 1971. I’d venture to say it’s one of fewer than 100 examples, though.
The hardtop has seen far better days. The paint is faded, the interior is a complete mess, and the vinyl top is gone. The compact also shows a few rust spots, and the original 318 V8 engine and automatic gearbox are no longer in the car. Indeed, this Scamp requires a serious cash injection to reclaim its former glory.
It is the type of classic that is rarely repaired. Scamp’s low market value makes a comprehensive overhaul prohibitively expensive. Thankfully, though, our host is committed to maintaining it and getting it back on the road. I’m eager to see this Curious Yellow gem finished and roaring again, even though it might not happen very soon. even if it necessitates installing a new V8 engine below.
Fun fact: Did you know that Plymouth also marketed a Scamp model in 1983? It had nothing in common with the original hardtop, though. It was a rebadged version of the Dodge Rampage, a small car-based truck built on the Chrysler L platform. The latter also underpinned the Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni. While the Rampage was sold from 1982 to 1984, the Scamp was only offered in 1983. Plymouth produced only 3,500 of these mini trucks.