I just finished transferring my photo collection to a new program, so I thought I would play around with the controls. What better way to do it than by editing pictures of a 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda? This car was on display at the 2024 Seattle Auto Show.
The ‘Cuda was the top-of-the-line Barracuda — and for 1970 it had an odd incongruence. The all-new sheetmetal was rather plain, particularly compared to the Dodge Challenger’s. Perhaps because of this, the Plymouth’s designers overcompensated with unusually loud racing stripes.
The prevailing theory seemed to be that the ‘Cuda needed to really stand out in order to attract a following. One could reasonably argue that Plymouth accomplished this goal.
In the 1970 model year almost 20,000 ‘Cuda hardtops and convertibles left the factory, which represented a surprisingly big portion of the Barracuda’s total production of almost 55,000 cars.
The ‘Cuda wasn’t as outrageous as American Motors’ 1970 Rebel Machine, but it still strikes me as overdone. And for 1971 things would get even worse, with a shark-like grille and louder racing stripes. It all did nothing for the ‘Cuda’s output, which fell to under 7,000 units.
Also see ‘Which high-performance pony cars sold best in the early-1970s?’
The Valiant Duster 340 outsold the ‘Cuda in both 1970 and 1971 even though it was less powerful and stylish. We have argued that this wasn’t at all surprising. The Barracuda’s 1970 redesign was so big, heavy and costly that it overshot the market. The ‘Cuda model was the most extreme example of that.
Chrysler might have done much better if it had stuck with a Valiant-based pony car along the lines of the Australian Charger (go here for further discussion).
NOTES:
Production figures are from the auto editors of Consumer Guide (2006), Flory (2004) and Gunnell (2002).
Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.
RE:SOURCES
- Auto editors of Consumer Guide; 1993, 2006. Encyclopedia of American Cars. Publications International, Lincolnwood, IL.
- Flory, J. “Kelly” Jr.; 2004. American Cars, 1960-1972. McFarland & Co., Inc.
- Gunnell, John; 2002. Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975. Revised Fourth Ed. Krause Publications, Iola, WI.
I’m hard pressed to see any difference in the Barracuda and Challenger sheet metal
If your sense of design is similar to most pony car buyers, then Chrysler wasted a whole bunch of money giving the Barracuda and Challenger unique sheetmetal. However, it may be worth noting that the 1970-74 Challenger consistently outsold the Barracuda despite a slightly higher base price — and the Dodge ended up comprising 60 percent of total Chrysler pony-car production during that time period. The main difference between the two cars was arguably the styling.
The big difference between the two cars was wheelbase: 110-inches for the Dodge, 108 for the Baccaruda, with difference Slant Six base engines, so no wonder the Dodge had a slightly higher base price. The Challenger was a better entry value. While the Challenger was nice, the Barracuda in 1970 was better styled. Just ask Joe Mannix !
It’s true that the Challenger had a bit more rear-seat leg room due to the longer wheelbase. The car was also almost five inches longer, but it’s unclear as to whether that translated into any additional trunk space. But even with its larger size the Challenger wasn’t terribly roomy for a pony car. A Duster/Demon was arguably a more versatile option.