Plymouth Duster at upcoming Lloyds Auction

Following on from last month’s Classic and Barn Find sale, Gold Coast-based Lloyds Auctioneers has sprung a pre-Christmas sale sure to tempt many buyers into an extra present or two, even if they can’t fit under the Christmas tree.

1974 Plymouth Duster

The Plymouth Duster isn’t as well-known as its larger Chrysler Corp stablemates of the era which included legendary nameplates like Charger, Road Runner and GTX.

Now that the highly sought-after Hemi-optioned cars are commanding prices into six-figures and beyond (a 1971 Hemi ‘Cuda convertible sold for US$3.5 million in 2014), collectors and enthusiasts alike are looking downstream to the more affordable cars of the era.

With baby-Cuda styling cues and a 360ci V8 lurking under the matt black bonnet with equine-like nostrils, the Duster’s star seems top be on the rise.

And while 245hp (183kW) doesn’t seem like a gargantuan number for a muscle car (even the 71 Duster with a 340ci V8 managed 275hp), the use of a medium-size V8 in Chryslers’ smallest platform of the day (A-body) generated plenty of interest when the car was released and has now become something of a cult hit.

This Duster is a one owner, California car and presents much better than you would expect for a 42-year-old sled.

Being a factory original, unmodified car you’d expect signs of wear and age to dull the exterior and interior, but this car looks and feels very fresh.

The exterior with its factory graphic along the side shows very little wear with a mark on the boot lid where it was polished too enthusiastically down to primer (about the size of a 20-cent piece) the only fault.

Inside is much the same with comfortable vinyl bench-seat and open door buzzer among the attractions!

Auction home page

1972 Plymouth Duster review