Eduard Huma
A purple Plymouth Barracuda from 1970 has just surfaced on the web, with the classic car heading to auction wearing a convertible guise. However, this model is not about looks; it`s more about what sits underneath.
This rare Barracuda Convertible is heading to an auction at Mecum Glendale starting March 21st, and it might not be a surprise if it gets close to a six-figure price.
Inside, the cabin comes with leather trim, power windows, air conditioning, a pistol-grip shifter, and a Sure-Grip rear end.
Tribute builds usually settle for crate power. This one does not. Instead, it carries a date-code-correct 426-cubic-inch Hemi, which changes the conversation immediately.
That matters because original E-body Hemis were never common, not even briefly. The Hemi V8, which still had the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) capacity, was first used in early 1966, but at that point was still attached to B-body automobiles. It did not expand access until 1970, when Chrysler launched the E-body platform that was shared by the third-generation Barracuda and the first-generation Dodge Challenger. Then it was soon over: since 1971, the model year, Chrysler discontinued all high-compression V8 engines.
Production totals on the reason why originals became unaffordable financially. In 1970, Plymouth shipped almost 49,000 Barracudas but only 666 came out of the factory with the Hemi. Of this, 652 were hardtops (and just 14 convertibles). The whole Barracuda line plummeted a year later to 16,492 units, and only 114 had the same engine- 107 hardtops and seven convertibles.
That scarcity has been reflected at auctions for a long time now. A real Hemi Cuda rarely avoids six-figure territory unless heavily compromised, and even sub-$200,000 examples have become difficult to find. Convertibles sit in another bracket entirely; a 1971 version has been valued at over $2 million.
Which is why builds like this keep appearing. Some replicas miss the mark; others do not. This one began as a base Barracuda, since factory Hemi installation belonged exclusively to the Cuda trim, then received the expected visual details: a Shaker hood, tie-down pins, and Hemi markings on the rear quarters.
The color helps too. The body wears FC7 In-Violet, the same tone more commonly associated with Dodge under the Plum Crazy name. Inside, the white upholstery and white top push the contrast further. There is no visible fender tag, so factory correctness cannot really be checked here—still, visually, that almost stops mattering.
1970 Plymouth Barracuda Convertible – Photo Gallery
