Plymouth are not the most obvious marque to write about. Founded by Chrysler to compete with Chevrolet and Ford, it simply never reached the dizzying heights of international fame such marques enjoy. For example, the Barracuda is mainly used, both by myself and others, as a yardstick, comparing it to Mustangs and Corvettes. I think that’s a little unfair. I’ve always had something of a soft spot for this machine, and it’s time to give it the attention it deserves. In this article, I’m going to take a closer look at the car’s life, from its birth in the middle 60s, through to its death a decade later.

The Plymouth Barracuda was created from necessity. When it comes to muscle car stories of the 1960s, there are often two simple origins: either the car is a Ford Mustang, or it is a response to it. As you can tell, the Barracuda falls into the latter category. The Mustang was far from a secret at this time, with rumors abounding across the industry that something big was coming, based on the Falcon. As such, Plymouth needed to get something out fast. Stylist Irv Ritchie sketched out a design based on the Plymouth Valiant, and the die was cast. I know that there is a certain amount of confirmation bias involved with a car name and its associations, but I think we can all agree that Barracuda is a great name for a muscle car. Originally, however, Plymouth’s new muscle car was set to be called the Panda. Now, Panda is a perfectly fine name for a Fiat compact, but can you really imagine naming a muscle car after an ominvorous and somewhat useless animal? Luckily, good sense in the shape of John Samsen, co-designer of the Thunderbird, prevailed, and the name Barracuda was chosen.

The very first Barracudas hit the roads in the form of a fastback on April 1, 1964. If you were familiar with Valiants of the period, you would instantly have recognized the body shape, and indeed, the first models still had badging for the Valiant. They’re very much relics of the time, with a huge bubble rear windshield, and, as you may expect from something of an experimental car, fairly small engines to choose from. The standard engine was a 170 cubic inch slant-six, which output 145 horsepower, with the largest option being a 273 cubic inch LA V8, capable of producing 180 horsepower. It did have price on its side though. The base model’s MSRP was $2512, close enough to the Mustang’s $2368 that both would prove to be attractive options. When it came to marketing however, Ford took a far more effective approach. Rather than attempting to market itself as a car “for people of all ages and interests,” as Plymouth did, Ford, and indeed Chevrolet, advertized their cars at the youth market, lending their cars an air of mystique and street cred which would prove extremely attractive. That being said, the Barracuda was still eye-catching for the time. A contemporary article in Motor Trend reported that despite its somewhat sluggish performance, public interest was very high indeed.

“Everywhere we stopped our Barracuda test car, people bombarded us with questions. It got so bad that we finally started parking at the deserted ends of streets and lots just so we could slip away before a crowd gathered.”

The 1965 ‘Cuda had been in the works since before the first models even left the factory, and this was to be the year where the car began approaching true muscle car status. As well as losing the Valiant badging, the 1965 cars’ base engine was upgraded from the 170 to a 225 slant-six. More exciting however, was the Formula ‘S’ trim option. This package brought a new 273 Commando V8, that produced 240 horsepower, and had a high-overlap camshaft, aluminum pistons, four-barrel carb, three-speed manual transmission as standard, heavy-duty suspension with a sway bar, and, after the 1965 model year began, disc brakes. The car was capable of handling corners thanks to the upgraded suspension, and could also hit 60 mph in just 8.5 seconds. Now we’re talking.

What’s more, it was still affordable, with an MSRP of $3169. There was also a new dash in the Formula ‘S’, featuring just two large dials, with one displaying speed, and the other temperature. This trim level won the 1965 Canadian National Rally too, leading to sales numbers of 64,596 for the year. The cars were beginning to shift, and dotted drag strips across the nation. One example, the Hurst Hemi Under Glass cars, created by Hurst Performance, became famous for putting a Hemi under the huge rear window of the Barracuda, leading to incredible wheel stands.

In 1966, a minor redesign brought new taillamps, a new instrument panel and new front sheet metal, shared with the Valiant, aside from the grille. The year also brought the iconic Barracuda emblem which adorned the cars until production ceased.  This was to be the last of the original Barracudas. The second-generation models were set to arrive, just in time for 1967, the summer of love, and endless drives from coast to coast.

The Second Generation

The second-gen Barracuda was a much different beast than the earlier model. As well as bringing with it a longer wheelbase (108 inches, compared to the earlier 106 inches), the fastback was joined on forecourts nationwide by stunning coupe and convertible models, matching the Mustang’s diverse body styles. John E. Herlitz and the aforementioned John Samsen had made an entirely new Barracuda, bringing with it the Coke bottle contours so beloved of 1960s designers, and giving the massive rear windshield the chop. Both front and rear had been heavily redesigned, with a new deck, wider wheelarches, and the rear windshield was raked drastically.

The car’s engine options had also dramatically expanded. While a 225 slant-six was still the base model, there were a range of V8s to pick from too, with displacements ranging all the way up to 383 cubic inches in its first year. Horsepower ranged from 145 to 280 horsepower. While it still shared a lot of its basic design with the Valiant, it was looking more and more like the pony car it aspired to be. While we tend to think of such a style as being somewhat concrete today, when the first design for the new Barracuda was shown in 1967, it caused uproar with GM. The Barracuda S-X, as the show car was known, was deemed to have far too much in common with the Pontiac GTO, resulting in the show car being pulled.

In 1968, new side lamps with reflectors were brought in to fall in line with Federal guidelines, and the engine lineup changed once again. The smallest V8 was boosted up to the 318 LA, far larger than the original’s largest engine. A 340 four-barrel V8 was also introduced, and the 383 Commando received numerous upgrades, as seen on the Plymouth Road Runner. For stock racing afficionados, 1968 also brought the Super Stock 426 Hemi package. This little bundle of power was ordered in around 50 fastbacks, and brought a massive, tuned Hemi V8 as well as severe weight reduction. The glass was replaced with Lexan, sound insulation was plain gone, the backseat was removed, and the bench seat was replaced with single occupancy van seats. This car was far from road legal, but boy, was it fast. The package allowed the Barracuda to blaze down a quarter-mile in around 10.5 seconds. This was the year you could also opt for a 440 V8, if you were the crazy sort. It was a great time to be a Barracuda owner.

The next year brought with it small upgrades, including an option called the Mod Top, a floral vinyl roof cover, if you were desperate to keep the spirit of the 60s alive. The year also brought further boosts to engine power. The 383 V8 had its horsepower boosted all the way up to 350 horsepower. The new ‘Cuda trim option was also released in 1969, with performance upgrades as standard and the option of a 440 Commando V8.

The Third Generation

In 1970, the most dramatic change was obvious the moment you stepped into a dealership. The fastback, that old mainstay of the Barracuda lineup, was gone. Now, if you wanted one of Plymouth’s finest, your options were a coupe or a convertible only, part of an attempt to shake off the Barracuda’s “economy model” image. The A-Body design of old had also been changed, with the car now being built on the E-Body, also seen on the Dodge Challenger. Three trim levels were available: the base BH model, the luxury-orientated Gran Coupe, and the sporty ‘Cuda, given the unenviable designation of BS. For most models, the base engine was still the 225 slant-six, but halfway through the 1970 model year, a lower price model was released. This car, the Barracuda Coupe (A93) had a 198 cubic inch slant-six, and also lost the rear passenger windows.

The larger body also allowed the 426 Hemi to be listed as a standard option, which produced a whopping 425 horsepower. The ‘Cuda trim options competed in the 1970 Trans-Am series, placing in pole position three times (though sadly never winning a race). Happily for Chrysler however, their French racing division also drove Hemi ‘Cudas until 1973, winning three track races and one hill climb event.

Changes for 1971 were slight, but noticeable. The grille was redesigned, and new taillights, seats, and trim were fitted. This was also the only year where you could get a four-headlamp version of the Barracuda, so if you see one of those, you know you’ve made a find. Engine options also changed slightly, with the 340 six-barrel engine being removed from the options list and the 440 four-barrel RB V8 being made available only through special order.

The Last Barracudas

If the 1970-1971 Barracudas were the golden age of the car, 1972-1974 was when its glory was to be tarnished, through no real fault of its own. Thanks to new federal standards, the car’s grandeur had to be signicantly scaled back. As well as some body changes, such as new bumpers, the engine lineup was dramatically reduced. Gone were the glory days of fitting a 426 Hemi under the hood; instead, you could pick from just three engines for the final generation: the 225 slant-six, or two V8s, measuring up at 318 and 340 cubic inches. Low lead and unleaded gas were the orders of the day, and three transmission setups were available: a pair of manuals or an automatic.

Come 1973, the engine options got even more severe, with the venerable 225 slant-six being removed. The remaining engines lost more and more of their power with each passing year. What’s more, the weight also began to increase, with new safety bumpers, among other mandated parts, piling on the pounds. The OPEC oil crisis also played its part in the Barracuda’s decline, with skyrocketing gas prices making muscle cars an unobtainable luxury for most. Sales dipped on the Barracuda range, with a small increase in 1973, but this wasn’t enough to save the car. On April 1, 1974, production was brought to an end, exactly 10 years after it started.

Further Barracudas had been planned by Plymouth, with the stunning Road Runner variant called the Superbird serving as inspiration. That could have been an amazing car, but it was not to be. So go on, consider a Barracuda for your next project if you can afford it. They deserve a lot more love than they’re given.