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1970 Plymouth 'Cuda Looks Sassy in Green, Shaker Tops Rare 440 6-BBL Option

Introduced in 1964 as a pony car, the Plymouth Barracuda didn't become a fully-fledged muscle car until 1970. Sure, Plymouth built a HEMI-powered Super Stock version in 1968 and offered the 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) Super Commando for the 1969 model year, but these big-block mills did not become regulars until the Barracuda got its third-generation redesign.
1970 Plymouth 'Cuda 8 photos
Photo: Corner Classic Car Hunter/YouTube
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Built on a clean sheet, the 1970 Barracuda broke cover as a more aggressive-looking two-door that shared quite a few things with the then-new Dodge Challenger. While still available with a Slant-6 and the 318- and 340-cubic-inch (5.2- and 5.6-liter) V8 mills, the third-gen 'Cuda finally gained access to the mighty 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI V8 that Mopar had been offering since 1966. In addition, Plymouth added the 3x2-barrel version of the 440 RB V8 to the options list.

The fun didn't last long, though. By 1972, most high-performance big-block V8 engines had been wiped out by new emission and fuel economy regulations. Plymouth discontinued both the 440 and the 426 HEMI, leaving the Barracuda to soldier on with no more than 245 horsepower through 1974.

Come 2023 and 1970-1971 are widely regarded as the nameplate's best years. And not surprisingly, the HEMI 426 and 440 are the most sought-after iterations of the muscle car. But they're also the rarest and, as it always happens, the most expensive, especially in top-notch condition and still rocking their numbers-matching mills.

The HEMI 'Cuda is by far the rarest. Insurance rates had already gone extremely high by 1970, so only 666 customers ordered a 'Cuda with the company's range-topping engine. And only 14 of them were convertibles. Sales dropped to only 114 examples in 1971, including seven convertibles. These cars usually fetch more than $500,000 and drop-tops reach beyond the $1-million mark.

While not quite as rare, the 440-powered 'Cuda is also a hard-to-find Mopar. In 1970, Plymouth delivered only 986 cars with the four-barrel V8 and 1,784 examples with the 6-BBL option. Only the latter was still available in 1971 and moved just 254 units. And needless to say, with many Barracudas wrecked or abandoned in junkyards, far fewer than that are still around today. The bright green example you see here is one of those rare survivors that's been restored to museum-grade specifications.

Spotted at a public auction event, this Mopar has everything it needs to stand out alongside any muscle car from the golden era. Finished in Limelight, one of Chrysler's most iconic High Impact colors, it rocks a rare white interior with bucket seats, a center console, and a Hurst pistol-grip shifter. Completing the desirable package is a factory Shaker hood, the A33 Track Pak, and a numbers-matching powerplant.

Sure, the latter is not a 426 HEMI, but it's the next best thing for any 1970 Mopar. Yup, this 'Cuda shakes a 440 6-BBL V8, which was rated at 390 horsepower off the assembly line. And that's only 35 horses below the mighty HEMI (on paper, at least). Restored sometime in the 2010s, the 'Cuda looks outstanding from just about every angle and it's safe to assume that it's quite capable down the quarter-mile.

Oh, the 440 mates to a four-speed manual, which makes it one of only 919 cars sold in this configuration. But the Limelight paint, the white interior, and all the other options likely make it one of fewer than 20 examples.

So how valuable is a car like this nowadays? Well, this 'Cuda was auctioned off for $137,500. That's more expensive than any new Dodge you can buy today, including the Challenger SRT Super Stock. On the flip side, it's not quite as expensive as its convertible sibling. Much rarer with a 440 6-BBL under the hood, the 'Cuda drop-top usually goes for around $200,000.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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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.
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