Pick of the Day: 1972 Dodge Demon 340

One of our Picks of the Day for last week was a 1970 Duster 340, a new model that managed to succeed the A-body Barracuda as Plymouth’s sportiest compact. However, Dodge did not have an equivalent model until 1971, and it lasted only two years. Our Pick of the Day is that car: a 1972 Dodge Demon 340. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Click the link to view the listing)

One of the reasons why Dodge had no semi-fastback counterpart like the Duster in 1970 can be explained by the fact that Plymouth had no Valiant hardtop, and the Duster filled that gap. Dodge, on the other hand, had the Dart Swinger, a budget-priced hardtop, and the more deluxe Dart Custom hardtop. While not swoopy like the Duster, they still played the role of compact hardtop. Plus, Dodge had a performance compact in the Dart Swinger 340.

After a year of exclusivity, the Plymouth Duster gained a cousin in the Dodge Demon. Featuring the Dart’s front end and slightly different taillights from the Duster, the Demon also featured a cartoony devil that cleverly used its pitchfork for the “M” in its name. Equipment was similar to the Duster’s in just about every way, with the seats being a strong differentiator. For the performance-oriented Demon 340, it came standard with the 275-horsepower (235 net) small-block, three-speed manual, Rallye suspension, heavy-duty brakes, Rallye instrument cluster, longitudinal tape stripe and rear-deck panel stripe, front-end molding, chrome-plated exhaust tips, and E70 x 14-inch tires. A flat hood was standard, but a special dual-patch blackout hood with non-functional Ramcharger scoops was available.

For 1972, there were subtle tweaks to the styling, mainly new grille and parking lamps. All engines were required to run on low-lead or unleaded fuel, so compression for the 340 was lowered to 8.5:1, with horsepower rated at 240 net (note the curious increase despite the lowered compression). A new Thermo-Quad four-barrel was new, as was a standard electronic ignition. A new, optional, non-functional hood scoop design with special strobe-like hood black-out was available.

So, what happened with the Demon for 1973? Folklore says fundamentalists made a fuss of its name, so it was changed to the unimaginative Dart Sport. Of course, the Demon name returned to the Dodge Challenger for 2018, with nary a complaint as far as I can tell.

This numbers-matching 1972 Dodge Demon 340 is painted in “EL5” Butterscotch, a High Impact 1971 color, but was originally “EV2” Hemi Orange. An upgraded black bench seat can be found in the cabin, which also features the Tuff steering wheel, Music Master AM radio, driver’s side remote mirror, and day/night mirror. Outside, this Demon 340 features dual sport mirrors, 1971 performance hood with tie-down pins, Cragar S/S mags, Go Wing, and chrome exhaust tips. Mechanically, you’ll find a 727 TorqueFlite automatic, 3.55 Sure-Grip, power steering and brakes (with front discs), and HD radiator.

Built in September 1971 and sold new in Vancouver, this Demon 340 has only 97,481 on the clock and features “mostly original sheet metal with all body numbers intact through to the rad support stamp.” As a bonus, the seller has prepared customs paperwork if you want to register the Demon anywhere in North America – that counts for you too, Snowbirds! For $45,000, you can own an honest Mopar muscle car that checks all the boxes.