The Hemi V-8 powered 1970 Plymouth Barracuda is a favorite with car collectors, and now the first of these iconic muscle cars is up for sale.
Muscle Cars & Trucks first spotted the car, and Indiana-based Motorvault is selling it for $2.2 million. A regular Hemi ‘Cuda (Performance badged from 1970) might fetch that price at auction, but the car is also billed as a pre-production example with just 17,755 miles on the clock.
The first Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda in 1970 (photo via Motorvault)
Plymouth introduced the Barracuda in 1964 to counter the Ford Mustang (it actually showed the Barracuda a few weeks before the Ford Pony Car), but it turns out that the first 1970 The second-generation model is more popular with muscle car fans. That’s likely thanks to more distinctive styling and a range of performance variants, including the racing-inspired AAR ‘Cuda and, of course, the Hemi ‘Cuda.
Powered by the legendary 426 cubic inch Hemi V-8, it was one of the most powerful Barracudas with a claimed output of 425 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque. The car paired the engine with a 4-speed manual transmission (an automatic was also available), making it one of only 284 1970 Cudas built with this engine and transmission combination.
The first Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda in 1970 (photo via Motorvault)
That’s not all that sets this car apart. This was only the third Plymouth Barracuda built in 1970 and the first Hemi. It was completed in Hamtramck, Michigan on August 1, 1969, and it also has an unusual combination of options. Unlike most Hemi ‘Cudas customers order, it lacks a tachometer and no external graphics. It also has overhead consoles and a premium trim package.
According to the seller, the car has been in Indiana since 1983, spending most of that time in a museum. It was repainted in the same Alpine White color as it left the factory, but it is said to have not been restored. Hemi ‘Cudas are already raking in big money — a pair of convertibles sold for more than $2 million each at auction in 2016 — and the car’s originality and unique history only add to its value .