Introduced in 1964 and revised in 1967, the Plymouth Barracuda got its final refresh for the 1970 model year. And that’s when the pony designed to go against the Ford Mustang morphed into a fully-blown muscle car.
Not only redesigned into a more aggressive-looking car, but the 1970 ‘Cuda also got Mopar’s greatest available engines. I’m talking about the 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB and the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI V8s. Both were discontinued in 1972, so Barracudas equipped with these big-block mills are pretty rare.
The 440 ‘Cudas aren’t all that scarce at 2,770 units built, but things change dramatically if we narrow it down to carburetor setup and transmission. That’s because only 986 of them had the 440 four-barrel engine, of which only 340 came with the four-speed manual gearbox.
As for the 2×3-barrel carburetor cars, Plymouth sold 1,784 of them, split between 919 four-speeds and 865 automatics. Of course, it’s the convertible models that are the rarest, with only 34 made with the 440-4 and just 29 sold with the 440-6.
Then there’s the mighty HEMI ‘Cuda, which left the assembly line in just 666 examples, including 14 convertibles. Only 377 of these cars were ordered with the automatic and just 289 came with the four-speed manual.
How many of them are still around? Well, it’s a bit of a mystery but some of them got lost on the way so these figures are no longer valid as of 2022. And many of those that survived are no longer road-worthy, like this In-Violet example discovered and documented by “Auto Archaeology.”
Found hiding in a yard somewhere in Nebraska, this derelict ‘Cuda has been with the same owner since 1975. And impressive enough for a car that’s been sitting for decades, it still has its original 426 HEMI. Well, it’s not 100% original since the owner raced it for a few years, but it’s as close as they get.
The Mopar is in rough shape after sitting for so long, with the In-Violet paint barely recognizable due to weathering and surface rust. But because it sat under a tarp, it’s still in one piece and totally worth restoring. And hopefully, the owner will put it back on its feet because 1970 HEMI hardtops are worth around $200,000 in restored condition.
Until that happens, check it out in the video below. The footage was shot in early 2022 (which explains the snow) but it was only published in November.