I have owned 3 of the 13 known 1968 Mr. Norm GSS Darts still in existence. My first was the black one, which I don’t drive. In order to really enjoy the rare car, I bought 2 more, this one and a Maroon one. I drive these and they are just as much fun as you would imagine with a big 440 motor in this small car.
This is a super rare 1968 Dodge Dart GSS. For the uninitiated, GSS stands for Grand Spaulding Sport. Thestory behind the GSS is a fascinating one. Mr. Norm’s Grand Spaulding Dodge in Chicago (located at the corner of Grand and Spaulding Streets) was recognized nationwide as the headquarters for high-performanceDodges. Mr. Norm urged the folks at Dodge to put a big block 440 cu. in/375 hp motor in their A-body Dart but was told that it couldn’t be done. He proved them wrong. His shop shoehorned the powerful motor in a Dart GTS and took it to Highland Park for show and tell. Voila, Chrysler decided to build the 440 Dart in 1968. Mr. Norm asked for exclusive rights to sell the powerful car, but Chrysler said no. A deal was struck that all dealers could sell the GSS if they committed to ordering 50 at a time. Perhaps not surprising, only Mr. Norm’s dealership made that commitment. Forty-eight of the GSS Darts were built and only 13 are still in existence. To make the stock Dart GTS capable of receiving the big block 440, several modifications had to be made. Items like heavy-duty motor mounts, special exhaust manifold and a heat shield to protect the steering had to be used. The build sheet for the GSS shows at the bottom the words “BUILD LESS ENG (engine,} TRANS(transmission,} CARB (carburetor) and AIR CLNR (air cleaner.)” The engine and transmission-less GTS body were shipped to Hurst for final assembly.
