BARRACUDA HISTORY
In Irv Ritchie's preliminary concept for the Barracuda from 1962, most of the final lines of the 1964 Barracuda are visible. It is not easy to see in this drawing, but the rear-window and trunk design are almost the same as the production unit. The "C" pillar is a completely different design, closely resembling that of 60's full- and mid-sized two-door hardtops from Chrysler.
The Plymouth Barracuda was introduced April 1, 1964. This was not a direct reply to Ford's Mustang, although some observers thought otherwise, when the Ford appeared two weeks later. Almost 65,000 Barracudas were sold in their first year, less than one-tenth the sales of the Mustang that year.
The Barracuda was closely based on the compact Plymouth Valiant, it's major difference was a huge compound-curved rear window. The car had a fastback appearance, but was not a true hatchback, as the rear window was fixed in place. A stubby trunklid provided access to a small trunk. A fold-down panel divided the trunk from the interior of the car, and advertisements frequently showed this panel helping Barracudas carry surf boards and other long objects.
1964 Barracudas featured a Valiant script on the right side of the panel underneath the trunklid. Most 1964 Barracudas I have seen are missing this script, probably because it was not replaced after the cars suffered minor rear-end collisions. I recently uncovered a source that says, only the first 800 Barracudas made in 1964 have this script. 1964 and 1965 Barracudas also include a red and blue Valiant V symbol above the trunk.
Also unique to the 1964 model year was the dashboard, which featured rotary and push-pull controls for the heater/fresh air system. The automatic transmissions in 1964 Barracudas were operated by pushbutton controls on the dashboard. Manual transmissions were controlled by either a column shift, or a 4-on-the-floor Hurst shifter. Engine choices included the durable slant-6, or a more powerful 273 V-8 of 180 hp. 1964 Barracuda advertisements mentioned the 170 cubic inch slant-6 being available, but most slant-6 Barracudas used the 225 c.i. engine.
For 1965, the Valiant script under the trunklid was eliminated, the heater/vent controls became left-right sliding units, and a performance model, the Formula S, was introduced. The Formula S featured a tachometer, 14-inch wheels, heavy duty suspension, and the Commando engine. Commando engines developed 235 hp, and featured a higher compression ratio, dual-point distributor, four-barrel carb, solid lifters, and a black crinkle finish on the valve covers, as opposed to the plain red covers on a base 273 V-8. 1965 Automatic transmission Barracudas featured a floor shift in a small console.
And here is another prototype, this one for the 1966 Barracuda. It closely resembles a 1966 Valiant, but using the Barracuda "C" pillar, and a wraparound rear window. This would have let Plymouth use the same trunk on the Barracuda as on the Valiant. I have no additional information as to the age of this drawing, or its author.
For 1966, the look of the Barracuda was changed substantially. The front and rear sections of the car were redesigned, to have more solid edges, where the 1964-1965 was a rounded design. The front of a 1966 Barracuda slants forward slightly into the wind, and has a two-piece eggcrate grill. Both manual and automatic transmission-equipped 1966 Barracudas were available with a full-length console, containing cigarette lighter, ashtray, and a large storage compartment almost as big as the glove compartment. Also in 1966, the Valiant emblem above the trunk was replaced with a symbol of a Barracuda fish. Some early production 1966 Barracudas include the Valiant V symbol above the trunk and on the grill.
For 1967, the Barracuda got what many people consider a more pretty
design, and an engine compartment large enough to take a big-block V-8.
3 body styles were available: fastback, hardtop, and convertible. In
1970, the E-body Barracuda coupe was a much larger, muscular-looking
car than it's two predecessors, with wide availability of big-block
engines. Barracuda production ended after the 1974 model year.
TECHNICAL DATA:
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BARRACUDA PRODUCTION NUMBERS:
| 1964 | |
| 6 cylinder | 2,647 |
| 8 cylinder | 20,796 |
| Total | 23,443 |
| 1965 | |
| 6 cylinder | 18,756 |
| 8 cylinder | 41,603 |
| Total | 60,168 |
| 1966 | |
| 6 cylinder | 10,645 |
| 8 cylinder | 25,536 |
| Total | 36,181 |
Figures taken from (Mopar Buyer's Guide) by Peter C. Sessler