Normally, a barracuda is a big ray-finned predatory fish. It has a legendary voracious appetite and is well known for its spontaneous surprise attacks performed at high speeds. But, from 1964 to 1974 it was also a legendary pony car.
Lovingly known as the ‘Cuda, Plymouth’s fighter in the segment was made utterly famous especially by the series’ third iteration. It was the one that lived from 1970 to 1974 and superbly mixed the 426ci Hemi V8 engine of the previous generation with a completely reinvented design as well as the technical specifications of the (then) newly introduced Dodge Challenger.
This particular 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda coupe seems eager to make us look for our jaws that just fell on the floor after sifting through the embedded gallery. It also comes with all the great traits of this classic pony car, and possibly some more. For starters, it’s allegedly one of just 368 units built with the 426ci Hemi V8 and a 727 TorqueFlite automatic transmission. So, exquisite rarity is ensured, along with some proper documentation.
According to the description provided by the Bring a Trailer seller (aka hemicuda70), early during its lifetime, it was used as a drag racer. Then it got a replacement Hemi that was also overbored back in 2009. It was refurbished the same year before landing in the possession of the current owner in 2015.
Next up came the repaint in the stunning (and original) Tor-Red with black graphics, complete with a matching black vinyl top and black vinyl upholstery inside. All the classic muscle car goodies are present and accounted for: shaker hood, pins and exposed intake, 15-inch Rallye wheels, Rallye gauges, and even the special A32 Super Performance Package. The latter added a 4.10:1 Sure-Grip differential and powered front disc brakes to the mix.
The lack of an original, numbers-matching Hemi isn’t exactly an issue. The overbore was professionally done by Best Machine Racing Engines of Farmington Hills, Michigan), there’s another reason to speak of the proverbial catch. The odometer counts a mere 29k miles (almost 47,000 km) but they’re of the always nasty TMU (total mileage unknown) variety...
Anyways, the ‘Cuda has naturally garnered a lot of attention. And, although there’s still a week on the auction clock at the moment of writing, the current highest bid has already reached $75,426.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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