Plymouth Barracuda
Reviewed by Unique Cars and Parts
Our Rating: 3
Introduction
Released only 2 weeks before the Mustang, the stylish
2 door Barracuda coupe was really only a tidied up version
of the Valiant 4 door sedan, however it did feature a
dramatic fastback roofline incorporating a large wrap-around
rear window.
Coupled with a huge range of options and, for the time,
engine choices, the beautiful styling of the youthful
coupe was unable to grab the attention of the buying public,
besotted with the new Mustang.
And as a direct competitor,
it failed to achieve even mediocre success being outsold
on a ratio of approx. 10 Mustangs to 1 Barracuda.
To try to win back sales, Plymouth decided to make the
Barracuda more a performance vehicle, and by the late
60's the top-of-the-range car was fitted with a 235bhp
V8 coupled to heavy duty
suspension and brakes.
But emission regulations of the 70's were soon to see
a decrease in performance, and subsequent models became
very bland in appearance as the designers obviously saw
motor transportation as a means of getting from A to B
rather than an exercise in style and grace.
It is perhaps
because of this that the Barracuda models are today seen
as unique and highly collectible.
