| Plymouth Barracuda |
Article Index for Plymouth |
Website Links For Plymouth |
Information AboutPlymouth Barracuda |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA | |
| plymouth vehicles | |
| barracuda | |
| rear wheel drive vehicles | |
| muscle cars | |
| convertibles | |
| coupes | |
| 1960s automobiles | |
| 1970s automobiles | |
| 1964 introductions | |
The Barracuda is a two-door coupe/convertible muscle car that was manufactured by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1964 through 1974. 1964-1966
The original Plymouth Barracuda was built upon the A-body chassis, which was also common to several other vehicles manufactured by Chrysler, including the popular Dodge Dart . The 1964 model was offered as an option of the Valiant line and carried Valiant insignia. The Barracuda was one of the first Pony Car s, which were designed to appeal to a sportier market. It preceded the Ford Mustang (which in turn was based on the Ford Falcon ) to market by two weeks. Plymouth's executives initially wanted to call the car the 'Panda' but the designers complained and John Samsen 's idea of 'Barracuda' was chosen. The first generation Barracuda's distinctive feature was its enormous Fastback wrap-around rear window, considered the largest piece of automotive glass ever installed at that time (14.4 square feet). Powertrains were identical to the Valiant's, including two versions of Chrysler's legendary inline "slant 6" — a 170 in³ (2.8 L), 101 hp (75 kW) version and an optional 225 in³ (3.7 L ), 145 hp (108 kW) version offered. A two-barrel carbureted 180 hp (134 kW) 273 in³ (4.5 L) V8 was the top engine option for 1964, so performance at first was modest. The 170 in³ six was later eliminated leaving the 225 in³ 145 hp version as the smallest engine option. The Barracuda sold for a base price of US$2,512, and unlike any other year, all 1964 Barracudas with automatic transmissions had push button shifters on their dashboards. The 1965 model year saw the introduction of two important options; the 273 in³ (4.5 L) '' Commando '', a 235 hp (175 kW) four-barrel carbureted V8, and the Formula 'S' package, a performance package that included the Commando V8, upgraded suspension, wheels, and tires, and a standard tachometer. In 1966 the Barracuda would receive a new taillight design and a facelift, making it easily distinguishable from the 1964 and 1965 versions. As a move to further the car's image from that of the Valiant , the blue and red "V" shaped Valiant emblem below the rear glass on the center of the vehicle was replaced mid-year by a Barracuda fish emblem. The 1966 model had updated sheetmetal, which gave a more chiseled contour to the fenders, and also featured fender-top turn signal indicators in the shape of shark fins. Also new were full-sized bumpers and a unique "cheese-grater" grill, which slanted forward aggressively and featured a distinct grid pattern. Other changes for 1966 included a redesigned gauge cluster and optional center console. Since 1967 saw a complete redesign of the Barracuda, some collectors consider the 1966 model a unique, one-year-only rarity. Other early A-body enthusiasts shun the 1966 version as an unfortunate departure from the original design. Influential design The Barracuda would influence other designs, particularly others in Chrysler's stable. Across the Atlantic Ocean , Chrysler's United Kingdom company, the former Rootes , developed the Hillman Hunter -based Sunbeam Rapier Fastback Coupé for 1967, which was said to bear distinct similarities to the profile of the 1964–66 Barracuda, although the designer of the Rapier, Roy Axe , denied any direct connection. 1967-1969
In 1967 the Barracuda remained an A-body car, but was fully redesigned. To complement the fastback model, the vehicle now offered notchback and convertible options, replacing the 1966 versions. This second generation Barracuda would last for three years, from 1967 through 1969. An interesting way to visually distinguish all 3 years were the side marker lights: the 1967 Barracuda had no side marker lights at all, the 1968 model had small circular ones and the 1969 model had much larger rectangular markers. As the pony car class became established and competition increased, Plymouth began to revise the Barracuda's engine options, which came to resemble those of the larger Plymouth Road Runner more than the Valiant's. While the 225 in³ Slant Six was still the base engine, the engine options ranged from the two-barrel carbureted 180 hp (134 kW) 273 in³ (4.5 L) '' Commando '', to a 235 hp (175 kW) four-barrel carbureted V8 and though rare, the optionally available 383 in³ (6.2 L) B Engine in 1967. In 1968 the 318 in³ 2bbl engine was the smallest V8 available (replacing the 273 in³ 2bbl engine) and the 340 in³ 4bbl engine and finally the massive 440 in³ (7.2 L) RB single 4-barrel carbureted in 1969 became available straight off of the showroom floor. There was even a limited production of 50 Super-Stock, non-street legal, Hemi-powered Barracudas (and another 50 Dodge Darts) built in 1968 for use in drag racing. A handful of spinoff Savage GT 's were also built, from the second generation Barracuda. 1969 was the year that Plymouth finally got serious about performance. They boosted the output of the 383 cid engine to 330 bhp, but also added power steering. Plymouth also introduced a cosmetic package built around the Formula S option, which they called the 'Cuda. The 'Cuda could be had with either the 275 bhp 340 V8 or the 383, but the market demanded even more power. 1970-1974
As 1970 rolled around, another redesign was in order for the Barracuda. The performance version was badged and advertised as the 'Cuda. This year's new design looked quite a bit different from the previous models. One of the reasons was that it was now built on a new, slightly shorter, wider, and sportier version of Chrysler's existing B platform, the E-body . This new generation eliminated the fastback, but kept the two-door coupe and convertible versions. It also had a Dodge near-twin known as the Challenger ; however, not one body panel interchanged between the two cars and the Challenger had a slightly longer wheelbase. Both were aggressively and cleanly styled, although they were clearly influenced by the first-generation Chevrolet Camaro . The performance versions of the new Barracudas were called 'Cudas and featured six different V8s, the 318, 340, 383, 440, 440+6, and the venerable 426 Hemi . The 440s and the Hemi cars received a special high performance suspension to help transfer the power to the road. After the switch to the E platform, which featured a larger engine bay than the previous A-body, Chrysler's famous 426 in³ (7.0 L) Hemi would now be available from the factory for the retail market. The HemiCuda had about a factory fuel consumption rating of six miles per gallon (MPG), and was sold without warranty. Race Car Driver s Swede Savage and Dan Gurney drove identical factory-sponsored AAR (All American Racers) Cudas in the 1970 Trans-Am Series , although with no success. The AAR Cudas were equipped with the 340 ci "six pack" (3, two barrel carburetors). With the 440-6 and 426 Hemi, the performance from these production Barracudas became legendary. The 1/4 mile times for these were 13.7 s @ 103 Mph and 13.4 s @ 108 mph - both among the fastest times of the day. These engines were very easy to slightly modify and drop into the 12s, but either way - stock or modified - one could virtually have a 5-passenger race car. Barracudas also came with decal sets, hood modifications, and some unusual "mod" colors such as "Vitamin C", "In-Violet", and "Moulin Rouge". A rare (only 14 produced) 1970 Hemicuda convertible sold for US$2.16 million at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Scottsdale Auction in 2006. The Barracuda was changed slightly for 1971, with a new grille and taillights. This would be the only year that the Barracuda would have four headlights, and also the only year of the optional fender "gills". The 1971 Barracuda engine options would remain the same as that of the 1970 model, except the 4-barrel carbureted 440 engine was not available; all 440-powered Barracudas had a six-barrel carburetor setup instead. The 426 Hemi option would remain, and the Hemi-powered 1971 Barracuda convertible is now considered one of the rarest and most desirable collectible automobiles. Only seven were known to be produced; the six surviving have sold for US$2,000,000 or more each. In 1970 and 1971, two options were available that are now highly sought-after by collectors. They are the Shaker Hood and the Spicer Dana 60 rearend. The shaker hood was available on 340ci, 383ci, 440ci and Six-Pack, and 426ci Hemi-equipped 'Cudas. The heavy Dana 60, with a 9 3/4 inch ring gear and considered nearly indestructible, was standard on manual transmission 440 Six-Pack and 426 Hemi equipped 'Cudas, and was optional on those with the automatic transmission. To note the performance suffered slightly with the 70 and 71 models because of de-tuned motors. All engines were slightly adjusted to accommodate low lead fuel and in 71, the compression ratio was dropped from 11.5:1. Despite this, performance was still astronomical, even by modern standards. After another grille and taillight redesign in 1972, the Barracuda would keep its overall look the same through 1974, with dual headlights and four circular taillights. But like other pony cars of the time, these years showed a major decrease in the Barracuda's power due to stricter emission laws. The largest available engine in 1972 was the 340 4bbl; a 360 was available in 1974. New safety regulations would also force the vehicle to have large front and rear bumper guards in 1973 and 1974. The Barracuda's production continued through 1974, but sales of performance cars decreased dramatically due to the 1973 Oil Crisis . Production ended ten years (to the day) after it had begun. The Barracuda is today among the most valuable of muscle cars sought by collectors. In 2007, a 1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda Convertible fetcheded a $2,200,000 gavel price. This example was a Hurst pistol-gripped 4-speed, one of 3 built. autoblog PRODUCTION Serial Numbers ex: BH29F9B182317
Quantities 1964 Model Year
Windsor, Ontario, Canada Built Cars
1965 Model Year
1966 Model Year Total 38,029
1967 Model Year Total 62,534
1968 Model Year Total 45,412
1969 Model Year Total 31,987
1970 Model Year
1970 production of 440 ci "six pack" equipped 'Cuda models was 1,755 hardtops and 29 convertibles. 426 ci Hemi equipped 'Cuda models was 652 hardtops (368 with torqueflight and 284 with four-speed) and 14 convertibles (9 with an automatic and 5 with a four-speed). Shaker production for the 'Cuda was 719 on the hardtops and 8 on the convertibles. For the Hemi 'Cuda it was 284 on the hardtops with the four-speed, 366 on hardtops with the TorqueFlight, 5 on convertibles with the four-speed and 9 convertibles with the automatic. =Engine Codes
1971 Model Year Total 16,161
1971 production of the 440 ci 'Cuda "six pack" was 237 hardtops and 17 convertibles. Production of the 426 ci Hemi 'Cuda was only 108 hardtops (48 with TorqueFlight and 60 with four-speed) and 9 convertibles, 7 sold domestically (5 with automatic and 2 with four-speed), and 2 sold and shipped to Europe. All of the 1971 426 ci Hemi 'Cuda convertibles have been accounted for and restored. However until late 2006 one of the 1971 Hemi 'Cuda convertibles was thought to have been scrapped sometime in the late 70's in either the Phoenix area, or somewhere in the state of New Jersey . On August 1, 2006 it was discovered that the "lost Hemi 'Cuda" as it came to be known, had not been scrapped and remained in good working condition, as it does to this day. The "lost Hemi 'Cuda" appeared on the cover of the August 2006 issue of the Muscle Car magazine, Mopar Action . {Link without Title} =Engine Codes
1972 Model Year Total 16,142
=Engine Codes
A total of 490 Barracudas came with the 340 ci engine, and 5,864 'Cuda 340 were built. 1973 Model Year Total 19,281
= Engine Codes
1974 Model Year Total 11,734
=Engine Codes
RETURN OF THE 'CUDA? After the decline of muscle cars and pony cars, only General Motors continued building the large Camaro and Firebird. Most of the market for sports coupes went to sporty compacts such as the Volare Road Runner and subcompacts. Chrysler would field Mitsubishi-based coupes including the Eclipse, various K car and Omni variants. Names like Sebring, Challenger, Duster and Daytona would be re-appplied to newer cars, but not the Barracuda nameplate. By the mid-2000s, the Ford Mustang was the sole surviving pony car. In , which the new 'Cuda would be a sibling to, similar to what the Pontiac Firebird was to the Chevrolet Camaro . Because the Plymouth brand was phased out in 2001 , The new Barracuda's Make would be Chrysler. However, an interview with Ralph Gilles, vice-president of Jeep, by Car And Driver reports that a modern reinterpretation of the Barracuda is unlikely. {Link without Title}
POPULAR CULTURE Film appearances
Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda
TV appearances
Video game appearances
Music appearances
Other
They also produce a 1970 AAR Cuda body for the widely popular 200mm wide r/c chassis offered by them and other companies. NOTES EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|