Iconic 1969 Plymouth Barracuda "HEMI Under Glass" Comes out of Long-Term Storage

Offered as an option in 1970 and 1971 only, the Plymouth HEMI 'Cuda is both rare and expensive nowadays. The convertibles are even more challenging to find and cost millions of dollars in Concours or unrestored and all-original condition.

But while it's not as famous and desirable, the second-gen Barracuda also got the HEMI and the 440 RB. The former found its way into a limited-edition factory dragster built for the Super Stock class. Codenamed B029, the 1968 HEMI Barracuda was constructed in only 50 units.

As for the 440, it found its way into the second-gen Barracuda in 1969. But not as a regular option. It was inspired by the 440 swaps made by Mr. Norm's Grand Spaulding dealerships and sold to only 340 customers. But none of these rigs are as rare as the "HEMI Under Glass" Barracuda.

What's a "HEMI Under Glass," or HUG, as hardcore enthusiasts call it? Well, it's a series of exhibition drag racing cars built and campaigned by Hurst Performance in the second half of the 1960s and the early 1970s. Yup, they're not factory Mopars, but they're among the coolest golden-era muscle cars ever created.

What made them special? Hurst used them to showcase new products and out-of-the-box ideas. One was to fit a 426 HEMI V8 atop the rear axle, which Hurst did on the Barracuda-based HUGs of the 1960s. That's where the cars got their name. The HEMI was visible under the second-gen Barracuda's massive rear window.

The idea was penned in 1964 when George Hurst talked to Ed Ray Brock about how putting a HEMI in the back of a Barracuda would improve torque and traction, which in turn would make the car quicker off the line. But things didn't go according to plan, and Hurst ended up with a vehicle that went nose-up as soon as the rear tires started spinning.

George was disappointed with the result, but the drag racing crowd went wild. This prompted Hurst to turn the "HEMI Under Glass" into a wheel stander running the quarter-mile with the front wheels up in the air. The HUG racers were showcased in the A/FX class, the precursor to funny cars, for almost a decade.

Come 2023, some "HEMI Under Glass" Mopars are still parading their rear-mounted 426 V8s at various events. The 1969 Barracuda version was recently spotted at 2023 Mopars with Big Daddy, a show that also included a massive display of old-school dragsters.

The "HEMI Under Glass" did not perform one of its infamous wheel-standing runs, but it gave visitors a taste of its beefed-up HEMI engine, which cranks out more than 500 horsepower. And needless to say, it sounds vicious through its side-exiting exhaust pipes when the pedal hits the floor.

And by the way, this car made headlines in 2016 when long-time driver and caretaker Bob Riggle flipped it several times while taping an episode of Jay Leno's Garage. Jay was in the passenger seat. Thankfully, both walked away unscathed, and the car was rebuilt a few months later. You can watch the incident in the third video below. The first two include new footage from the 2023 Mopars with Big Daddy event.