In 1976 Chrysler sold cop-spec Valiants with a 360 V8 police package that ran the quarter-mile in 16.4 seconds — fast enough to catch nearly any muscle car still on sale that year.
Median 86 hp across 153 similar cars
Lead trim: A38 E58 360 four-barrel V8 (California, 175 net hp) · up to 220 hp
Plymouth Valiant A38 police packageVALIANT-A38 · 1976–1976
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Plymouth Valiant A38 police package yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactIn 1976 Chrysler sold cop-spec Valiants with a 360 V8 police package that ran the quarter-mile in 16.4 seconds — fast enough to catch nearly any muscle car still on sale that year.
In 1976 the Valiant was available as a Code A38 police package car in three basic engine sizes: E24 (California) and E25 (federal) 225 cu in single-barrel slant-six, E44 318 cu in twin-barrel V8, and E58 360 cu in four-barrel V8 with single (California) or dual (federal) exhaust — the E58 was the one Chrysler recommended for police service as the only one with "added endurance features". It produced 175 net hp in California trim and 220 net hp in federal form; the E58 dual-exhaust engine (sans catalytic converters) made a very fast squad car, tripping the quarter-mile lights in 16.4 seconds at a trap speed of 84.6 mph (136.2 km/h) and able to catch nearly all the "performance cars" of the day. A special handling package included front and rear antisway bars; the Seattle Police Department reported a 46 percent drop in the preventable accident rate, and a Motor Trend survey found much better evasive capability and visibility than full-size squad cars. However the Valiant lacked the additional frame welds and rear cross-member reinforcements of other Mopar A38 packages and its front K-frame was prone to failure under severe police use.
Collectors Spotted in the Plymouth Valiant Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Plymouth Valiant yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
2 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A38 E58 360 four-barrel V8 (California, 175 net hp) | 1976–1976 | 5.9 L V8 | 175 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| A38 E58 360 four-barrel V8 (federal, dual exhaust, 220 net hp) | 1976–1976 | 5.9 L V8 | 220 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
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Owners’ builds
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Photographs
In 1976 Chrysler sold cop-spec Valiants with a 360 V8 police package that ran the quarter-mile in 16.4 seconds — fast enough to catch nearly any muscle car still on sale that year.
By 1974 the Valiant sedan wasn't really its own car anymore — Plymouth simply rebadged the Dodge Dart, leaving only minor cosmetic differences between the two nameplates.
The redesigned 1967 Valiant dropped wagons, hardtops and convertibles down to sedans only — anyone wanting the coupe thrill just bought the Barracuda, which was secretly the same car in a sportier suit.
This Valiant's platform beat the Mustang to the punch — the Barracuda, built on the Valiant's wheelbase, hood and windshield, reached showrooms two weeks before Ford's pony car, in April 1964.
The Valiant's grille was cast in aluminum instead of the usual zinc die-casting — shaving the whole assembly down to 3 pounds, a quarter the weight rivals carried up front.
Seven Hyper-Pak Valiants entered NASCAR's 1960 compact-car race at Daytona and swept first through seventh. NASCAR never ran that race again.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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