Comments about this vehicle

Author	Message
winger ◊ 2004-11-10 05:19	C'est un modèle de 1971-72.
mc leod ◊ 2005-05-02 18:30	salut winger, tu est sur que c'est une 1971, certaine voix s'elèvent comme étant une 70.
merc108 ◊ 2006-01-19 03:27	It's a 1972 model. The movie always says it was filmed 1971 but if you look closely in the opening credits it says 1972
antp ◊ 2006-01-19 09:52	According to IMDB it is a 1970 model.
troll ◊ 2006-03-29 02:30	I drive this same car every day. Mine is a 71' dodge dart with a 71' plymoth valiant front clip. It's a 71'
D.Mann ◊ 2006-04-30 11:41	Anyone know if there's a die cast model made of this car? I really would like to do a "panorama" thing with this car and the Peterbilt behind it. Would look cool don't you think?
carfan ◊ 2006-06-12 20:52	Yeah, It would. I like to do a panorama with my Die-cast cars. I haven't seen any toy or model version of this Peterbilt.
BeanBandit ◊ 2006-06-13 00:56	You mean diorama?
explorer4x4 ◊ 2006-06-13 01:05	D.Mann wrote Would look cool don't you think? Ya, I did something like that with my Lionel set (or at least, I'm working on it). I have a huge set up with my Lionel trains and I am building (I just have to paint it) a replica of the Dixie Boy truck stop! I am having a very hard time finding the right cars and trucks. So far I have a Chevy Malibu (I painted it and banged it up with a hammer to look like Curt's and Connie's), Mack B-series with a flatbed, Mack R-series with a tanker from a Peterbilt truck set I got, Ford Ranchero and a GMC Astro. I have painted most of them and I plan to get more. I found a Diamond Reo and I'm going to order it next.
andre1969 ◊ 2006-06-13 17:16	How can you all tell what year Valiant this is? Didn't the '70-72 all use the same front-end? I'm guessing it was a fairly uplevel Valiant, as it had kind of a two-tone look to the seats. Were they still calling the upper trim level "Signet" by that time?
truckface ◊ 2006-06-25 15:47	explorer4x4 wrote Ya, I did something like that with my Lionel set (or at least, I'm working on it). I have a huge set up with my Lionel trains and I am building (I just have to paint it) a replica of the Dixie Boy truck stop! I am having a very hard time finding the right cars and trucks. So far I have a Chevy Malibu (I painted it and banged it up with a hammer to look like Curt's and Connie's), Mack B-series with a flatbed, Mack R-series with a tanker from a Peterbilt truck set I got, Ford Ranchero and a GMC Astro. I have painted most of them and I plan to get more. I found a Diamond Reo and I'm going to order it next. Good luck making the truck associated w/ that film. The Happy Toyz Western Star.
andre1969 ◊ 2006-06-29 20:02	I'm just curious; where'd you find a scale 1980 Malibu to bang up? My first car was a 1980 Malibu. -- Last edit: 2006-06-29 20:03:13
explorer4x4 ◊ 2006-06-29 20:46	Where else? eBay, I'm pretty sure it is from Road Legends brand. It probably isn't the same year as the one in Maximum Overdrive, but it looks pretty close. It might even be another Chevy sedan of that time.
qwerty_86 ◊ 2006-06-30 05:38	Monogram or Revell used to make a 1:32 scale 1978? Chevy Malibu police car model kit. I used to have one of those model kits. It was pretty cool, but being a kid at the time (like maybe 13-15 years ago), I played with it heavily and broke it. It was cool because on the box was the Malibu dressed up as a Mt. Prospect police car. It was molded in white or gray plastic so, I just glued it together and put the stickers on because I didn't have the patience to paint it. Man, I'm getting nostalgic. I wished they'd make more model kits of regular 4-door cars. I'm getting much better at painting.
G-MANN ◊ 2006-07-30 20:39	This must have been a pretty lousy car if it couldn't outrun a rusty old lorry. And it almost broke down on him!
jdizzle ◊ 2006-08-16 08:32	Show an interior shot. I'm certain the steering wheel is the 1971 style.
truckfan ◊ 2006-11-12 05:30	A '69 Valiant
stpaulcarguy ◊ 2006-12-02 04:19	when i saw the valiant go over the cliff i just wanted to cry
crossroads ◊ 2007-01-27 19:53	truckfan wrote A '69 Valiant Not a '69 its a 1971.
carfan ◊ 2007-07-17 19:06	According to Wikipedia, this care was carefully chosen by Steven Spielberg because of its low horsepower to signify David Mann's weakness against the Peterbilt and was painted red to show up better in the dust when driving through the desert.
gillesscooter ◊ 2007-10-17 22:10	It's a 1970: first year for this radiator grill, and rear is different in 1971. C'est un modèle 1970, car c'est la première année pour cette calandre, et l'arrière est totalement différent sur le modèle 1971. Le film est passé pour la première fois à la télévision le 13 novembre 1971.
T ◊ 2007-12-11 08:51	I have read that there was more than 1 Plymouth Valiant used in the filming of this movie. That makes grounds for more than one shot of the lead vehicle. More than one Peterbilt too according to this reference. " SURVIVORS: Chuck's Cafe is still standing. But it is now a french restaurant. All Plymouth Valiants in Duel were harmed (destroyed) in the filming of this movie. One of the diesel trucks still survives. Dennis Weaver's career highlights were probably McCloud, Duel and Gunsmoke. Steven Spielberg never amounted to much after Duel " http://members.tripod.com/~DavidMann/facts.html -- Last edit: 2007-12-11 09:02:32
truck man ◊ 2008-01-04 00:59	antp wrote According to IMDB it is a 1970 model. You have it all wrong antp, It said on wikipedia it is a 1971 plymouth valiant.
antp ◊ 2008-01-04 14:57	I do not see why/how I have it wrong: I did not say that it was a 1970, I just said that IMDB said that it was And Wikipedia is like IMDB and many others: made by other people, so not especially true. Cf comments above: the "people" do not agree between 1970 and 1971 -- Last edit: 2008-01-04 15:13:17
Bricklin1990 ◊ 2008-03-26 03:33	Did this car have the 255 Slant Six?
Clary Peters ◊ 2008-03-30 19:35	I purchased a 1/43 scale die-cast model of a Chrysler 180 on eBay for a few bucks and hope to convert it to the Valient from Duel. Looks like a big job. Does anyone know of a company that makes a Valiant? Also there is a 1/43 diecast model of a 1949 Peterbuilt truck which looks like it can be converted to the truck from Duel. You need to pick up a Revell White-Freuhauf Tanker (kit #7311 which should be available in a hobby shop or on EvilBay) because the trailer is a dead ringer for the one in the movie. It only needs a few cosmetic changes. Check out the owners web site for some great photos of the truck. Good luck.
Clary Peters ◊ 2008-03-30 19:40	Oh, befor I forget, the Peterbuilt is made by Newray toys and is available eithe at Wal-Mart or you can find it through dealers advertising on eBay. Just type in 1/43 trucks or 1/43peterbuilt and it should come up.
njot33 ◊ 2008-06-15 07:57	I loved this movie but it completely pissed me off that they destroyed this car at the end. The odometer read something like only 5200 miles.
Skid ◊ 2008-06-28 23:05	Bricklin1990 wrote Did this car have the 255 Slant Six? Anyone's guess...the sound effects are definitely Slant Six, but the performance of the car is somewhat more inline with the 318 V8 (especially the peelout scene when the "final showdown" begins...as a former Slant owner, I can tell you they don't "peel" well). Probably multiple cars were used with multiple engines...a V8 car would almost certainly be used for most speed shots, as it would be able to get to the director's ordered speed easier than the Sixer would.
firebird86 ◊ 2008-06-29 01:11	I friend of mine in high school had a Valiant with a slant six engine, it would go 125 mph, but it took all day to get there.
Balto ◊ 2008-10-24 21:13	OK, this Valiant in the movie is a current model...maybe a year old. The odometer is showing about 5,000 miles on it. And the radiator hose is shot?? Even by 1970 standards, that's pretty poor quality equipment...? I myself drove a 1972 Duster with the indestructable slant six, which was basically a Valiant. Had the same front clip, same instrument cluster (Mopar used that exact cluster in both Valiants and eventually the Dodge Dart variants for about six years straight!). It was a tough car that served me well...I really miss it. -- Last edit: 2008-10-24 21:17:11
Eagle Kammback ◊ 2008-11-03 19:52	THere is a car like this near me, I should buy it
wekke ◊ 2008-12-07 16:43	Original release scenes show a 1971 Valiant. The added scenes (schoolbus and railroad crossing) show both a 1971 and 1972 Valiant. A 1970 Valiant looks almost the same, but had a little emblem in the center of the grille. The movie cars did not. The give-away beween 71 and 72 models are the side marker lights: 1971: Flush-mounted side marker lights with body-colored bezels. 1972: New style plasic side marker lights, mounted "on top of" the panel. There was a comment earlier about the taillights being different; they're the same though. Maybe you were thinking of the Scamp or Duster, those had different taillights then the Valiant. -- Last edit: 2021-11-13 23:56:12
dexamyl ◊ 2009-01-01 22:07	Actually , there were three (3) different Plymouth Valiants used : - 1970 with a 318 V8 ( as witnessed by the slimline "V-EIGHT" emblem on the forward-centre of the front fenders ; this is a 1970-only emblem . - 1971 Slant Six - 1972 Slant Six All of the cars were FE5 Rally Red ; and all of them had the 1971-only Deluxe Wheel Covers , which were also exclusive to Plymouths with 14" wheels Thanks to "wekke" for pointing-out the differences between the '70/'71 side marker lamps and the '72 & later "generic" lamps .
chicomarx ◊ 2009-02-26 03:04	Replaced with better quality image. Old screenshot: -- Last edit: 2009-02-26 03:06:03
antp ◊ 2009-02-26 10:38	I preferred the landscape in old pic, wasn't it possible to take screenshot of the same scene?
chicomarx ◊ 2009-02-26 19:13	I didn't take these, that's why I didn't replace the truck, I asked someone to take a snapshot identical to the one now. I can ask again for this one, although the landscape looks perfectly fine to me... Mountains! desert!...
mrroberts ◊ 2009-05-14 07:17	That little Valiant took one hell of a beating. A Falcon or a Nova would never had lasted as long, it would have made a shorter movie.
kevw411 ◊ 2009-09-07 17:21	This valiant is definately a deluxe model. The full (watermelon) wheel covers, door window trim, lower trunk lid trim, woodgrain dash, deluxe upolstery and carpeted floors. It is also accessorised with am radio, a/c, and bumper guards. About all that is missing is the vinyl roof. This was a well equipped valiant. A valiant like this would usually have the 318V8 or at least the 225 slant 6. The base 198 slant 6 would be not recommended by the dealership on a valiant so equipped.
andre1969 ◊ 2009-12-13 19:20	Was Plymouth still calling the nicer trim level on the Valiant "Signet" by this time?
62imperial ◊ 2010-07-17 20:51	You can also spot the difference on the trunk lid of the '72; it has the horizontal trim piece faked with plain chrome tape.
LedZeppelinGuy6880 ◊ 2010-07-20 20:26	This car really loved its owner. The radiator hose shot and the guy begged the car to go faster and put it in NEUTRAL and the car went past 60 MPH! Even with the fact that a modern car would just stop within a minute or something, this car kept at a steady pace of 15 MPH with the hose shot. Incredible. I give the car kudos for putting up a hell of a fight. I was like "Damn, that is one hell of a car! I should get me on of those." -- Last edit: 2010-07-20 20:28:27
Commander 57 ◊ 2010-07-20 20:36	Like a loyal dog, it served its master to the end and gave its life for him.
JordyEmonds93 ◊ 2011-06-07 10:59	A similar plate used in Crank (2006) on an 80' model Lincoln Versailles /vehicle_58428-Lincoln-Versailles-1980.html
93montero ◊ 2012-06-16 18:38
Andre Malraux ◊ 2012-06-16 19:26	deleted comment
Nik Valiant Sydney ◊ 2013-08-01 09:47	Rest in Peace Valiant's .
DarkBaron ◊ 2013-10-11 07:36	More snaps of the car. Since this is a 5 star-car, there are a lot of pics of it. Lots. Out of 500 of the Valiant alone, I selected a few. Since there are so many of them, I divided them into sections. This maybe will help identify which car was used in which scene. The first encounter The gas station "Playing games" Tailgatin' Chuck's Café The School Bus Railroad Crossing Snake'o'rama Hide & Seek High Speed Chase Radiator Hose Failing Final Showdown * SPOILER ALERT!!! * * Spoilers end here * -- Last edit: 2013-10-11 07:38:33
Commander 57 ◊ 2013-10-11 13:22	Fantastic. I think you've set a new record for best documented car on the site! Of course, it's got me feeling sad for this brave little vehicle all over again. Gave its life for its owner. What a Valiant car! -- Last edit: 2013-10-11 13:24:59
DarkBaron ◊ 2013-10-12 06:22	You said it. This car fought valiantly for her owner. The scene that strikes me the most is the railroad one. When that big bully truck pushes poor, helpless Valiant to its doom.. I can't help but feel pity. I got more snaps of the car, but I don't want to overflow the site's servers with those. -- Last edit: 2013-10-12 06:23:34
Skid ◊ 2014-02-23 02:51	It would appear that the 1971 6-cylinder car is the main bang-up car, the V8 car is used for speed shots, and the 1972 car is used for the additional scenes filmed later. This makes sense. Interesting note: Anyone else notice that the car has California black plates through the main part of the movie, but in the additional scenes filmed later (the gas station, the school bus, and the railroad crossing), the car has blue plates?
Nightrider ◊ 2015-01-08 11:57	Interesting note. In school bus sequence car has normal brightwork panel on the trunk lid. But at the railroad crossing, there is obviously faked one. There was two '72 cars, or panel was lost somewhere?)
Nightrider ◊ 2015-01-08 14:10	-- Last edit: 2018-06-01 07:59:04 (opal)
antp ◊ 2015-01-08 14:17	weren't there enough photos already? (and why put each on a separate line?)
Nightrider ◊ 2015-01-08 14:41	antp wrote weren't there enough photos already? You can always delete older ones))
klint ◊ 2015-07-17 03:49	Nightrider: About the brightwork trunkpanel. Also check the right fender/taillight, it seems a bit broken (on the lower image). Can it be the result of the truck pushing the car in railroadcrossing-scene?
Classics fan ◊ 2015-10-13 22:13	I like the design of this Plymouth. When I watch Duel for a first time I was four or five years old. I had a small green 1968 Ford Cortina model car and when I saw that Valiant I was thinking it is a Cortina.
Classics fan ◊ 2015-10-13 22:22	stpaulcarguy wrote when i saw the valiant go over the cliff i just wanted to cry Yeah, that car looks very sad... Especially when she hits the rockwall. David Mann survived thanks to her... And he just crashed her into the truck!!!
Ethanator ◊ 2015-11-06 18:10	5 stars seems well deserved
train68 ◊ 2017-11-09 17:06	During the final showdown, when Dave gets out of his car to fake out the truck driver, wouldn't the trucker have seen Dave out of his car?
Classics fan ◊ 2019-07-29 04:01	Don't you think one of the cars has a little bit raised suspension?
Reg1992 ◊ 2019-07-29 07:17	'PCE' in license plate combination = Hollywood prop plate, and a very early one at that.
Classics fan ◊ 2019-07-31 02:26	train68 wrote During the final showdown, when Dave gets out of his car to fake out the truck driver, wouldn't the trucker have seen Dave out of his car? Good point
Commander 57 ◊ 2019-07-31 05:03	I think about that every time I watch this movie. My theory is that by the he reaches this point, the truck driver has become so obsessed and his thinking so irrational, he has reached the point of insanity, where he not only recklessly rams Mann's car at the edge of the cliff, he goes over with it in a near suicidal act.
Stevil101 ◊ 2020-02-16 17:37	It's a real shame that all three Plymouth Valiants were destroyed in the making of this movie.
Baube ◊ 2020-02-16 18:10	they were new back then so they didn't really thought about saving some for 40 years later.. oh yeah.. Hollywood never think of cars .... -- Last edit: 2020-02-16 18:11:29
Grand-Murrismo ◊ 2021-01-07 09:56	I ended up so attached to the poor Valiant. T^T
Commander 57 ◊ 2021-01-07 15:05	Me, too!
jettaturbo ◊ 2021-10-20 01:21	It was the equivalent of destroying a new Camry back then, so I'm not bothered at all by the destruction of this car.
jettaturbo ◊ 2021-10-20 01:35	Commander 57 wrote I think about that every time I watch this movie. My theory is that by the he reaches this point, the truck driver has become so obsessed and his thinking so irrational, he has reached the point of insanity, where he not only recklessly rams Mann's car at the edge of the cliff, he goes over with it in a near suicidal act. Another scenario is maybe the brakes just failed, it was an old truck after all.
Commander 57 ◊ 2021-10-20 04:30	That's possible.

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1971 Plymouth Valiant De Luxe

1971 Plymouth Valiant in Duel, Movie made for TV, 1971

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