The new Barracuda was based upon Plymouth’s compact Valiant. It was designed to compete with Ford’s new Mustang. To say that the Barracuda was just a restyled Valiant was an understatement. The car even had a “Valiant” badge on the rear of the car. Some of the major changes included the large rear glass that turned the car into a fastback. Also included were standard bucket seats, are rear bench seat that could fold down...

The Valiant badges disappeared and performance was up. Plymouth introduced the Commando 273 in 1965 to go with the newly created Formula S model. The beefed up V8 with a 4 barrel carburetor add 55 horsepower over the base V8. A Performance Group package improved the handling significantly. The Barracuda was becoming a real sports car. This was especially true for the Formula S. Major change for 1965 included a new dash and a floor...

Updates were minor for the 1966 Barracuda and consisted of small appearance changes. The grill was changed with the turn signals being moved to the bumpers. Also, turn signal indicators were added to the front finders. The tail lights were also restyled slightly. The car was light and it performed well in rallies and endurance races. Unfortunately, the design was becoming a little dated and sales dropped to almost half of the previous years.

The Barracuda was completely restyled for 1967. The new car was longer, wider and lower and most importantly it was no longer a Valiant knock off.  The new design was very clean and minimalist and the result was a sporty looking car. This was especially true of the “Sport Barracuda,” Plymouths name for the fastback. The new larger car could now hold a big block engine, but just barely. Power steering and air conditioning was not...

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,...

Changes for the last of this generation of Barracudas were cosmetically minor. The side light markers were rectangular instead of round, the grill was updated and the taillights were changed. The real news was under the hood. The engineers a Plymouth found a way to stuff a 440ci big block between the fenders. Plymouth also officially introduced the ‘Cuda in 1969. The ‘Cuda was a car for the straight line racer and it was available...

The 1970 Plymouth Barracuda was an instant classic. The design was muscular with its long hood and short rear deck. The new Barracuda was larger and wider than the previous model and best of all it could hold all the big block engines in Plymouth’s inventory. The Hemi and the 440ci big block could easily fit between the fender wells. The engine choices were plentiful with no less that eleven power plants offered. Everything from a...

Changes for 1971 were relatively cosmetic with the addition of dual headlights up front and a new grill. ‘Cuda models received simulated louvers on the front grill. Otherwise the car was basically a carryover. With the deletion of the AAR ‘Cuda only three models remained. The base Barracuda, the luxury Gran Coupe and the performance orientated ‘Cuda. This was also the last year for the convertible option. The Gran Coupe continued as the upscale model with...

The dual headlights were done away with for 1972 and the taillights were change to round ones in the rear. The convertible and the Gran Coupe options were deleted also. Many of the engine options were also discontinued. The ‘Cuda was still great performance car but it wasn’t anything near the killer car it was a year before. The ‘Cuda still came with an upgraded suspension, heavy duty breaks and larger tires which allowed for...

The addition of mandated 5mph bumper guards was the only changes to the 1973 Barracuda. Nevertheless, sales increased slightly, largely the result of heavy promotion and the discounting of option prices. The six cylinder engine was dropped this year and the 340ci small block was only available with a two barrel carburetor.

The 1974 Barracuda was the last of the great Plymouth pony cars. Changes were absence for 1974 with the exception of the engine options. The performance designed 340ci small block was replaced with a 360ci engine. The change was directly related to fuel economy and the larger engine actually saw a decrease in performance. The legacy of the Barracuda will live on in the new 2009 Dodge Challenger. One look at the new Challenger and it...