Classic Muscle Cars
Sunday, October 18th, 2009There have been many classic muscle cars made in the past but not many grew so big and still preformed like the Plymouth Barracuda. This was the only pony car that actually beat the Ford Mustang to the market. It was released only 2 weeks prior but it was still there first in 1964.
The very first Barracuda or Cuda as it is better know by today, was Chrysler’s first performance car. This was the performance option on the Valiant a-body car. This first generation of Cuda lasted just three years but had some unique features, one of which was a folding down rear seat to increase the cargo handling capabilities of the car. Unlike the Mustang, this car offered a 273 cu in V-8 the very first year of production.
 classic muscle cars 1970 cuda |
The second generation Cuda was introduced in 1967 with an all new look and package. This car became into its own this year and was no longer just the performance option of the Valiant. The major difference of this pony car from all the rest up to this point was it did not have the long hood and short rear deck of most pony cars. This was also the year the big block Chryslers were fitted in under the hood. The 383 cu in motor was an option but due to its size these cars could not come equipped with power steering or air conditioning, there simply was not enough room under the hood.
In 1968 a more reasonable motor was an option to fit the car in that a 340 cu in was now available. It fit better and customers could have power steering and air conditioning. But the 383 were still the best choice for the ¼ mile drag strip.
The third generation in 1970 saw major changes including a total redesign to incorporate a long hood and short rear deck to better compete with the Mustang and Camaro. The 1970 Cuda was available with every engine option made by Chrysler including the 426 Hemi and the 440 with a six-pack on top. But this all ended in 1974 when only 15,000 cars were sold. But what a ride it was for the Cuda, one of many classic muscle cars made then faded away.
Speaking of classic muscle cars, we have just added a couple of neat videos to the post about the 1966 charger that is for sale on this website. One of them is an original TV ad for the 66 charger, and the other is a real crazy video of a guy just obliterating a set of rear tires, up in smoke! Check them out.
