1964-1974 Plymouth Baracuda History

1964

The Plymouth Barracuda was launched in early 1964, two weeks before the Ford Mustang. Officially called the Valiant Barracuda, the car was based on the compact Valiant and kept its lower body but used a fastback super-structure with a massive wraparound backlight (the largest single piece of glass ever put on a production car) and stubby trunklid. The interior featured the Signet’s bucket-seats, plus a flip-down rear seatback and security panel for carrying long items. Original marketing for the vehicle stressed its convenience features and design more than sporty performance, which would hurt its performance image for the next several years. Engine offerings were the same as the Valiant, with a 170 cid Slant Six at launch, with the 225 Slant Six or 273 V8 as options.

1965

The 1965 model year saw the introduction of two important options; the 273 in³ (4.5 L) Commando, a 235 hp (175 kW) four-barrel carbureted V8, and the Formula ’S’ package, a performance package that included the Commando V8, upgraded suspension, wheels, and tires, and a standard tachometer.

1966

In 1966 the Barracuda would receive slightly new taillight designs and a facelift, making it easily distinguishable from the 1964 and 1965 versions. As a move to further the car’s image from that of the Valiant, the blue and red "V" shaped Valiant emblem below the rear glass on the center of the vehicle was replaced mid-year by a Barracuda fish emblem.

1967

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.

1968

The Barracuda received minor styling changes and a greater availability of engines for 1968 with the reintroduction of the 225 Slant Six engine. The top of the line 383 also received a power boost. The 273 cid engines were retired. To give the Barracuda more of a performance image, Plymouth quietly built a small number of Hemi powered Barracudas to give to professional drag racers,.These ’Cudas had 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 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.

1969

1969 was the year that Plymouth finally got serious about performance. They boosted the output of the 383 cid engine to 330 bhp and found room to fit power steering. Plymouth also introduced a cosmetic package built around the Formula S option, which they called the ’Cuda. The ’Cuda could be had with either the 275 bhp 340 V8 or the 383, but it still wasn’t fast enough. Plymouth responded by stuffing in the triple carb 440 V8 under the hood, the largest engine available in a pony car. Unfortunately, the larger engine required the elimination of power steering again and was only available with an automatic transmission, as the rear axle needed to be cushioned against the immense torque of the 440. With 57% of the car’s weight over the front wheels and the use of drum brakes all around, handling and braking suffered.

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