When it comes to movie star cars, the Hollywood A-list includes the Dodge Charger, Ford Mustang, and Chevrolet Chevelle exclusively. There have definitely been plenty of other cool classic muscle cars in TV and Film, but they never got lead roles or became cultural icons like the Big Three. Plymouths have landed some decent parts, like the Hemi 'Cuda in the Phantasm franchise, but it wasn't actually a Hemi 'Cuda and those are some pretty obscure movies that didn't lead to superstardom, like being Dominic Toretto's favorite ride.The Plymouth Duster could have been a contender as it was cast as Al Bundy's ride on the Married with Children sitcom, but the writers passed it off as a Dodge for all 11 seasons of the show. Thankfully, there is justice and the Plymouth Duster is getting its due as the hero car in the new Max streaming series named, coincidentally enough, Duster. It is one thing to get top billing, but a complete honor to have the entire show named after the underrated, but awesome Mopar muscle car.In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including Dodge, IMDB, and Rotten Tomatoes. Plymouth Duster Lands Lead In Max Streaming Series Duster is an action crime thriller series created by J.J. Abrams, who is mostly known for sci-fi and supernatural stuff. This show, which premiered on Max (formerly known as HBO Max) in May 2025, however, has no cyborgs or spirits, but rather is a twisted tale of a female FBI agent trying to take down a crime syndicate boss that she believes killed her father. The main human character is Jim Ellis, played by Josh Holloway who you may remember as Sawyer on Lost. Ellis is a driver for the crime boss who ends up flipping as an FBI confidential informer, mostly for self-preservation reasons. All of this is fine and dandy, but Ellis drives a killer 1970 Plymouth in every single episode, and that's reason enough to watch. Duster Specs Premier: May 15, 2025 Network: Max Studio: Warner Bros. Television Seasons: 1 Episodes: 8 Created by: J.J. Abrams, LaToya Morgan Starring: Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson, Keith David, Corbin Bersen Actually, the show is very compelling with a well-written story arc full of surprises, but the Mopar muscle representation makes it an even better watch. Many shows waste time with moody montages or pace-killing moments of self-realization, but this one splices together a great story with shots of a '70 Duster lighting up the tires, doing power slides, as well as donuts, and that's what's known as must-see TV. The show is set in 1972, and while fictitious, weaves in actual events of the day as well as historically significant figures. Of course, the best piece of history is that badass Duster, which gets a superstar amount of screen time. Why A Duster? Warner Bros. Series car coordinator Ted Moser, who built most of the rides on 2 Fast 2 Furious, said he chose the '70 Duster because it's kind of an underdog ride. Not as flashy as, say, a '68 Dodge Charger, the car is still awesome and attractive. The car is basically an extension of the main character, Jim Ellis, who ain't the top dog, but is a scappy rebel who delivers every time. Also, the show is called "Duster," so it would have been weird if Ellis was driving a Ford Torino or anything that wasn't a Plymouth Duster. No Stunt Driver Needed Warner Bros. There are more than enough gratuitous hot pursuits in Duster, but it doesn't rise to the Dukes of Hazzard level, in which the hero car is destroyed 10 times an episode jumping over fountains and such. Because of this, they actually saved on a stunt driver as star Josh Holloway did most of the action sequences himself. Holloway was given stunt driving training, and it turned out he was a natural, whipping that '70 Duster around like a professional drifter. Being able to film the lead actor behind the wheel during chase scenes adds to the authenticity as well as entertainment value of the show. 1970 Plymouth Duster 340 3/4 front view 1970 Plymouth Duster 340The Plymouth Duster is one of, if not the most underrated Mopar muscle cars. Launched for the 1970 model year, the Duster was a Valiant-based sporty compact that was actually marketed as an alternative to the Volkswagen Beetle. It was available in two trims, the standard which came available with any number of unimpressive I-6 and V-8-in-name-only engines and the Duster 340, which obviously had a 340ci under the hood. The 340 wasn't the most kickass Mopar engine, especially in 1970, but it was good enough for an almost 13-second quarter-mile pass and was probably more powerful than the advertised 275 horsepower. 1970 Duster Power And Performance After the coup d'état Plymouth staged in cheaply scoring the rights to the Roadrunner cartoon character for use on the car of the same name, they attempted to secure licensing on the Tasmanian Devil for the Duster, but Warner Bros. priced it too high. The Duster was such a success that Dodge demanded their own version, which became the 1971 Demon, that was almost named the "Beaver" until they found out that it had naughty connotations. The Duster 340 was aggressively cool-looking, especially with the rear spolier and black-out twin-scooped hood, but if they had offered it with a 383 or, even better, a 440 6BBL option, it would occupy the same upper echelon of Mopar with the Challenger and 'Cuda. Duster's Duster Warner Bros. For the Duster production, they secured four vehicles: two "hero" cars for the glamor shots, and two stunt cars. The hero cars were correct with the 340 engine, but the stunt cars had 6.2liter GM LS3 V-8s to really get their tires squealing. Unlike every other action show or movie, none of the Duster were harmed in this production. As for the color, there are outlets claiming the car is "Cherry Red" which is ridiculous as that isn't close to being an actual Mopar paint code. There are several red shades on the Mopar pallet, but this car is Rallye Red, though it can look almost Hemi Orange or even Panther Pink in some shots. Duster Muscle Co-Stars 3/4 front view of 1968 AMC AMX with side pipesEvery car in Duster is period-correct icluding everything parked on the street or in the background. There are some seriously cool muscle car cameos, but a few standouts with larger roles. The very first scene features an AMC AMX chasing after the hero Duster 340, and because it didn't make the marquee, ends up totaled. Then, there's the main villain's daughter who tools around town in a sweet '68 Pontiac Firebird, but never really gets into a chase situation. Lastly, one of the bad guy factions does some covert tailing in a massively conspicuous third-gen Dodge Charger. The car has a flat hood with no graphics, so it's probably a '71 or '72 SE. The Other Plymouth TV Superstar This is truly the Golden Age of Mopar TV as there's another steaming series that prominently features a Plymouth muscle car. Poker Face, which streams on Peacock, is a quirky crime comedy-drama about a woman with an innate ability to tell when someone is completely full of it. Charlie Cale, portrayed brilliantly by Natasha Lyonne, travels the country in her fastback 1969 Plymouth Barracuda using her skill at sniffing out BS to solve murders. She's like a demented, red-headed Colombo with a way cooler set of wheels. The car isn't just transport either, but also often serves as a mobile home. Poker Face Specs Premier: January 26, 2023 Network: Peacock Studio: Paramount Pictures Seasons: 2 Episodes: 21 Created by: Rian Johnson Starring: Natasha Lyonne, Begamin Bratt, Simon Helberg, Rhea Pearlman, Steve Buscemi One really cool aspect of the show is that the Barracuda isn't tricked out or even cherry, but rather well-used. It's got a little rust, the graphics are peeling off, and the interior is held together with duct tape. It's a real car that matches the honest nature of the main character, who is a little rough around the edges. Even though it's not a 100-point show car, the '69 Barracuda still looks awesome like a prized ride that has been in the same family for generations. Poker Face is now in its second season and somehow keeps getting more entertaining. No doubt the Barracuda's prominence plays a part in this, but also the writing is exceptional and, again, Natasha Lyonne is simply amazing. 1969 Plymouth Barracuda Bring a Trailer The first-generation Barracuda actually beat the Mustang to market by a couple of weeks as the very first pony car, but it was insanely ugly and obviously didn't have the same impact as the Ford. Maybe the awkward launch hindered the second-gen Barracuda, because it is easily the coolest Mopar that nobody seems to know about. 1969 was the last year before the third-gen Hemi 'Cuda finally got some attention for the nameplate. This was also the year of the Formula S option in which a massive 440ci V-8 could be shoehorned into the relatively compact car. The Poker Face Barracuda isn't a Formula S, but still represents Plymouth well on the small screen. Duster Sticks The Launch Warner Bros. While it is certainly great that a Plymouth Duster got its own series, it would be meaningless if the show sucked out loud. Fortunately, Duster is a thrilling and complex tale that draws the viewer in, refusing to let go. It's not just the great writing and execution that makes the show so entertaining, but also the attention to detail. The story takes place in 1972, and they nailed every aspect from the cars, clothes, interior decor, as well as the dialogue. The characters talk like how people did back then, with no inane Gen Z chatter to ruin the illusion. Duster Soundtrack Highlights “Money,” The Sonics “I Just Want to Celebrate,” Rare Earth “Boom Boom,” John Lee Hooker “Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress),” The Hollies “All Right Now,” Free “Hard to Handle,” Otis Redding “Foxy Lady,” Jimi Hendrix “Draggin’ the Line,” Tommy James and the Shondells “Superfly,” Curtis Mayfield "No Fun," The Stooges The production also spent a ton of money licensing music that helps sell the period, with awesome classic rock, R&B, and funk that drives the fun further. Of course, it's the cars that bring in most people reading this, because we are all classic muscle fanatics and the 1970 Plymouth Duster acts like a Mopar magnet. Dodge Chargers, Ford Mustangs, and Chevrolet Chevelles have starred in some blockbuster movies, but none of them have their own TV show like the humble Duster. While this probably doesn't move the Plymouth Duster onto the A-List, it at least elevates it above the has-beens and nobodies who appear on Dancing with the Stars.