This Hot Wheels model is painted Metalflake purple, has black stripes on its sides and hood, the Demon logo on the sides, clear windows, black interiors and a chrome plastic base. The car is fitted with 5-spoke wheels front and rear.
The Dodge Demon was the short-lived Dodge variant of the Plymouth Duster, made only from 1970 to 1972. Marketed as part of the Dodge Dart family, it replaced the Dart Swinger as the high-performance Dart, but was renamed the Dart Sport in 1973 after religious groups put pressure on Chrysler to drop the name "Demon" and the stylized cartoon demon character that was used on the car.
The 1971 Dodge Demon came standard with the venerable slant six engine. Its base V-8 was the 318 two-barrel. The 340 was yanked from the Dart sedan and coupe and inserted into the new fastback to create the Demon 340. Tipping the scales at just 3165 pounds and starting at only $2721, here was a light, inexpensive performance alternative.
Its MoPar small block delivered 275 horsepower at 5000 rpm. With a 10.5:1 compression ratio, dual exhausts, hydraulic lifters, and a hot cam, the 340 churned out a healthy 340 pounds/feet of torque at 3200 rpm. A fully synchromesh three-speed manual transmission was standard; a New-Process four-speed or TorqueFlite automatic was optional. Buyers could choose from a wide range of axle ratios -- 2.94:1, 3.23:1, 3.55:1, 3.91:1, or 4.10:1 -- and a Sure-Grip differential also was available. The standard Rallye suspension included heavy-duty front torsion bars and rear springs, rear anti-sway bar, and oversize shock absorbers. The drum brakes were larger than those on other Demons and so were the E70x14 Goodyear Polyglas GT tires.
“It’s a tough little devil,” declared the Dodge performance brochure for 1971. And while Dodge promised that “the performance is a lot more than painted on,” the Demon 340 did look the part. Chromed tips decorated the dual exhaust outlets. A twin-scoop black-out hood was optional, as were handsome Rallye wheels and spoiler packages. Driven with skill, a three-speed-manual Demon 340 with one of the performance axle ratios could turn the quarter in 13.98 at 100 mph, though most ran in the high 14s at around 95 mph with their four-speeds and automatics.
Road Test tagged Demon as a car that “will change personality in an instant. When you stomp on this one, hang on and look out!”
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