The Barracuda was an all-new car for 1970, sharing its new E-body platform with the Dodge Challenger. ‘Cuda was the high-performance model, which represented about a third of overall production. This one left the factory with a 340 small-block V8, 4-speed manual transmission and finished In-Violet (aka Plum Crazy) paint, making it a very desirable combination today. Over the years, however, this ‘Cuda had all those items changed for different hardware and color and looks to have been idle for quite some time. It can be found in South Hill, Virginia and is available here on eBay for $19,200, where the reserve has not yet been met.

Plymouth beat Ford to the pony car game by just 17 days in 1964, but the Mustang is the one that took the country by storm. Just as the Mustang was derived from the Falcon, the Barracuda grew from the seeds planted by the compact Valiant. All that would change in 1970 when the little Plymouth was totally redone and took on a persona all its own. Sales would jump by 50% in just one year, with the car having its best run ever. But the pony car market was getting saturated by then and the muscle car segment – which included those automobiles – was getting hammered by the insurance industry. As a result, demand for the Barracuda died off by 1974.

A ‘Cuda come from the factory with anything from the 340 V8 all the way up to the 426 cubic inch Hemi. The seller’s car was one of just 2,372 built in 1970, a hardtop coupe with the 275 hp 340 engine and 4-speed. The numbers no doubt dropped even further when going out the door with In-Violet purple paint, perhaps the most iconic of the Hi-Impact colors that Chrysler offered in 1970-71 (at Dodge, it was called Plum Crazy).

We’re not sure of the history of the seller’s 1970 ‘Cuda, but it looks to have been first stored in a barn and then outdoors, collecting a significant amount of dirt, dust and other things that Mother Nature could throw at it. Once it was given a well-earned bath, it became obvious that the purple paint was gone in favor of an older repaint in orange (perhaps an attempt at Hemi Orange or Tor-Red, other Hi-Impact Chrysler colors?). A vinyl top is present, maybe original or maybe not. But the odometer reading is just under 32,000 miles, and while that could be original, it could very well have turned over.

Besides a color change, the drivetrain was also swapped out for a 440 big-block engine with a TorqueFlite automatic transmission. It’s likely that neither have been functional for some time, and may have contributed to the car going uncover. The fender tag would help validate the car’s originality, but it was removed from the auto and the seller says he has it locked up somewhere in a safe (a photo of it would be helpful).

The body on this ‘Cuda appears to be solid overall, with minimal rust even on the undercarriage. It comes with its original “racing bumper,” but I’m not sure what that means (painted the same color as the rest of the car?) There is at least one dent in the sheet metal, located just behind the wheel well on the driver’s side. The interior, besides being dirty, looks to be in decent condition, but the seats are not original, and the seller has a spare set of 1970 ‘Cuda seats if the buyer is interested (part of the deal or extra cost?).

This car looks to be a solid candidate for a restoration, but if you’re looking for numbers-matching, that will be a strike against this Barracuda, which are known to go for in the high five-figures when in tip-top condition. But ones with rare production codes, especially convertibles, are in another universe altogether.