Jay Leno Drives Craig Jackson's 1970 Hemi 'Cuda, It's Pure American Muscle

The 'Cuda is not the Barracuda. The 'Cuda is more than a nickname as some may be tricked into believing. The 'Cuda came as a limited-run smaller muscle car, with only 300 units rolling off the production line, sporting upgraded suspension components and structural reinforcements. Today, the 'Cudas exceed the Barracudas in exclusivity and popularity. And price, too.

This 1970 'Cuda was a Hemi-powered convertible, when Hemi was not spelled in capital letters and when big blocks made the rules. It is an all-original car painted in Plum Crazy with a beige soft top.

With that 426-cubic inch (7.0-liter) Hemi V8 under the hood, the 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda made the rules on the street. And drag strip, too. A holy grail of muscle cars, the third generation was designed by John E. Herlitz, the designer who spent his entire career at the Chrysler Corporation.

Craig Jackson tells the story of how he fell in love with the American muscle. CEO and Chairman of Barret-Jackson Auction Company, Craig is the one who turned the no-reserve auctions into entertainment events soon after he took over the company. Even President Joe Biden was present when a Corvette was auctioned off.

Craig Jackson fell in love with muscle cars as a kid

Craig grew up with a brother who was 14 years his senior. His brother was drag racing and road racing. So Graig would look up to him, surrounded by Camaros and Hemis of the era.

When he could afford it, he started buying the cars he had dreamed of as a kid. The 1970 Hemi Cuda is the second car he purchased back then, in 1989. It was the car that checked all his boxes.

He paid little over $100,000 to take it home all the way from England. It was the only exported 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible ever made. It was shipped to England as a gift to the Chairman of British Steel for helping them with the steel supply through the steel strike. It is a left-hand drive, though, which made it next to impossible to drive around London. And it is also fully optioned.

When Craig first saw the photos of the car, it was sitting in a barn somewhere in England. An urban myth said that the engine was taken out when the car was drag racing. The oil embargo made it complicated for the owner, so he replaced it with a 318-cubic inch (5.2-liter) two-barrel unit, mated to a four-speed automatic.

The original engine of the 1970 Hemi 'Cuda remains in storage

But Craig found the original engine, and it came with all the paperwork. However, he chose to keep the engine in storage because he wants to drive the car. A swap engine is easier to fix. His ‘Cuda is definitely not a garage queen, nor merchandise carried on a trailer.

Craig Jackson can brag about having owned most of the greatest muscle cars of the 1970s. He knows that Hemis make the rules. And he’s not going to stop. He has already ordered a Challenger SRT Demon 170 in the exact same Plum Crazy. It was his last chance to own a HEMI (in capital letters, this time!) as Dodge is retiring the almighty power plant.

The automaker has actually already replaced it, rolling out the new-generation Charger with an electric powertrain and, to offer slight consolation to the ICE enthusiasts, with a 3.0-liter V6 Hurricane engine.

Luxury convertible rattling its way through traffic

Craig describes his 54-year-old car as a luxury convertible. It is, as he said, a full option; it has all the necessary creature comforts, but no air conditioning. It’s got power steering, power brakes, power top, power mirrors, and power everything that can be powered on board.

Craig Jackson and Jay Leno take the Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda out for a spin and conclude that they’re experiencing luxury performance with all the rattles that a car that is over half a century old would be capable of bringing. However, a huge radiator prevents the overheating issues.

"There is a lot of play in the steering," Jay Leno points out. Craig explains that it is about being tolerant of the car.

The two of them discuss auctions. Craig recalls the moment a steel-body Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing sold for $3.4 million, breaking the record for a non-aluminum body Gullwing. In fact, only 29 of the 3,258 units built featured an aluminum body.

Coming from an era when street-legal cars were almost identical to racing cars, the coupe was auctioned off after a three-year restoration. Every component was sent to Mercedes-Benz and returned certified. Craig got to drive the gullwing and says it ran perfectly.