Political pressure can be a funny thing — witness the Cleveland Indians MLB team and the name-change to the Guardians. Doesn’t have the same warrior kick as the former name, right? Folklore says Dodge went through a similar thing in the early 1970s, and our Pick of the Day was the result. This 1973 Dodge Dart 340 Sport is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, Canada.
We should first look at the 1970 model year and Plymouth’s introduction of the Duster. It was a Valiant with a swoopy, semi-fastback roofline that in some respects replaced the A-body Barracuda that had been discontinued with the advent of the 1970 E-body Barracuda. The Duster was available as a base model and the Duster 340, which perfectly encapsulated the need for an affordable, stylish performance car — something that sold way better than any 340 Barracuda that preceded it.
Dodge didn’t have an equivalent. Instead, the notchback Dart Swinger continued, which also included a Swinger 340 model that was introduced the previous year. To be fair, the Valiant didn’t have a two-door hardtop like the Swinger, so two unique vehicles for the corporate siblings made sense. For 1971, they began to share these unique body styles.
Dodge’s version of the Duster was called the Demon. In the spirit of the times (both in America and in Highland Park), Dodge used a cute, cartoonish li’l devil with a pitchfork as a logo. Like the Duster, the Demon was available as a base model and a Demon 340. Equipment was similar between the Demon and the Duster aside from the styling derived from the Dart and the Valiant, respectively.
Supposedly, fundamentalists did not like shopping for cars and leaning towards the satanic. No, there were no pagan sacrifices, nor were there deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, but Dodge quietly chose to change the name. For 1973, Dodge returned with the comparatively insipid Dart Sport and Dart 340 Sport. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you? It worked.
With the name change came revised styling thanks to 1973’s federalized front bumper requirement. The Dart Sport 340, in particular, featured wheel lip and bright drip rail moldings, longitudinal tape stripe (which could be replaced by a new up-and-over stripe as a no-cost option), lower deck stripe, and other little bits. Interesting options included a crank-operated sunroof and nonfunctional hood scoops with hood performance treatment.
This slightly modified, “JF8” Dark Green metallic 1973 Dodge Dart 340 Sport is a bit more subtle than your typical factory job because it lacks the white stripes (V6W longitudinal stripes and V8W rear deck stripes) it originally came with, but if you squint, you can see black longitudinal stripes. The low-compression 340 was rated at 240 net horsepower (the same as in ’72), but this “good solid car” now has a “fresh-built” 340 with a dyno-proven 426 horsepower. Though the 340 originally came standard with a floor-mounted three-speed, this car features the optional TorqueFlite automatic on the column. Other features include power steering and power brakes with discs up front. The J54 hood sans blackout has been added, as have some aftermarket gauges, radio, and Rallye wheels.
In more recent years, Dodge introduced the Challenger SRT Demon, yet no one batted an eye. Different times? Perhaps, but the lesson learned is that living in sin never goes out of style. For $30,995, you can trust in the Dodge with all your heart.
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