Muscle Car and Classic Car Fever

Plymouth Barracuda

he Plymouth Barracuda conjures fond memories of a time when the muscle car dominated a perception of toughness, adventurism, and the financial stability to drive one. This classic muscle car was in production from 1964-1974 along with other American favorites like the Pontiac GTO, AMC Javelin and Ford Mustang.

The Barracuda was born in 1964 and was slated to be called “Panda”. That’s a far cry from the toothy and aggressive sea creature which more accurately represents the Barracuda’s muscle car reputation. It was built by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation. The body was in the familiar fastback style of the pony cars. The 1964 model sported the largest rear windshield ever installed on a production vehicle. The best engine option was a 4.5 liter V8 that produced 180 hp.

Thanks to the stiff pony car competition many upgrades were made to the Barracuda in 1965. The “Commando” engine became an option along with the “Formula S” package. These upgrades boosted the horse power to 235. Unlike the GTO, disc brakes were already an option in 1965.

1966 revealed few changes to the Barracuda, save for some body restyling. This was the first year for the fish emblem; with dramatic changes to come.

1967-1968 was a time of redesign, like the GTO the “Coke bottle” body was applied to the Barracuda. It was now offered in 3 distinct body types: convertible, notchback and fastback. More engine options became available to satisfy even the most serious muscle car enthusiast. With the formula S package one could get a Hemi-powered engine specifically designed for drag racing, not street legal. Only 50 of those monsters were made. For the fashion conscious, you could get your Barracuda with a vinyl “mod top”.

The “Cuda” package was introduced in 1969. The 383 engine was now running an impressive 330 hp. With the Formula S option you could have a 340 or 383 V8 to impress everyone on the strip.

1970-74 saw a change in muscle car desires and therefore another dramatic redesigning of the Plymouth Barracuda. The fastback was let go and the bigger, longer and more aggressive coupe and convertible models were adopted. A very similar muscle car hit the streets at this time, the Dodge Challenger. The style was daring, the colors bold and the engine options mind boggling. The 440-6 and 426 Hemi engines were consistently running a quarter mile in less than 14 seconds. The last day of Barracuda production was April, 1 1974.

The Plymouth Barracuda has not seen a modern-retro return to the market like the disappointing 2003-06 Pontiac GTO, Ford Mustang and Thunderbird, Chevy Camaro or Dodge Charger. If it happens we can only hope for familiar and nostalgic styling along with the muscle car performance every American was impressed by

US Auctions Australian Auctions Austrian Auctions Belgian Auctions Canadian Auctions French Auctions German Auctions Hong Kong Auctions Indian Auctions Irish Auctions Italian Auctions Dutch Auctions Polish Auctions Singapore Auctions Spanish Auctions Swiss Auctions UK Auctions

Best Match Time: ending soonest Time: newly listed Price: lowest first Price: highest first Price + Shipping: lowest first Price + Shipping: highest first

PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA 69 1969 68 1968 67 1967 66 1966    US $19.99

PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA 1968 1969 CAR COVER NEW]    US $37.99

PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA 1964 65 66 67 68 69 CAR COVER    US $37.99

1967 PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA CUDA FORMULA S BLACK HARDTOP AD    US $3.99

1967 PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA F B INTERIOR EXTERIOR SCREW KIT    US $59.95

1969 Plymouth Barracuda Header Pannel    US $74.95

69 PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA CUDA 340 2 SCHOOLS THOUGHTAD    US $5.99

1966 Plymouth Barracuda Trunk Lid Classic Vintage    US $127.50

PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA FLOOR MATS 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969    US $29.99

66 Plymouth Barracuda Wheel cover hub caps 14 inch    US $39.99

Route 66 1971 Plymouth Barracuda 124 St Louis Card    US $14.95

1967 Plymouth Barracuda metal hood inserts    US $25.00

JL RARE CASTING 1967 PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA LTD MUSCLE CAR    US $5.00

Seat Belt Seatbelt Pads Plymouth Runner Barracuda    US $.01

Plymouth Barracuda Fastback 1967 Plymouth Barracuda FASTBACK COLLECTOR ITEM    US $1,050.00

HOT WHEELS 1063 1970 PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA 1999    US $.99

Plymouth Barracuda Cuda Documented Reference Grade 1974 Plymouth Cuda 360    US $20,099.99

Plymouth Barracuda SRT8 HEMI Incredible 71 Hemi Cuda Convertible w 61 Liter Hemi    US $60,300.00

HOT WHEELS SNAKE DRAGSTRIP DEMONS PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA    US $7.99

1971 Plymouth Barracuda Fury Duster Body Service Manual    US $29.95

View Page:   1  2  3  4  5

Related articles by Zemanta

• SEMA 2008: Mr. Norm's AAR 'Cuda redo
• Behind the Wheel | 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8: A New-Old Pony Enters the Corral
• Last hurrah for the brawny American car?
• Modern muscle on wheels

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 8th, 2008 at 9:16 pm and is filed under Muscle Cars. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.