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Junkyard Gem: 1993 Plymouth Sundance Duster

When Chrysler introduced the Plymouth Duster for the 1970 model year, it was a sporty-looking fastback coupe version of the Valiant, itself a twin to the Dodge Dart. The Duster looked cool, didn't cost much, and could be very quick with the right powertrain choices; it stayed in production until the Valiant got the axe in 1976. A few years later, the Duster name went onto a coupe version of the Plymouth Volare, and then the middle 1980s saw the Turismo Duster and its legendary "Cocaine Factory" television commercial. The very last use of the Plymouth Duster name took place during the 1992 through 1994 model years, when the name was applied to a factory-hot-rod version of the Sundance. That's what we've got for today's Junkyard Gem: a purple '93 found in a Denver self-service yard. Because this was the early 1990s, the Sundance Duster got a full complement of dramatic-looking decals in bright colors. Just as was the case with its Valiant, Volare, and Turismo predecessors, the underlying model name itself was downplayed on the car's badging. In fact, the only place I could find the word Sundance was on the dash and in the owner's manual. While technically hatchbacks, the Sundance and its Dodge-badged twin (the Shadow) had a three-box shape that hid frumpy hatchback lines. Sort of a trunk, sort of a hatch, like the hatchback-coupe Chevy Novas of the late 1970s. That made this car a hot hatch, and one that could keep up with the likes of the Volkswagen GTI and Geo Storm GSi. The 3.0-liter Mitsubishi 6G72 V6 engine made 141 horsepower, making this 2,727-pound member of the K-Car family very quick for its cheap sticker price of $10,498 (about $19,360 today). This one even has the five-speed manual transmission, for lots of tire-squealing, torque-steering fun. I've seen a few of these cars on race tracks, and they have no problem reeling in a same-era GTI on a road course. Of course, the 6G72 likes to blow up in spectacular fashion when abused, but you could— and should— say the same about 16-valve Volkswagen engines. The Sundance/Shadow got the axe after 1994, when the Neon appeared as a more modern replacement; that meant the end of Lee Iacocca's Chrysler-rescuing K family in North America. This car started out in Denver and will be crushed in Denver. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Junkyard Gem: 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser Route 66 Edition

The world has fallen out of love with the Chrysler PT Cruiser, the small truck (legally speaking, it was a truck by American government definition) that started with off-the-shelf Neon chassis components and added a retro-looking roomy body. In its heyday, though, the PT Cruiser looked cool and different, and sold very well for the better part of its 2000-2010 production run. Chrysler sold some special-edition PT Cruisers, most of which seem to have disappeared without a trace, but I managed to catch this discarded '06 Route 66 Edition in a self-service wrecking yard in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Route 66 Edition came in either black or yellow paint, with yellow brake calipers and these Route 66 badges. PT Cruisers with manual transmission are surprisingly easy to find in junkyards (the manual was significantly cheaper than the automatic), but this is a luxurious two-pedal version. This one had already been hit hard by parts shoppers, who took most of the front body components and a big chunk of the interior. Note the kicky yellow dash trim. The PT Cruiser, being classified as a truck, didn't have to pass the stricter emission-control and crash standards the US federal government applies to cars. That made it a good bargain when it came to capacity-per-dollar for buyers. Eventually, though, the American public tired of the onslaught of faux-retro-styled PT Cruisers (and Chevy HHRs and Volkswagen New Beetles), and now the resulting low resale value of used PT Cruisers sends them to the wrecking yards in record numbers. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Exercise your right foot! Related Video:

Trump wants a trade deal, but South Korea doesn't want US cars

SEOUL - US auto imports from the likes of General Motors and Ford must become more chic, affordable or fuel-efficient to reap the rewards of President Donald Trump's attempts to renegotiate a trade deal with key ally South Korea, officials and industry experts in Seoul say. Meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in last week in Washington, Trump said the United States would do more to address trade imbalances with South Korea and create "a fair shake" to sell more cars there, the world's 11th largest auto market. "What we really want to say to the United States is: Make good cars, make cars that Korean consumers like." While imports from automakers including Ford, Chrysler and GM more than doubled last year largely thanks to free trade deal which took effect in 2012, sales account for just 1 percent of a market dominated by more affordable models from local giants Hyundai and affiliate Kia. Imports make up just 15 percent of the overall Korean auto market, and are mainly more luxurious models from German automakers BMW and Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz, which also benefit from a trade deal with the European Union. "Addressing non-tariff barriers would not fundamentally raise the competitiveness of US cars," a senior Korean government official told Reuters, declining to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject. "What we really want to say to the United States is: Make good cars, make cars that Korean consumers like." TASTE BARRIER In Korea, US imports are seen as lagging German brands in brand image, sophistication and fuel economy, industry experts say. US imports do have a competitive advantage in electric cars: Tesla Motors' electric vehicles are seen as both environmentally friendly and trendy, while GM has launched a long-range Bolt EV. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross had cited a quota in the current trade deal as an obstacle to boosting imports. The quota allows US automakers to bring in each year 25,000 vehicles that meet US, not necessarily Korean, safety standards. Should GM, for example, decide to bring in more than its quota of one model - the Impala sedans - it would cost up to $75 million to modify the cars to meet Korean safety standards, the company told its local labor union. Asked about non-tariff barriers, a spokesman at GM's Korean unit said removing them could expand the range of models the company can bring in from the United States. No US company, however, has yet to make full use of the quota, industry data shows.