Plymouth set the bar high in 1970, shoe-horning the 426 cid “Elephant” Hemi into its new E-body ‘Cuda. Gone were the economy-car roots of the original Barracuda, replaced with a svelte and sexy pony car designed to bury the popular Ford Mustang. Offered at nearly a half-million US dollars, this 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda outside Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, comes to market here on craigslist. If you’re paying cash, bring a suitcase, because the $499,900 asking price leaves only one Ben Franklin’s change from a half-million. This claimed 1-of-284 numbers-matching Hemi-powered four-speed Super Track-Pak car shows only 36,000 miles, and opportunities like this don’t pop up every day.
This side wears “minor paint work,” otherwise the brilliant orange enamel is claimed to be original, on the original sheet metal. Documents dating back to Day One accompany this barely-enjoyed classic. The grille and taillight enclosures show some age, and you can just make out a bubble or two at the right rear wheel arch.
The “shaker” hood feeds air to the twin offset four-barrels. Under full throttle, those carbs open the flood gates, hosing fuel down the throat of the 425 HP beast. Violent explosions in the hemispherical combustion chambers slam the pistons downward in sequence, twisting the crankshaft, tearing at the gears of the four-speed manual gearbox, and torquing the driveshaft. At the rear, the power takes abrupt right angles at the A34 Super Track Pak Dana rear end. The axle speed is multiplied by 4.10 before the 490 ft-lb of torque urges the vintage Polyglas radials to break friction and erupt into smoke. Even this hardly-driven example needs to flex its muscle from time to time. Bad things happen if you don’t occasionally let the crazy out.
The original black interior and pistol-grip shifter beckon. Personally I wouldn’t sell a T-boned Chevette without showing the driver’s seat, but you don’t put a half-million-dollar car on craigslist to close the deal by cell phone. Serious buyers will arrive with the means of purchase, a Bondo magnet, and a jeweler’s loupe. With some ‘Cudas selling over $1 million, the asking price is not simply elevated to get your attention. How would you spend the $100 change from your half-million?
Quite the description, Mr. Fitch…for a second there, I thought I was reading a steamy romance novel…great write up for one of the greatest cars ever built….
Been For Sale A Looooooooong Time.
You mean “the axle speed is DIVIDED by 4.10…”
Thanks ras_austin; You are correct! I guess that’s why I always liked English better than Math. I appreciate the correction.
Wow! A 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda 4-Speed! I thought these Mopars commanded a one million or better Barrett Jackson (Circa 2007) asking price?! Bargain basement seller!!!!!
I think that was the B-J I attended and yes, I think they were more expensive then, but my memory is hazy.
My dentist has one of these in the even more desirable “Statutory Grape” OK, It’s really Plum Crazy, he and his dad bought it as a one year old car because their dealer was not able to fill their order for a new one.
He would definitely be able to track the values.
But this is one of the sorts of cars I would find hard to actually use. A Ferrari GTO? No problem, it can always be fixed, but blowing up a motor on one of these is just too much of a risk because of the value of matching numbers.
I think I need a cigarette after reading the ad…..and I don’t smoke.
I just started, it just seemed appropriate.
I have seen this beauty in person, it’s everything it’s advertised as and more…
Now I’m looking for that winning lottery ticket!!
Gas money for the 30 mile trip home.
Sure no problem let me wire it right over to you…
I could the house and farmland then buy it…but why would I purchase just to lock in the garage 😉
This is like the BAT 65 Shelby GT 350 that brought high 400s the other day…
It comes to a point that people just say the line from Risky Business character Joel 😂
I would rather build a clone and drive the crap out if it without a worry.
Nobody forces owners to keep their cars locked in a garage, they choose to do so. Owners of expensive cars aren’t the only ones who rarely, if ever, bring them out. Many, if not most, of the cars at local show and cruises, no matter their value, rarely see the light day for any other activity.
Steve R
You have to remember that cars are a reflection of the times in which they were designed, built, and sold. Plymouth only built a limited number of SuperBirds but the tales of them languishing on dealer lots are legendary. Two years later environmental regs killed off muscle cars, a year after that gas prices doubled…when you could find it. Remember odd-even gas buying days and 10 gallon limits? I do. People who could afford it stored their cars; those who couldn’t traded them in on Pintos, Vegas, and Rabbits. I’m sure that the original buyer enjoyed it, he just didn’t abuse the car while he owned it. Most of these were bought to race. Most of those were lost to a combination of weak brakes, poor tires, engine failure, and Newton’s laws of motion.
If this is genuine, and you say that it is, then it’s a small miracle that it’s survived with its original drivetrain. People used to love to power shift these. It’s the worst thing you can do to any car, truck, or motorcycle.
The car is absolutely beautiful, but as you stated so eloquently;
“I would rather build a clone and drive the crap out if it without a worry.”
Very nice Hemi Cuda! Would be great to have $500k to spend on it. Still, the dealer should provide perhaps 200 pics in his ad if he wants $500k for it. Yes, the dealer web site has more pics, but still only 23 total.
Remember them when they were new. Couldn’t afford them then, can’t afford them now.
There was a dealer in Pleasant Hills, across PA 51 from Southland Shopping Center, Wills Chrysler-Plymouth. They would park cars like this in the front row so people could see them, and they got covered in road salt. It was 1970 and their job was to sell cars.
Today, the name is Ron Lewis, and they’ve parked a row of Hemi Challengers out front in the winter.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
These things are gonna come down in price as soon as there is a dynacorn.
If there’s no tach, that would be ridiculous.
I would not be surprised if a ’67 camaro was in the plymouth design studio when the 1st clay models for this cuda came out.
what’s with the kc lights – I would like the vin # to consider oem -shaker ? don’t know – smells clone – pictures don’t due justice
This car has made the rounds among Mopar enthusiasts and collectors for years. It’s not a clone.
Steve R
Remember in the late 1990’s. Stopped at a gas station. Was with my girlfriend. She was from Ireland and was showing her around the western USA. In drives a hemi Cuda. I was enjoying the lovey lope of the idle. She had never seen such a beast. After her turns it off she turns to me and asks “what is wrong with that car?” I smile and reply “absolutely nothing”
I can’t believe that this car has a 426 Hemi and the cheap dash without the rally gauge package.
Sorry, even the original, convertible Hemi Cudas are NOT bringing this type of money today!
why is a half million dollar car on craigslist?
In late 1969 or 1970, no one laughed at these. Granted, to drive it well you had to learn how to get it moving off the line without boiling the hides. Do that and all anyone saw was tail lights.
This was a slightly more subtle version compared to the B-bodied Six-Pack cars, but in that time any car with a 4.10 rear gear wasn’t bought for highway cruising.
36 thousand miles in a Hemicuda with deep gears and a four on the floor sounds okay, considering two gas crisis, lower quality gas, and the simple fact these have been worth a lot of money for several decades now.
And considering the way it’s optioned,,, low gears, 4 speed…..
It’s a “one percenter” who bought, “drove”, and maintained a machine such as this. A gear heads’ gear head so to speak.
Hey it’s down now to only $475,000
https://www.classic405motors.com/1970-plymouth-cuda-hemi-mustang-ok-73064/6402439
Sell one car and retire!!!
“. . . the brilliant orange enamel is claimed to be original”
Yes, I know that I’m picking nits, but while Dodge would be fine with calling this orange (they themselves called it Hemi Orange when sprayed on a Challenger, Coronet, or Charger), Plymouth considered it a shade of red, as in Tor-Red, just as Chevrolet and Pontiac couldn’t agree on whether their similar color of this era was Hugger Orange or Carousel Red.