Plymouth Duster - History

History

The Duster competed with Ford's slightly smaller semi-fastback Maverick compact that was also introduced in 1970, and the slightly larger semi-fastback Chevrolet Nova whose design was introduced in 1968. While the Maverick and Nova were offered in a 4-door configuration, Chrysler managers used the Duster nameplate only for the 2-door coupe. The traditional Valiant name was retained on the 4-door sedan and 2-door hardtop. The Duster resulted from the Plymouth planning staff's desire to use their allotted 1970 restyling money for something different than the usual two and four-door Valiants. The Valiant platform was used, with front end sheetmetal the same, but completely different from the cowl back. The Duster was also created to fill the slot that was formerly occupied by the Valiant-based Barracuda. When the Barracuda moved from its A-body platform to the new E-body platform in 1970, this left a hole in Plymouth's lineup for a sporty, inexpensive compact.

Numerous variants of the Duster were offered with model names that included Feather Duster, Gold Duster, Silver Duster, Space Duster, Duster Twister, 340 Duster and 360 Duster. The various models targeted customers seeking economy, cargo capacity, or performance.