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1970 Plymouth Barracuda

The Ford Mustang birthed the new Pony Car market and was the catalyst for other manufacturers to follow suit. Ford's sporty new compact was based on the inexpensive Falcon chassis and running gear and offered with a slew of engines, options, and configurations. Using the compact Valiant line, Chrysler stylist Irv Ritchie penned a fastback entry for the rapidly growing sports-compact Pony car segment. Although the name panda was considered, it was John Samsen's suggestion of barracuda that ultimately won.

1970 Plymouth Barracuda photo
Cuda Hardtop Coupe
Chassis #: BS23V0B345337
View info and history
Chrysler introduced its Barracuda model on April 1st of 1964. It was based on Chrysler's A-body line, rested on the Valiant's 106-inch platform, and incorporated many Valiant body pieces including the bumpers, quarter panels, doors, windshield, headlamp bezels, hood, and A-pillar. Powertrains were identical to the Valiants, including two versions of Chrysler's slant-6 six-cylinder engine. The most potent option for 1964 was Chrysler's all-new 273 cubic-inch LA V8 equipped with a two-barrel carburetor, producing 180 horsepower.

The first generation of the Barracuda was built through 1966, followed by the second generation of 1967 through 1969. Its A-body wheelbase now measured 108 inches and continued to share many body and mechanical components with the Valiant.

The muscle car era peaked as the 1960s were coming to a close, as insurance companies and government regulations were beginning to tame the horsepower figures that had escalated to all-new heights. Many of these performance machines had been built to homologate special equipment for racing purposes and others were for the pure satisfaction of building the most dominant street machines of the day. Among the list was the Hemi 'Cuda that used the simple formula of a light mid-size body and shoehorned the company's most potent powerplant under the hood. In Plymouth's case, it was the 427 cubic-inch street 'Hemi' that topped the line.

1970 Plymouth Barracuda photo
Cuda Hardtop Coupe
Chassis #: BS23R0B214239
View info and history
Auction entries : 2

The 1970 Plymouth Barracuda


For 1970, the Plymouth Barracuda moved upscale with the arrival of the new E-body platform (a shorter and wider version of Chrysler's existing B platform), and wore new styling by John Herlitz. Along with being wider, lower, and longer, the new cars were also sleeker, short deck proportions, and classic 'pony car' long hood. All of the previous commonality with the Valiant was removed, and the original fastback design was dropped, and body styles now consisted of a coupe and convertible. The E-body's engine bay was larger than that of the previous A-body, accommodating the release of Chrysler's 426 cubic-inch Hemi.

Both the 1970 and 1971 Barracuda were offered as the base (BH), the luxury-oriented Gran Coupe (BP), and the sport model 'Cuda (BS). Beginning mid-year 1970, there was also the Barracuda Coupe (A93) that served as an entry-level model that came with the 198 cubic-inch Slant Six engine as standard, lower-grade interior, and fixed quarter glass instead of roll-down rear passenger windows.

Engines
Engine options included two six-cylinder versions of the slant-6, a new 198 CID and the 225, as well as three different V8s (the 318, 383 with a two-barrel carburetor and single exhaust, and the 383 with a four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust). The Cuda came with the 383 cubic-inch engine with 335 (SAE gross) horsepower as the base engine. Additional options included the 440 CID four-barrel Super Commando, the 440ci six-barrel Super Commando Six Pak, and the 426ci Hemi. The Hemi and 440 CID-equipped cars received structural reinforcements and suspension upgrades to cope with the power.

Standard Equipment
Barracudas came standard with high-back bucket seats with all-vinyl trim, molded door, and quarter trim panels, integral head rets, flood-lit instrument panel, carpeting, floor shift controls, and a three-spoke woodgrain steering wheel. Gran Coupe models added body sill, wheel lip, beltline moldings, and Gran Coupe emblems. Body styles had leather bucket seats and consolette in Knit Jersey, while convertibles had leather bucket seats.

Hemi Cuda
The Hemi 'Cuda was Plymouth's top high-performance car for 1970 at a premium of $871 over the basic 'Cuda's $3,164 starting price. The new street Hemi engine for 1970 now came with a maintenance-free hydraulic camshaft with a similar lobe profile to the prior mechanical unit for greater ease of operation. Hemi-equipped cars came standard with the menacing 'Shaker' col-air hood scoop, power-assisted front disc brakes, bucket seats, center console, elastomeric bumpers, Rallye instrument cluster, and heavy-duty underpinnings that included carefully selected rear leaf springs at no additional cost. A total of 652 examples of the Hemi 'Cuda hardtops were built for sale in the United States in 1970, including 284 equipped with the four-speed manual transmission.

Barracuda Production and Pricing
For 1970, Plymouth sold 25,651 examples of the Barracuda Hardtop Coupe and 1,554 of the Barracuda Convertible. The hardtop had a base price of $2,765 and the convertible listed for $3,035.

1970 Plymouth Barracuda photo
Cuda Hardtop Coupe
Chassis #: 50211
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The total 1970 Plymouth sales for the Gran Coupe Series found 8,183 buyers of the Hardtop Coupe (at a base price of $2,930) and 596 of the convertible (priced at $3,160).

The 'Cuda hardtop coupe added 18,880 sales and 635 of the convertible. The hardtop listed for $3,165 and the convertible at $3,430.

Motorsport Competition
Dan Gurney and Swede Savage raced identical factory-sponsored AAR (All American Racers) 'Cudas in the 1970 Trans-Am Series. During the season, they earned three pole positions and the highest finish was a second-place at Road America. The Road-going version of the AAR 'Cuda was offered to customers and came with the 340 CID 'Six Pack' with three two-barrel carburetors.

1970 Plymouth Barracuda photo
Cuda Hardtop Coupe
View info and history
The Hemi 'Cuda was very successful in Super Stock and new Pro Stock classes from 1970 through 1972 in the hands of Mopar racers including Sox & Martin until stiff NHRA-imposed weight penalties eroded the Hemi's advantage.


by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2020

Related Reading : Plymouth Barracuda History

The first series of the Barracuda was produced from 1964 through 1969, distinguished by its 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....
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