BARGAIN BABY

In hindsight, the Plymouth Duster 340 was one of those cars that probably deserved a better fate. The premise of the car seemed rock solid: offer an affordable alternative to flashier and more beastly muscle cars, but make it reasonably practical as an everyday driver and give it performance to run with the big boys.

The Duster 340 was all that and more, and it had two good years right out of the box. But in the end, the Duster 340 was a bundle of good ideas that came just a bit late in the life cycle of the American muscle car. The feisty Plymouth was a solid hit in late 1969 when it debuted for the 1970 model year, and came back with a strong sophomore season as well. But times were-a-changin’ for muscle cars in the early ’70s and before long — four years, to be exact — the Duster 340 had joined a long list of other memorable pavement pounders that fell victim to oil embargoes, rising insurance rates, tighter safety regulations and the evolving needs of American car buyers.

Not everybody remembers the Duster 340 these days, but Terry Richard certainly does. The Stansbury Park, Utah, resident bought a new one right out of high school back in 1970 and fell in love. Some 44 years later, he decided he