Plymouth Duster, 1970
Plymouth Valiant III
Plymouth Valiant III•
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Chassis No.: VS29H0B417260
Auction: Indy 2017
Auction date: May 20, 2017
Lot No.: F124.1
$50,600 | Sold
- Exterior: Pink
- Interior: Black
- Unrestored with 18,366 original miles
- Original Moulin Rouge paint
- Original Black bench seat interior
- Documented with two original broadcast sheets, original window sticker, vehicle order form, warranty pamphlet, consumer information sheet and owner’s manual
- Matching numbers 340/275 HP V-8
- Matching numbers 4-speed transmission
- A31 Performance axle with 3.91 gears
- Sold new at Fred Cain Chrysler in Wilmington, MA
- Special ordered by Francis Banister and delivered on July 21, 1970
- Banister passed away in 1992 and collector Richard Heidbreder purchased the car from his estate in 1994
- Formerly part of the Carlos Monteverde Collection
- Featured multiple times in Mopar Collector’s Guide
We would be remiss to say that there is anything commonplace about this car. While the Duster 340 was brand-new for 1970, most of them were purchased by enthusiastic younger owners who frankly drove them very hard. This model year also saw the most widespread release of High Impact paint to that time. A hot pink coded FM3 and named Moulin Rouge was offered for the first time in the Plymouth line. On the other hand, Dodge used the most common title for this color: Panther Pink. Not as well known is that FM3 was only temporarily available as a spring of 1970 color release and as a special-order code in 1971, making it desirable today as a factory option.
This amazing Duster, unrestored with 18,366 original miles, has its original Moulin Rouge paint and original black bench-seat interior. It still features the original matching-numbers 10.5:1 compression 340/275 HP V-8, matching-numbers A833 Chrysler New Process 4-speed transmission and the A31 Performance axle with 3.91:1 gears. Inside, it was optioned with the centered in-dash tach, Hurst shifter and little else. Outside it received extra-cost brightwork and body-side moldings. Beyond this originality, the provenance is impeccable, documented with two original broadcast sheets, the original window sticker, vehicle order form, warranty pamphlet, consumer information sheet and owner's manual.
This FM3 car is well-known to the Mopar hobby. Special ordered by Francis Banister and delivered on July 21, 1970, this Duster sold new at the performance-oriented Fred Cain Chrysler in Wilmington, Massachusetts. Banister moved to Georgia in the mid-1970s, and after his passing in 1992, the estate sold it to collector Richard Heidbreder in 1994. It later became part of the incredible Carlos Monteverde Collection in Europe. Because of its highlights, it has been featured in “Mopar Collector's Guide,” as well as other publications.
Considered by Mopar specialist Frank Badalson to be one of the most original Dusters in existence, its amazing condition and unique combination of options make it a very rare car.
