In the pony car wars of the ‘60s and ‘70s, Ford won the first round. Then GM got a bite at the apple a couple of years later with the Camaro and the Firebird. Chrysler fumbled and dithered for a while, but they finally got it right, first with the (rather large) Dodge Charger in 1968, then with the right-sized 1970 Barracuda and the Challenger, just as the pony car fad was waning. Better late than never.
But with a 440 under the hood, surely this 1970 ‘cuda should be referred to as a muscle car rather than a pony car? Ah, the eternal debate on automotive semantics… Do have at it in the CComments section, if you are so inclined.
I guess the 440 makes it a muscle car by default. Generous displacement (7206cc, for us metric folk), tons of torque, well over 300hp – real ones, not the gross kind – to play with, as well as an enviable reputation for reliability: the ideal V8 for the ‘cuda?
Yeah, they called the high-performance version ‘cuda. They even badged it like that, apostrophe and lower case and all. Lose the Barra, hail the ‘cuda. Half of me likes the shorter name. Four letters and you’re done – perfection, PR-wise. Plus, the usual florid cursive was blissfully eschewed in favour of a more appropriately modern script. But on the other hand… that ‘cuda moniker is trying a bit too hard to be hip. A bit cringey.
The interior is definitely not my favourite part of this car. And judging by what CCommenters wrote in other posts dedicated to this generation of ‘cudas, that sentiment is pretty widely shared.
No, what really makes the ‘cuda the ultimate Mustang-killer is the styling. The Ford, then entering its Fat Elvis period, had lost its mojo; Chrysler were in the throes of their divisive fuselage era, which wasn’t exactly light either, despite the name.
However, the Mopar stylists must have known that it would not translate well to a shorter car, so they went for something slightly more Coke-bottley and aggressive – and it worked a charm.
So much so that they saw no reason to modify anything fundamentally. Not that they would have, given how recent the reskinning was. They did manage to make the ‘71s pretty distinctive, with that grille and the quads. Not the best idea ever – the ‘72s reverted to something less fussy.
Same deal with the profile: the only difference is the superfluous four-bar faux inlets tacked onto the front fender. I’m not against fake air intakes per se, provided they look like they fit the rest of the car. These are just too vertical to add anything to the design.
Just add some new taillights and Bob’s your uncle, the 1971 ‘cuda is ready for prime-time. I hope the designers didn’t request any overtime for this “refresh”.
It’s a bit difficult to tell if anything changed inside, given how modified this car is. At a glance though, it looks like there were no major improvements. Boy, that big plastic (or is it vinyl? Some sort of petrochemical, anyway) thing on the floor hump is really ugly. And pointless, too – if you’re going to do a console, do a console. This is just a waste of vinyl.
Despite the fussier styling, the ‘cuda still had the upper hand in 1971, in terms of aesthetics. Unless you consider the Challenger, perhaps.
Performance-wise, though, emissions controls were already starting to have an effect on the ‘cuda. I don’t know for sure what this one has under the hood – could be the 340, 383, 440 or (highly unlikely) the Hemi. But if it’s a 440 like its orange-coloured older sister here, said 440 features ten fewer hp than it did a year earlier.
So was the ’71 ‘cuda not as good as the ’70? If production numbers are any indication, the answer is yes. All models combined, including 6-cyl. models and convertibles, 1970 was a good year for the plucky Plymouth, totalling just shy of 49,000 units. In 1971, only 16,492 ‘cudas were made. Yikes.
To be fair, the ‘cuda stayed at 1971 levels for the rest of the nameplate’s life, which ended in 1974, so perhaps it was more about the end of the pony/muscle car era than anything else. Well, at least Chrysler ushered it out with a bang.
I’m not sure how to relate to cars like these, to be honest. They’re a great time capsule, what with the orange and the yellow, the decals and the hood air intakes, the huge V8s and the cheap interiors. It’s just hard to take these seriously. Sorry ‘cuda. I shoulda, and if you were a bit less extreme I woulda, but as it is, it’s just Plymouth ‘couldna for me.
Related posts:
CC Capsule: 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda Convertible – Fancy Some Bubbly?, by T87
Car Show Classic: 1970 Plymouth Barracuda Gran Coupe – The Broughamiest ‘cuda Around, by Tom Klockau
Cohort Sighting: 1971 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda – The Last And Most Famous Hemi, by PN
Cohort Pic(k) of the Day: 1970 Plymouth Barracuda – Having The Last Laugh, by PN
Great pair. Team orange
The ‘Cuda works better than the Challenger for me, with its crisper lines and tighter body section. I’ve always wondered how they made the wheelbase 2″ shorter than the Dodge – did they take it out of the floor pan, or alter the mounting point of the rear axle?
How ever they did this, it results in a more athletic look than its sister.
Mine would have a 340/Six Pack….
This is a car that has far more popularity and credibility now than it ever did when it was new. We can admire the styling, but back then it was seen as too big (like the 71 Mustang), and even worse, built by Chrysler – which was then known for building cars fairly poorly.
The sales figures back me up on this – 49k units was terrible. I lived in an area that saw a pretty good cross-section of American cars, and I never knew anyone with one of these.
I have always liked these cars. To me the styling is right on. I had the chance to buy a new AAR ‘cuda from a small town dealer near me. I was shopping for a car but at the time couldn’t swing the price. I think it was less than $4000.00 but am not sure. That is one of my two “the big one that got away” stories. The other is the chance I had to buy a real Cobra in 1975 for $10,000.
In 2005 I bought a ’73 Challenger with a 440 that had been highly modified. That thing was a beast! I enjoyed it for a while but it was a little too much for me to drive on the street. I listed it on ebay Motors and sold it to a guy from Chicago who said he had been a street racer. He and his buddy were impressed that it was solid as a rock with no rust at all. Even in stock form I would bet that ‘cuda is a fun ride.
Despite numerous warnings throughout my youth not to say anything if I didn’t have anything nice to say, I just have to cleanse my soul as these are concerned. I just never liked them. ‘Cuda, Barracuda, Challenger, doesn’t matter, I can’t find the love for them. They just give off a very hollow, cartoonish vibe to me. There. I feel better now.
I remember reading a review of the Pantera that said it was one of those cars where people on the outside were getting a better deal than those on the inside.
The E-body falls into the same category. Atrocious build quality and ergonomics due to rushed engineering made for a poor driving and ownership experience. If it weren’t for the attractive styling, I dare say the E-body would have went down in history as a Chrysler Deadly Sin. They were really that bad and sales came nowhere near justifying the R&D. It didn’t help that the better built Mopar A-body 340 coupe (Duster/Demon) was as fast (or faster) for way less money.
And, yet, the rarest, original, highest-horsepower big-block ‘Cudas (i.e., Street Hemi convertible) fetch astronomical sums on the auction block. Go figure.
What perhaps is even more amazing is the modern Challenger that offered a larger and better built rendition of this nice looking but otherwise awful E-body, and stayed in production for 15 years largely unchanged and selling between 40 and 60K units annually. I don’t think any retro-vehicle in history has sold so well compared to its original inspiration.
Chrysler in general had terrible plastic interiors in this time. Cheap. Unimaginative. Not durable.
Despite having the best head restraint design, the rest of the interiors always dragged the overall impression of pentastar products down.
T87,
Where where those E bodies located?
It’s difficult for me to fathom those large American cars over somewhere in Asia, but I guess they exist there.
Just like ’round these parts more people are importing JDM Kei cars.
As per usual, I found these on a Sunday at the Jingu Gaien…
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/multiple-curbside-classics/multiple-curbside-classics-the-gingko-avenue-at-jingu-gaien-stumbling-upon-a-new-wing/
I did see the orange car a couple of times about town too…
The ‘70 wears a set of what looks to be 1969 option code ‘W23’ aluminum alloy road wheels, which ended up being pulled and recalled six days before the official model year introduction due to the centers readily cracking when tightening the lug nuts. The few that did make it into the wild are highly prized today (reproductions have since become available which these look like they might be, but it being a ‘Cuda in Japan, anything is possible):
First thing I noticed, and don’t they look great! Do you reckon these look to be a larger diameter, or is that just my eyes?
I lusted after a Barracuda, (insurance ruled out the ‘cuda), however, the deal fell through. About 5 years later, ended up with a one owner, 29k Challenger that I modified into the car that suited my likes! I STILL want that ‘cuda, though, LOL!! 🙂
chrysler’s first attempt at a Pony car with the ’65 Barracuda left me rather cold, I remember reading a road test of the 1965 (in Car Life I believe) that likened its styling to a giant easter egg. Lynn Townsend who headed Chrysler at the time and was a CPA claimed that the pony car sales were not strong enough to justify a separate model, hence a restyled Valiant served as Chrysler’s entry and sales suffered. Then Chrysler came out with the 1970 Barracuda and Challenger which had the long hood/short trunk look only to have sales clobbered by the Plymouth Duster which was built on the Valiant platform. Go figure.
Like these ‘cudas. Always a fan of these since I was a kid and they were new.
Quick unrelated question though about Japanese license plates:
How are these guys getting numbers that mean something to the car… It obviously can’t be left to random chance. And this is not the first time I’ve seen this on pictures from the other side of the Pacific Rim.
The ’71 with “71”… the 440 with “4 40”? This seems to be a thing, and information would be great for a tag geek like me.
We’ve seen this on several of your posts T87, and I for one am intrigued!
Thanks,
Rick
The Muscle car vs. Pony car debate… A muscle car is usually an intermediate model with a large performance V8. Think Pontiac GTO, GTX, or Malibu SS. The Pony car refers to the smaller sporty coupe model. A Barracuda compared to a Roadrunner. The smaller Barracudas, Mustangs, or Camaros could be equipped with a base six, or a small non performance V8. These were the most common versions. A non performance intermediate, is just that. If it wasn’t a GTO, it was just a Tempest.
Everything that I read back then stated that a big block Pony car was just for the dragstrip as the heavy engine ruined the balance of handling. You can refer to one of those big block Pony cars as a muscle car, but it’s not as precise. You’d have to add that it was a Barracuda to make things clear.
I rode in the backseat of a ’70 Barracuda back in the old days and the entire interior was awful and cheap. Chrysler obviously had to save money somewhere, but the cars styling is Uber Macho!
Had the first-gen Barracuda was more successeful in sales, we would have talked of “Fish-car” instead of “Pony-car” today.
Also, the guys of Indie auto wondered if the 1970 Barracuda should have been like an Australian Dodge Charger.
https://www.indieauto.org/2023/09/29/1970-plymouth-barracuda-should-have-been-like-an-australian-valiant-charger/
These were something back in the day. Although the 340 may be the best all around version there’s something about a big block MoPar. Awful hard plastic interior, rattles, harsh, a back seat that was next to useless as a rolling bedroom, one of the worst sounding doors as they shut, impractical as anything, but Fun with a capital F.
Lovely looking cars, and in wonderful colours too. I guess the size of these wouldn’t look too out of place in Tokyo traffic (1.9m width aside) but 7.2 litres, in a land where three litres is big? Makes you realize just how over the top these pony cars got by the early seventies.
Shame the shaker on the orange car is crooked – sign of a hard life maybe? Hope it’s just a bent air cleaner and not a broken motor mount.
The contrarian in me wants to put a (Ford) Barra in a ‘cuda. 🙂 Meanwhile there’s this. Aussie Hemi six.
The Barracuda(‘Cuda) has a chunkiness to it that resembles the modern larger Challenger better, where the E body Challenger has a leanness to its styling that made its namesake look off to my eye. I love them all of course, I don’t even mind the interior as far as the aesthetic goes, the rallye gauges give a ton of info and look great, the highback seats are nice and the pistol grip 4-speeds is the coolest thing ever installed into an automobile. I prefer them without the center console however, but otherwise the door panels are the only real letdown to me.
I like the 71. Too much Camaro in the dual headlight 70 and 72-74 noses. I like the gills and ‘fussy” grille, sue me. I do hate them with billboards spoilers and louvers though, which this one mercifully avoided in its restoration
The ‘cuda in convertible format featured in two hit TV shows as the lead character’s ride:
Mannix had ’70 – ’72 ‘cuda droptops (the latter being one of two specially built for Paramount Studios, using the ’71 as a base. The other was featured on The Brady Bunch.
Nash Bridges drove a yellow ’71 ‘cuda Convertible.
Most days I prefer the looks of the Barracuda over the Challenger, I tend to prefer the 71 but can’t really fault any of them. Even the stories about the cheapness and poor build quality could even be a quirky part of their charm.
But the one thing that really annoys me is that join in the woodgrain instrument cluster between the 4 switches and the gauges, it never lines up properly, it doesn’t matter which angle you look at it from, it is always out of line.
I get a kick out of the comments above. Obviously none of you spent any time in a Camaro, Mustang, or Firebird. I have and they’re build quality is horrible. I bought my ’71 Challenger 340 convertible in 1983. It’s a fun well built machine. In fact, several of my GM and Ford friends felt my Challenger drove better and felt tighter than their cars. My older brother owned two ’67 Barracudas. I would take them over any of the Camaros or Mustangs I drove back in the day. My car will be with me until I die. I would love to find a Barracuda. It’s my dream car, and would look great next to my Hemi Orange Dodge. With the prices now, all I can do is dream.
Between friends and relatives, I drove or rode in just about every pony and muscle car engine combo there was. A friend of ours bought a ’70 340 Challenger, in yellow, and I loved that car, rattles and all. He was going to school to be an auto mechanic, and by the time the Challenger went away, his wife was about to give birth and they needed a “family car”, it was rattle free, and had been nearly totally taken apart inside and put back together with some sort of sound deadener in the doors, which sounded solid after he did whatever it was he did. While I liked the Challenger a lot, I lusted after a ‘Cuda, I drove a pretty sad one with a 440 in it about 1974, and soon began to look for a 360 powered one, as the E bodies had been cancelled. I found a black ‘Cuda at a local dealer, and since I was still 17 at the time, I couldn’t buy it, even though I had more than enough money. I begged mom to go put a deposit on it(They wouldn’t take it from me!), but she didn’t do it quicky enough, and it was gone. I saw it 4 times a week or so for over a year. I moved to Vegas in mid ’75, and was shocked to see it alive and rust free when I came back in ’82. Over the 7 years I lived in Vegas, I saw many E body cars with decent bodies and totally rotted out interiors. A friend and I were driving down a street in 1980 heading to my vet and we saw a ’73 340 Challenger Rallye in yellow, with a black vinyl top and sadly, white interior. It looked like it was brand new. My friend bought it, and sadly, 2 years later, it was a total mess, with a destroyed headliner (he picked at it in all his cars), a dinged up body, and it reeked of pine air freshener. I could have bought it for $600, but I was getting ready to move back to NW Ohio, and already had a car that I was shipping back. The console in that car was basically in two pieces by then. Across the B and E body cars, that console was just total garbage.