The Plymouth Duster was a two-door version of the Plymouth Valiant, produced from 1970 to 1976. In later times, the names were brought back for special trim packages that were available for the Volare (79-80), the Turismo (85-87) and the Sundance (92-94).

From the beginning, the goal of the manufacturer was to produce an inexpensive compact vehicle with a sporty look. In order to meet the needs of every customer, the Duster was offered in several different versions that provided extra economy, cargo space and overall capacity or performance.

When first introduced, it was available as the standard Duster as well as the Duster 340, a performance centered car. Sometimes, around the middle of the year, an extra trim package was offered to customers. The Gold Duster had special stripes on the sides and the rear of the vehicle, a vinyl roof and all vinyl seats. The Gold Duster continued to be offered through 1975.

1971 saw only a few minor changes to the Plymouth Duster. However, a new trim package was released. In addition to the Gold Duster, the Duster Twister was now available. It also had special side stripes and a "shark tooth" grill. It looked a lot like the 340 but only came with the base engine or the 318 V8. Things continued in 1972 with very few changes to Plymouth's two-door coupe.

A change was made in 1973 to the exterior that included a new hood, taillights and front fenders. The bumpers were also changed to keep up with the new federal regulations for 5 mile per hour collisions. Many of the changes came to the parts unseen by consumers. The brakes were changed, as were the front wheel bearings. Customers also had the ability to order a version with a metal sunroof. 

Through 1974 and 1975, the Plymouth Duster did not change much. 1974 was its best sales year due in part to the oil crisis that was taking place. But in 1976, Plymouth went all out with several special versions of the Duster being offered. They included the Feather Duster, a lighter version that was the most fuel-efficient vehicle in its size class, the Space Duster, with fold down rear seats for added storage space and the Silver Duster, with a special styled cloth interior and striping along the exterior.

The Plymouth Duster was replaced after 1976 only to be used again as a special trim package for vehicles already being produced by Plymouth.