HERB DUECK—A DIFFERENT KIND OF CAR GUY

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I met Herb Dueck about 14 years ago at a local car show and the first thing I noticed was his philosophy about cars.

Herb wasn’t a ’69 Camaro, ’71 Hemicuda or Boss 302 Mustang kind of guy.

Herb’s first MyStar owner’s story (March 2012) really told me how he rolled in life.

It was a chopped-up ’63 Plymouth two-door sedan that had all the appeal of a bad traffic accident. I’m a huge fan of ’63 Plymouths—regular MyStar readers know that—but this was a ’63 Plymouth from Mars.

Herb’s car was lime green and had a dramatically chopped roof that made this Plymouth a punchline for hundreds of jokes. Herb was a tall guy, and he had to contort his way into the tight space of what used to be a ’63 Plymouth interior.

Most guys would be a little sheepish about an awkward entry into a ridiculous car, but Herb thrived on the attention. He loved the spotlight and invited people to watch him crawl into this monstrosity—I think Herb’s only regret was that he couldn’t sell tickets. 

This car really summed up Herb’s attitude. He knew this car made no sense, but he bought it anyhow because Herb knew he could milk it for a joke. That was his strength—Herb had a natural, offbeat sense of humor and the ‘63 Plymouth was a great prop.

Herb’s next car story hit the MyStar pages in the form of a 1965 Rambler Marlin (July 2015).

This was another non-cookie cutter car and Herb was proud of this purchase because he wanted one for years. Marlin owners are a cult and if they had a defined leader, it would be Herb. 

Herb flipped a lot of cars over the years, so the first question Jim asked during the interview was, “Are you keeping this one?”. Herb was clear on the Marlin’s future—he’d never sell it because it took so long to find it. That Marlin became Herb’s signature car.

The third story was Herb’s 1966 Ford Econoline in November 2017.

This truck reflected Herb’s heritage because his dad drove an Econoline van to deliver bread and Herb rode shotgun with him on many runs. He also liked it because it was painted in Saskatchewan Roughrider green (Herb’s favorite football team).

Herb was a daredevil, so he had no problem driving the truck back (with no heat) in the middle of a frigid Western Canadian winter. His only complaint was how gutless the truck was—he said it “did zero to sixty in about a week”.   

The truck was another example of how little Herb cared about mainstream classic iron. He liked the weird stuff because Herb was an unconventional guy. Most car guys are focused only on what they like and how to fix it—Herb focused on the fun side of the car hobby too.

Herb didn’t play the matching-numbers game because it wasn’t important—unless he got a smoking deal for a flip. He was a naturally funny guy so he couldn’t see the potential for a joke about a ’66 Vette, but Herb could definitely see it in a wacky looking ’63 Plymouth.  

By: Jerry Sutherland

Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post,  Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.

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