The Plymouth Barracuda stands tall as an iconic piece of automotive history. This American classic is notable on a number of different levels.
Many people think that the Ford Mustang was the first “pony car”. It is true that the term was coined with the Mustang in mind, but the Plymouth Barracuda was in the same class. This car was actually introduced about two weeks prior to the launch of the Ford Mustang in April of 1964, so the Barracuda is actually the first pony car offered to the American public.
When the car was in the planning stages, the bigwigs at Plymouth had a different idea with regard to the name of the new offering. They were partial to the name Panda, but the design team would have none of it, and the fierce, lithe Barracuda eventually emerged.
During the initial model year of 1964, the most powerful engine that was offered in the Plymouth Barracuda was a 273 cubic inch V8, and the sticker price on the basic model was right around $2500.
The car evolved over the next few years, and the 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda was the culmination of this evolution. This is one of the most coveted classic American muscle cars of all time. There was a 426 cubic inch Hemi V8 option available, and it was capable of producing an eye-popping 425 horses at 5000 rpm.
It came with a four-speed manual transmission. The zero to sixty time was 6 seconds, and the Hemi ‘Cuda could go from a standing position to 100 miles per hour in 13 seconds flat.
There were just 652 specimens built, so the 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda is a very rare car any way you slice it. However, the rarest of the rare will be on the block at the Mecum Auction that will to take place in Indianapolis in a couple of weeks. At that time, a 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda with just 81 original miles on the odometer will be going up for sale.
The car is immaculate, and, as you might imagine, people in the know say that it is the lowest mileage specimen on the planet. If you are interested in getting involved in the bidding, you better be ready to reach pretty deeply into your pockets, because the car is expected to go for somewhere in the vicinity of three-quarters of a million dollars.
It was purchased back in the day for less than $4000, so it turned out to be quite an investment. If you would like to obtain some in-depth details about the car, visit the Mecum Auctions website.
