• The Volare was one of Plymouth's 1970s family cars.Dougal Waters/Digital Vision/Getty Images
  
  The Plymouth Volare was originally considered a compact car when it was released in the mid-1970s. By the the end of its production in 1980, however, times had changed so much that the Volare was considered a mid-size. The Plymouth Volare and the Dodge Aspen were twins of sorts, both released by Chrysler during the same years and both considered the successors to A-body cars like the Duster, the Dart and the Valiant. The two shared many characteristics and are often regarded as almost interchangeable by car aficionados.
  
  

Engine

• The 1976 Volare had a 224.9-cubic inch, inline six-cylinder engine, called the 225 Slant Six. Maximum torque was 170 foot-pounds at 1,600 rpm and max power was 100 horsepower at 3,600 rpm. Other engines for the Volare were a 318 and a 360 V8. A special sports package called the Road Runner allowed buyers to get a two-barrel 360 with 180 horsepower. This engine, however, was not available in California, as it did not meet emissions restrictions for the state.
  
  

Body

• The Volare was meant to be a family car. Both it and the Aspen were designed to look more luxurious, safe and comfortable than other A-bodies like the Dart. Rounder and sleeker than the Duster or Dart, the Volare nevertheless still had the long hood and short rear deck common among 60s and 70s muscle cars. In 1976, the Volare was offered as both a two-door coupe and as a four-door sedan. It had torsion bars and a sway bar in the front suspension, and semi-elliptical rear springs in the back. The Volare's torsion bars were a departure for the time, as they ran from side-to-side rather than front-to-back. They were also separated from the chassis by three different pairs of rubber mounts, meant to give the car a more quiet ride. It weighed 3,274 lbs. and had an overall length of 201.6 inches. Height was 55.5 inches and width was 73.6 inches. Plymouth introduced two wheelbases for the 1976 Volare rather than one. The coupe got a wheelbase of 108.5 inches, while the four-door sedan got a wheelbase of 112.5 inches. Shortening the wheelbase on the coupe allowed the Volare two-doors to look sportier and more rakish, as well as actually being easier to maneuver and lighter.
  
  

The Road Runner

• The Plymouth Volare's Road Runner package gave owners several extras. The body came with special decal stripes, a black interior, Rallye wheels with raised white letters on the tires and a heavy-duty suspension. Another option for the Road Runner was the Super Pak, an appearance package which gave you front and rear spoilers, a manual sun roof, bucket seats and louvered rear windows. The Super Pak Road Runner came in only one color, orange with yellow and black stripes.