The new Dodge Demon is a drag strip monster. Big power, massive tires, and a huge price tag. You'll be lucky to find one for less than six-figures right now. But 2018 wasn't the first time that Dodge used the name. The Demon has made a deal at the crossroads before. Like our Find of the Week. A 1971 Dodge Demon.
The fourth generation of the Dodge Dart was a compact sedan, coupe and convertible. It wasn't the muscle model in the Dodge lineup, that job went to the Charger and Challenger, but since this was the late 1960s, lots of big V8 engines were available under the hood.
It had a sibling at Plymouth, named the Valiant. They shared a platform but weren't exactly the same. Back then badge engineering put one brand ahead of the other. So to make the Dodge more premium, it had a longer wheelbase. Even if it was only three-inches longer.
For 1971, Dodge and Plymouth wanted to spice up their lineups. Instead of adding a new trim or doing some new styling, they pulled a switcheroo. Plymouth would get a version of the long-wheelbase Dart. It would be the two-door hardtop, known as the Dodge Dart Swinger. In Plymouth showrooms, it would be badged the Plymouth Valiant Scamp.
Dodge would get a better deal. The Dart Swinger was just a two-door Dart. But Plymouth offered the Duster. It was a Valiant from the cowl forward, but it wore a fastback roof, special rear valence, and twin horizontal tail lights. It looked much more muscle car than the Dart Swinger. Of course, Dodge wanted one for itself.
That model was originally going to be called the Dodge Dart Beaver. But, as the story goes, Chrysler execs found out about the slang uses for that new name so they needed a new one. They picked Demon.
The Demon arrived in 1971. It was available as the base Demon, with a 3.2L inline six or a 5.2L V8. Or, if you wanted performance - and nobody wants a slow Demon - you could order the Demon 340.
That one got the big engine. A 340 cubic inch (5.6L) V8 that pumped out 275 hp and 340 lb-ft of torque. A three-speed manual was standard, but if you wanted to be quick you got the optional four-speed, like this car has.
The Demon 340 got a high-performance Rallye suspension that used heavy-duty torsion bar up front with an anti-roll bar. In the back, it had special springs and shocks. And, since it was still 1971, drum brakes at all four corners.
After 1971, the Demon lost power. After 1972, it lost its name. The public still had a problem with a car badged the Demon. It was renamed the Dart Sport. And the Demon badge sat in the drawer until it was brought out so sit over top of the Hellcat.
This Demon is for sale in Saint-Jerome, QC, about an hour northwest of downtown Montreal. On top of the big V8 and four-speed stick, this car has had a full restoration and wears brand new paint and chrome.
If you want to look good this summer, and go fast doing it. And be the person who can say they got a Demon this summer, then this might be exactly what you're looking for. For a third the price of a new one.
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