All About The Dodge Adventurer Truck
Dodge has an impressive portfolio of trucks dating back to the early 1930s, some with an "iconic" reputation for style and performance and others for a record of dependable service. In fact, classic Dodge trucks continue to be popular as more and more are restored to their former glory. In 1961, Dodge introduced the D series that featured more robust axles, enhanced frames for better support and a smoother ride, but it wasn't until 1968 that the Custom Sports Special Version of the Dodge D series would become the Adventurer.
The Adventurer was a trim option on the popular Dodge D series that helped transform the image of pickup trucks during the era. While the automaker had always been known for quality and longevity, some argue its pickups lacked stylish features that were routinely added to cars. The Adventurer would transform Dodge trucks from plain workhorses into something more upscale with premium add-ons and upgraded esthetics. Today, restored Adventurers are scarce, so these models are highly sought after, with the best examples residing in automotive museums.
What made Adventurer special?
The Adventurer trim gave truck owners features typically only seen in luxury vehicles of the time. Adventurer trims ran from the late '60s to the '80s and were eye-catching examples of what a truck design could achieve visually. For example, these Adventurer packages could include more chrome, dual color schemes, flashy badging, and more. Little details like hood-mounted indicator lights were standard on both the '69 and '70 trucks with the Adventurer's package. One convenient upgrade on the Adventurer was a sliding rear window, offering another option for fresh air.
In 1970, the Adventurer came in three different varieties: Adventurer, Adventurer Sport, and the Adventurer SE. The SE was the flashiest of the bunch, offering visual details like specialized molding, lighting bezels, shiny bumpers, and two-tone body colors on the 1975 model. Inside, you could find luxury enhancements like a woodgrain dashboard, premium seats, and decorative door paneling. These features, especially on the Adventurer SE, shifted perceptions of trucks away from dirty work vehicles to something you could drive around town in style. While you may not be able to get ahold of an Adventurer easily, there are at least several classic pickup trucks that could make good project vehicles.
What happened to the Adventurer?
Around the early 1980s, Dodge started to struggle against the competition with declining sales. Emission standards had become more stringent again, and automakers scrambled to find alternate engine options to comply. During this time, Chrysler bought Dodge and discontinued all but the best-selling vehicles. The Ram models continued forward, while the Adventurer was unfortunately fazed out. Models like the Lil' Red Express Truck version of the Dodge Adventurer have since made the list of rare vintage pickup trucks still worth purchasing today (if you can find them).
According to Classic, the price of Dodge D series 100 Adventurer's span from around $11,000 (that need some work) up to almost $35,000 (great condition and custom). However, few options are available, especially if you're looking for the SE variant. For example, it only took about five minutes for the Antique Automobile Museum in Hershey, PA, to reply to a Florida man considering donating a pristine 1975 Dodge Adventurer SE. Stan Sipko, who was acting curator of the museum at the time, said, "They had nothing like it in the museum." If you can find a classic Dodge Adventurer, don't expect it to be one of the classic pickup trucks that are affordable today.