Horizontal push button shifter on an A body

[brentwasham]

Saw what is evidently a '61 Lancer dash on a car for sale today (was advertised as a '65 Dodge Valiant). Had a completely different instrument panel from the 60-61 Valiants and '62 Valiant and Lancer, with horizontal row of buttons and wide rectangular speedo. Had never seen this one off, one model year dash. Anybody know if all the '61s had it?

 

[Hyper_pak]

Yes that is a 61 Lancer Dash.
They changed it for a 62 Lancer.
I have a 61 Lancer dash hanging in my garage!

 

[brentwasham]

Pretty cool, like the black color, too. They really did a lot to make the Lancer "upscale" when it launched in '61, the dash design is similar to the more expensive B and C bodies, but by '62 they pretty much matched the Valiant. When I was driving my '62 Valiant in the 70's thought the Lancers were just an odd variant of the Valiant. Of course after '62 they were gone and replaced by another variant of the Valiant, a slightly longer bodied Dart that looked somewhat different, but shared most components.