1968 Barracuda

3.6 (2)

Advertisement Quote: The 1968 Barracudas. Call the unique. They are. The one-of-a-kind sports cars with a zest for the fun life. These are the cars that are coming on strong all over America. The Plymouth win-you-over beat goes on.

Appearance upgrades for 1968 included changes to the grill and the tail lights. For those choosing the Formula S Barracuda special hood plaques announced the engine size.

The real news was the engine choices. The 273ci Commando was replaced with a larger 340ci V8 also designated as a “Commando”. The 340ci engine was designed to be a performance engine from the start and it proved a very good designed. Horsepower was officially listed at 275. However, no one really believed that and most agreed that it was much higher. Car Life magazine ran the ¼ mile in 14.93 seconds at over 96 mph in a 340 Formula S Barracuda. Those are pretty impressive numbers for a small block.

The Formula S package included either a 383ci or 340ci V8 with a choice of a four speed manual transmission or a beefed up automatic transmission. Other upgrades include wide wheels, heavy duty suspension, white or red White Oval tires, dual exhaust, still moldings and special instrumentation.

Performance Statistics

Model	0-60 mph	Quarter Mile Time	Engine	Source
1968 Barracuda 340-S	7.0 sec	14.9 sec @ 95.4 mph	340ci/275hp	Car Life
1968 Barracuda	7.5 sec	high15s	383ci/300hp	Estimate
1968 Barracuda 340-S	8.1 sec	15.2 sec @ 92.0 mph	340ci/275hp	Motor Trend

Production Numbers

Model	Quantity Built
1968 Barracuda 8 Cylinders Convertibles	2103
1968 Barracuda 6 Cylinders Convertibles	2840
1968 Barracuda 6 Cylinders Fastback	3187
1968 Barracuda 6 Cylinders Hardtop	7200
1968 Barracuda 6 Cylinders Total	12867
1968 Barracuda 8 Cylinders Hardtop	19997
1968 Barracuda 8 Cylinders Fastback	22575
1968 Barracuda 8 Cylinders Total	44675

Available Engines

Code	Engine Size	Fuel	Horsepower	Torque
I6	225ci	1x1bbl	145 hp @ 4000 rpm	215 lb-ft @ 2400 rpm
V8	318ci	1x2bbl	230 hp @ 4400 rpm	320 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
340 Commando	340ci	1x4bbl	275 hp @ 5000 rpm	340 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm
383	383ci	1x4bbl	300 hp @ 4400 rpm	400 lb-ft @ 2400 rpm

A little over 300 Barracudas came with the 383 big block engine. They are very rare today.
Larger available engines were the big news for 1968. The 440ci big block turned the lightweight barracuda into a very fast car.
Plymouth in association with Hurst stuffed a 426 Hemi into about 70 Barracudas for the drag racing crowd. In order to do fit the engine, they had to relocate the battery to the truck. They also had to relocate the brake cylinder and reshape the right shock tower. Other changes included a fiberglass hood and fenders along with lighter gauge metal in the doors and bumpers. The large Hemi engine and the relatively light weight car was a drag racing machine. Mid 10 second quarter miles in the 130 mph range were common in these Super Stock S/S Hemi Barracudas.

1968 Barracuda For Sale

1968 Barracuda Parts

User reviews

Average user rating from: 2 user(s)

Overall rating:		3.6
Looks:		3.0 (2)
Performance:		4.0 (2)
Parts Availability:		3.5 (2)
Collectability:		4.0 (2)

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1968 Plymouth Barracuda

Overall rating:		3.8
Looks:		3.0
Performance:		4.0
Parts Availability:		4.0
Collectability:		4.0

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Reviewed by Cuda
March 05, 2009

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0 of 2 people found the following review helpful

The 1968 Plymouth Barracuda is an odd-looking car with its swooped back and its stern looking front end. It just could not compete with the Camaro’s, Mustangs and ever its cousin, the Road Runner in the looks department. It was not bad looking it just was not pretty. Performance wise, it was great.

Getting Better

Overall rating:		3.5
Looks:		3.0
Performance:		4.0
Parts Availability:		3.0
Collectability:		4.0

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Reviewed by Muscle Car Dude
January 11, 2009

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

This middle model of the second generation Barracuda had much stronger engines that the '67. Performance was rising and would continue to rise. The car didn?t have the look of the Mustang or the Camaro, but it more than made up for in on the drag strip.