Add a "HEMI" badge next to any Mopar from the golden muscle car era, and you get a super rare classic. Regardless of model year and whether we're talking about a Dodge or a Plymouth. But while hardtops are scarce, convertibles are even harder to find. And some of them are worth millions of dollars nowadays.
The Plymouth HEMI 'Cuda Convertible is arguably the most expensive. The Barracuda got the HEMI as a factory option in late 1969. Plymouth moved 666 HEMI-equipped vehicles during the 1970 model year, but only 14 were ordered with a soft-top. Nine got the automatic, and five were specified with the four-speed manual.
In 1971, the model's second and final year on the market with the HEMI, Chrysler delivered only 114 of these cars. This figure also includes hardtops because just seven left the assembly line with a removable roof. Five were fitted with the automatic, and just two were sold with row-your-own four-speed shifters.
That's a grand total of 21 HEMI Convertibles and a figure that makes the 1970-1971 'Cuda one of the rarest and most expensive classics from the golden muscle car era. How expensive, you ask? Well, let's just say that three examples went under the hammer for $2.2 to $3.85 million in recent years. In addition, a 1971 survivor failed to sell despite a $4.8-million high bid in 2021.
But it's not just the seven-digit sums keeping muscle car enthusiasts away from these rare gems. The HEMI 'Cuda Convertible is also the kind of classic that rarely pops up for sale. So, even if you have millions in your bank account, you need a ton of luck to find one. As a result, many enthusiasts are creating replicas to satisfy their thirst for HEMI drop-top awesomeness.
The purple 1970 example you see here is one of those cars, and it's so accurate that you need a closer look at the VIN tag to know that it's not a true-blue HEMI 'Cuda Convertible.
Spotted at the 2023 Music City Mopar show in Nashville, Tennessee, this fine recreation needed a whopping four years to come to life. And it's more than just a regular Barracuda fitted with a reproduction HEMI. The big-block V8 sitting under the "Shaker" hood is a period-correct 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI V8 with a 2x4-barrel carburetor setup.
It mates to a four-speed manual gearbox with a Pistol Grip shifter and sends all the oomph to the wheels through a Dana "Sure Grip" rear end with 3.54 gears. It's also dressed in one of the coolest color combos from the era, namely a Plum Crazy exterior with a white interior and a white top. Yes, I know purple is called In-Violet on Plymouths, but Plum Crazy sounds way better.
Had it been authentic, this 'Cuda would have been one of only five HEMI manual cars sold during the 1970 model year. That's something that would have sent it into million-dollar territory. But it's not, and that's perfectly alright in my book. It's a perfect recreation that deserves much love at local car shows. Hit the play button below and tell me what you think.
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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