1968 Plymouth Barracuda Super Stock news, pictures, and information

Yes, we do consider these factory production vehicles as they were several built (enough to be considered production) and, unlike misguided popular belief, yes, they were actually available for purchase by absolutely anyone from any Plymouth dealer in North America.

For many years, dropping the Hemi engine into the Barracuda was a popular way to gain dominance at the dragstip. Chrysler, with the help of Hurst, sought to duplicate the efforts from the factory. Chrysler would built the Barracudas and ship them to Hurst for the final conversion.

The race prepped Hemi was highly underrated and actually produced well over 600 horsepower. The hood and fenders were fiberglass. The front bumper and doors were light-gauge steel. Getting the 426 Hemi into the engine back took some modifications. The battery was moved to the trunk. Both the right shift linkages for the four speeds, and special rear-axle assemblies from Hurst had to be specially made.

The cars came with street tires and a shallow oil pan off the trailer. The only modifications most racers did were the installation of slicks and a deeper oil pan. The SS Hemi Barracudas were delivered in early May so they would be ready to qualify for the NHRA Spring Nationals.

R.D. McLaughlin, Chrysler-Plymouth general sales manager, outlined for dealers and racers what they could order. Here is the letter:

February 20, 1968
To: All Plymouth Dealers
Subject: 1968 Hemi Barracuda Super Stock

The Chrysler-Plymouth Division offers for the 1968 models a 426 Hemi Powered Barracuda Fastback for use in supervised acceleration trials. These cars will weigh approximately 3000 pounds and have been designed to meet the 1968 specifications for the major sanctioning drag strip organization.

The Hemi-Powered Barracudas will be available through production in limited quantities in March. To order this vehicle use the Barracuda Order Form and specify Body Code BO29 and Transmission Code, either 4 Speed Manual Code 339, or Automatic Code 395.

Source - Potts Auction

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During the 1950s, Chrysler sponsored a program for the racing hobby. They sold cars to eager teenagers who were longing for cars that were being driven by their racing heroes. Other manufacturers soon caught on, and the performance car development quick escalated.

The drag racing wars in the 60's continued to gain momentum as rivalries were fostered at the drag stripes.

In 1968 Hurst Performance Center in Madison Heights, Michigan made 75 specially-built cars solely for drag racing. The 1968 cars marked a major movement in Mopar history. The new powerplant helped carry these cars to victory at many major NHRA events. The Hurst Performance Research cars were tough to beat and dominated the match race circuit in the late 1960's.

This example was built by the team of Mike Dawson and Ron Macini with the help of Gratiot Auto Supply. This 426 Hemi car ran SS/AA.

The first series of the Barracuda was produced from 1964 through 1969, distinguished by is A-body construction. From 1970 through 1974 the second series was produced using an E-body construction.

In 1964, Plymouth offered the Barracuda as an option of the Valiant model line, meaning it wore both the Valiant and Barracuda emblems. The base offering was a 225 cubic-inch six-cylinder engine that produced with 180 horsepower. An optional Commando 273 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine was available with a four-barrel carburetor, high-compression heads and revised cams. The vehicle was outfitted with a live rear axle and semi-elliptic springs. Unfortunately, the Barracuda was introduced at the same time, separated by only two weeks, as the Ford Mustang. The Mustang proved to be the more popular car outselling the Valiant Barracuda by a ratio of 8 to 1.

The interior was given a floor-shifter, vinyl semi-bucket seats, and rear seating. The rear seats folded down allowing ample space for cargo.

By 1967, Plymouth redesigned the Barracuda and added a coupe and convertible to the model line-up. To accommodate larger engines, the engine bay was enlarged. There were multiple engine offerings that ranged in configuration and horsepower ratings. The 225 cubic-inch six-cylinder was the base engine while the 383 cubic-inch 8-cylinder was the top-of-the-line producing 280 horsepower. That was impressive, especially considering the horsepower to weight ratio. Many chose the 340 cubic-inch eight-cylinder because the 383 and Hemi were reported to make the Barracuda nose-heavy while the 340 offered optimal handling.

In 1968 Plymouth offered a Super Stock 426 Hemi package. The lightweight body and race-tuned Hemi were perfect for the drag racing circuit. Glass was replaced with lexan, non-essential items were removed, and lightweight seats with aluminum brackets replaced the factory bench, and were given a sticker that indicated the car was not to be driven on public highways but for supervised acceleration trials. The result was a car that could run the quarter mile in the ten-second range.

For 1969 a limited number of 440 Barracudas were produced, giving the vehicle a zero-to-sixty time of around 5.6 seconds.

In 1970 the Barracuda were restyled but shared similarities to the 1967 through 1969 models. The Barracuda was available in convertible and hardtop configuration; the fastback was no longer offered. Sales were strong in 1970 but declined in the years that followed. The muscle car era was coming to a close due to the rising government safety and emission regulations and insurance premiums. Manufacturers were forced to detune their engines. The market segment was slowly shifting from muscle-cars to luxury automobiles. 1974 was the final year Plymouth offered the Barracuda.

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