Some of you might not know it, but the Plymouth Barracuda was America's first pony car, having been launched a little more than two weeks before the first-generation Ford Mustang. But while the latter soldiered on for more than 50 years, the Barracuda was short-lived, going into the history books after just a decade on the market.
But the short life-cycle resulted in the Barracuda becoming a rare and prized collectible. As a result, the third-gen is particularly sought-after due to its aggressive looks and powerful V8 engines. Add a Hemi and a convertible body style into the mix, and the sticker becomes a seven-digit figure.
This barn find-style Barracuda is not a Hemi, but it's almost as rare. Plymouth rolled out more than 17,000 standard Barracudas in 1970 but produced just a little more than 1,500 convertibles that year. Fitted with a two-barrel, 383-cubic-inch V8, this drop-top is only one of 59 cars built in this configuration in 1970.
Yes, it needs a thorough restoration to become road-worthy again, but that's mostly because it was parked back in 1982. That's almost 40 years off the road. And the really cool thing about it is that it still carries its numbers-matching 383 V8 under the hood.
The other interesting part of the story is that the owner wanted to turn it into a Hemi. He already added some Gran Coupe trim inside the cabin and collected an impressive amount of parts for the project but didn't get to do the conversion. And that's great news because this Barracuda could get a second chance at life in its original configuration.
There's a lot of work to be done here. The body is rusty, and the paint has faded away, but it doesn't look all that bad, given that it hasn't been driven for almost four decades. The floor panels also need to be replaced, but luckily enough, today's market offers countless solutions to solve that problem.
As for the engine, it was one of eight mills (including a couple of slant-sixes) that Plymouth offered from 1970 to 1974. At 275 horsepower, the two-barrel V8 wasn't the most powerful of them, but it's potent enough to offer a thrilling experience down the quarter-mile.
And needless to say, it's definitely worth saving, despite not being a Hemi-powered holy grail. If you're into numbers, a fully restored 1970 drop-top could cost more than $100,000.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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