A-Body Vs. B-Body Mopars: What's The Difference?
During the golden era of muscle cars, vehicles from the various Chrysler brands, collectively known as Mopar, were some of the wildest creations roaming the streets. These included cars like the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona, with its massive 24-inch tall rear wing and possibly a 426 cubic-inch Gen II Hemi under the hood. Or, a similar vintage Plymouth Road Runner — one of the most popular cars of the 1960s — with wild Loony Tunes graphics and signature "meep-meep" horn. These cars are worth as much as a house (or two) nowadays. Both The only difference between A-body and B-body Mopars? Their size.
Like its Big Three competitor General Motors, Chrysler used a system of letters to differentiate between its different platforms, which were divided based on size. Starting at the top of the alphabet, Mopar's A-body debuted in 1960 as the Plymouth Valiant. Over its long lifespan, the Valiant was available in coupe and sedan configurations, as well as a station wagon and even convertibles. Nonetheless, the Valiant was considered a compact car for its time, with a wheelbase between 106 and 111 inches.
Famously, Mopar engineers were assigned the herculean task of creating a sporty offshoot of the boxy Valiant on an absolute shoestring budget. Miraculously, they succeeded by adding a sweeping semi-fastback roofline, but keeping the Valiant's front clip. With that, the massively popular Plymouth Duster and its Dodge Demon sibling were born. Although less sporty than the Duster, the Dodge Dart is another well-known A-body and considered to be more of a premium model.
While we certainly wouldn't turn down a 1970s Plymouth Duster A-body if offered, the larger Mopar B-bodies are the real stars of the show for muscle car enthusiasts. Riding on a wheelbase between 115 and 118 inches, these machines are the stuff that put Mopar on the performance map. Granted, there are some lackadaisical grocery-getter B-bodies, too, like the Belvedere, Coronet, and Savoy. However, the legendary Dodge Charger of "The Dukes of Hazzard" fame is a prime example of an exciting B-body.
The B-body's extra size also meant that a wider range of engines was available. Unlike the Duster, legendary Mopar big-blocks like the 383 and 440 cubic-inch V-8s were on offer in the B-body, including a 440 with a set of three two-barrel carburetors called a "six-pack" in marketing materials. Of course, there's the much rarer 426 Hemi. While insanely valuable today, Hemis definitely had some pros and cons to weigh in the tumultuous 1960s and early 1970s. Their powerband wasn't ideal for street driving, which meant that the much cheaper 440 big-block was about as quick in real-world conditions.
Besides the Charger, other well-known B-bodies include the Super Bee, Superbird, Road Runner, and GTX. Note that this isn't a complete list of every A- and B-body Mopar vehicle spanning nearly two decades. To do so would be to list dozens of models, many of which have only subtle differences between Mopar sub-brands. However, a good rule of thumb is that A-bodies are compact cars, while B-bodies are considered midsize. Ironically, both body types are pretty portly by modern standards.
