Plymouth's Barracudas have fascinated me ever since I saw
Hurst Hemi "Under Glass" running the Drag Strip on
its back wheels. This was shown in a movie which could be seen
in the "Hot Rod Show" in the "Marble Halls"
in Stockholm in the mid-sixties. It has ever since been a fixed
idea of mine to drive on the back wheels. I used to build radio-controlled
miniature cars running on their back wheels, I build a model
construction-kit of the Hurst Hemi Cuda which I glued to my shelf
on its back wheels.
The Hurst Hemi Cuda was meant to be a commercial pillar for
Hurst and Plymouth, provided with a compressor fed Hemi engine
placed in the backseat of the car. The car was built only in
order to be driven down the strip on its back wheels in the Drag
Racing intermissions. I believe there were three cars built,
the last one with the -67 coach.
The Barracuda was introduced at the same time as the Mustang.
A fastback variant of Plymouth Valiant has a rear window which
must be one of the biggest in history. The Mustang became a huge
success worldwide, while the Barracuda was received rather half-heartedly.
 In 1970 came E body, a coach
the size of Camaro & Firebird. I remember seeing the first
pictures of the -70-cudas in the Swedish technical magazine "Teknikens
Värld" (World Technology). I thought it was the coolest
I had ever seen, especially the Shakerhodd with a hole and a
big air intake right through the hood. 1970 and 1971 were the
years when the engines were the biggest, horse-power were the
greatest and you could buy a Hemi Cuda and drive directly from
the dealer to the drag strip and fly ahead of anything in the
standard league. 426 cubic inch and 426 in horse-power. Heavy!!!!!!!!!
In 1972 the engines became smaller, the Hemi engine was no longer
accessible due to the exhaust emission control and gas rationing.
The colors of the Chrysler muscle cars were incredibly cool,
like this lime-green Cuda from -71.
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My Beauty! Plymouth Barracuda Gran
Coupe convertible. Approx. 600 were manufactured in 1970, the
only year the Gran Coupe existed as a convertible. |
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teve Porter's -71 Cuda Convertible. In his own words:
"A rare fish!" Steve has, in my opinion, the best Barracuda
page on the net. Information on everything from color-codes to
how many Cudas were manufactured with the 440-engine 1970 etc.
Click on the image.. |
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This is a -70 Cuda and is owned by Ola Nilsson, originally
from Nacka, Stockholm, Sweden but who now lives in Florida. He
also has a Cuda page. Click on the image. |
Listen to fun Barracuda
commercial from the 60s!
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