By 1974, the Road Runner had cemented itself as one of the last true muscle cars before rising fuel costs and emission regulations changed the game. The Fury was available with a wide variety of engines beneath that long flat hood, from the 225 cubic inch Slant Six all the way up to a 440 cubic inch big block. This one is powered by the smallest V8 offered, a 318, backed by a Torqueflite automatic. As an economy brand, Plymouth was active and successful at the lower end of the market since the early ’60s with the Valiant model.
However, the party came to an end in 1974, signaling the end of an era for high-performance automobiles. Despite receiving a government bailout in 1980, Plymouth never fully recovered from the damage that had been done. On June 28, 2001, Plymouth quietly produced its final vehicle, a ubiquitous Neon compact, at its Belvedere, Illinois manufacturing plant.
However, when muscle cars exploded on the American car scene, Plymouth realized it had a chance to be more than just an economy car brand. So, it jumped on the performance bandwagon using the best Mopar engines, delivering exciting cars to the public. Although muscle cars are one of Detroit’s most successful car classes, muscle car credentials are not enough to keep one brand on the market. The discontinuation of Pontiac in 2010 is the latest example, But, even before that, Detroit was killing their famous names due to poor sales and low production numbers.
And the Sox and Martin ‘Cuda was one of the most successful drag racing teams of the late ’60s and early ’70s. In fact, their favorite weapon was a red, white and blue ‘Cuda with a specially-prepared Hemi engine. Interestingly, after the original muscle car era ended in 1974, Plymouth continued to offer the Duster 340 but with the 360 engine option. They featured numerous interesting combinations, such as fuel injected, supercharged or turbocharged engines. Today, real altered wheelbase cars are extremely rare and are a valuable piece of muscle car history. In 1970, Plymouth added a more aggressive front-end design and kept beefing up its engine options.
- And this caused the factory to compensate car owners and give them a conventional four-barrel setup.
- The 1971 Plymouth GTX was one of the last true muscle cars of the era, and its powerful engine and distinctive styling made it a favorite among enthusiasts.
- The 1970 Plymouth Cuda Convertible was a rare and highly sought-after muscle car that was part of the legendary E-Body lineup.
- The Barracuda had modest underpinnings with three engines available, two straight sixes and one V8.
The AAR Cuda was powered by a special 340ci six-pack V8 engine, which was rated at 290 horsepower. The engine featured three Holley two-barrel carburetors, a performance camshaft, and high-flow cylinder heads. The wider chassis also allowed for greater exhaust flow and a wider track for improved handling.
71 Plymouth Barracuda Hemi
But clearly, judging by my typical taste in cars, I’m not meant to drive little fuel-sipping runabouts. Today we have a big slab-sided sedan and a rough-and-tumble 4×4 pickup, both built deep into last century, both with big pushrod V8s that suck down fuel like it’s going out of style. (Which, I suppose, it is.) These two, to me, would make an epic two-car garage, but if you had to settle for one, which would it be? The styling of the Hemi Cuda was equally impressive, with its long hood, short deck, and aggressive lines. The front end featured a blacked-out grille with twin hood scoops, while the rear featured a distinctive ducktail spoiler and quad exhaust tips. The car’s massive engine was mated to a four-speed manual transmission, which allowed drivers to take full advantage of the engine’s immense power.
- The discontinuation of Pontiac in 2010 is the latest example, But, even before that, Detroit was killing their famous names due to poor sales and low production numbers.
- Also, it had a sleek fastback body line that was advanced for the period.
- These early models paved the way for the performance-focused Plymouth cars that followed, making them great picks for collectors who appreciate where the Plymouth muscle car story began.
– 1967 Plymouth Fury I-II-III / Belvedere / Savoy
International’s V8, which was available in the Scout in either 304 or 345 cubic inch displacements, has a reputation for durability, but also thirst. Gas mileage on this truck probably barely breaks into the double digits. But it’s a lazy, low-revving stump-puller of an engine that probably won’t be hard to bring back to life. International also sold the Scout with a four-cylinder engine that’s basically just half of this V8; ironically, its fuel economy isn’t a hell of a lot better.
The biggest news in the Mopar clan for 1964 was the return of the mighty, legendary Hemi 426 engine. Chrysler realized that other manufacturers had caught up with the powerful 413 and 426 Max Wedge engines. So, the only solution was to bring back the Hemi as the ultimate drag strip weapon. This wasn’t the famous Street Hemi they introduced two years later, in 1966 as a regular production option.
The E-Body platform was largely a carryover of the intermediate B-Body, but with a shortened wheelbase of 108 inches for the Plymouth and 110 for the more upscale Dodge. This addressed the biggest performance limitation of the Plymouth Barracuda, which was its narrow front subframe rails that restricted exhaust flow and power output. The E-Body platform also marked the first-ever pony car option for the Dodge brand. The rise of the Plymouth brand as a significant player in Mopar muscle car history can be traced back to the year 1962. The mighty Hemi engine was an expensive top of the line option for 1970 and 1971 available in coupe or convertible form.
– 1969 Plymouth Barracuda (A-Body)
It was part of the E-Body lineup and was powered by a massive 426ci Hemi V8 engine that produced pin up online casino an astonishing 425 horsepower. Twenty years have since passed, and unfortunately, many people today are unaware of the Plymouth brand’s history and legacy. This is a great loss, particularly for enthusiasts of classic Mopar muscle cars, as Plymouth played a prominent role in the pantheon of performance automobiles. It was a successful mid-size model they produced in many variants and exported worldwide. And it featured a rear-wheel drive platform, a wide arrange of engines and a sleek design. Both Dodge and Plymouth had successful muscle models in the past, so the heritage was still strong when they introduced the Volare.
The Hemi engine was fed by two Holly four-barrel carburetors, along with a special ignition system and experimental camshaft. In 1967, the Barracuda got its first major restyle job with improved performance and looks. In an attempt to catch the Ford Mustang and attract some of its popularity, the Plymouth designers presented three body styles.
Today, these Barracudas are among the most expensive and desirable Plymouths. If you’re lucky enough to find one, the classic VIN decoder can give you all the original factory specs, ensuring you know what you’re getting. We got that era Fury with some different grilles and lights as the Dodge Phoenix here, from ’65 to ’72 when it was replaced by the Valiant-based Chrysler by Chrysler.
As Dodge Hemi Dart, Barracudas came as pure racing, non-street legal vehicles to be sold only to racing teams. Of course, they too were painted in primer ready to be personalized by the racers. However, the majority of Roadrunners the produced were two-door hardtops. For just above $3,000, you could be the proud owner of a Roadrunner in 1970. However, if you wanted a few options and the Hemi engine, the price would quickly rise to over $4,000. Plymouth even experimented with a fuel injection setup, but the system proved problematic.