Dodge Barracuda is a ten-year chapter in the history of the American auto industry, written in gold letters. Nearly 400,000 units sold during the decade speak for themselves.
Barracuda History
The first Barracuda left the factory in 1964 as a subtype of Valiant. Before long, it grew into a separate brand due to its exploding popularity. Initially, it was called Panda, but in the end it was decided on a predatory fish – Barracuda.
The first generation lasted three years. In fact, it can be said that the Barracuda was a unique car back then. He left the factory a few days before Mustang, so he was hailed as the first pony tsar in the United States. The Barracuda has a unique fastback body with the largest rear window in history – it measures 1.3 meters!
Next Generation
The next generation also lasted three years, during which Barracuda underwent several metamorphoses. Due to demand, a convertible version was introduced to the offered model. From year to year, the detail appearance has also changed: “The characteristic feature of each year is the side-turn signal lens: the 1967 model lacks a side indicator, the 1968 model is characterized by a small round light, while the 1969 Barracudas has a much larger side turn signal lens. ”
The third and final generation is 1970–1974. Barracuda, so far based on the A-Body platform, has moved to B-Body, which has significantly changed its appearance. Moreover, the original fastback body has been abandoned! The sporty version is called ‘Cuda.
Barracuda took second place in the votes for classic films from the seventies, so I’ll look at the specs from that period (third generation). Well, the range of machines offered in those years was very wide. The smallest unit is Slant 6, the largest – RB V8.
Chrysler focuses on power from the start, which is why in the sports version the ‘Cuda’ has hundreds of horsepower (250-400) under the hood, thanks to the car’s amazing performance. Four hundred meters traveled in less than 14 seconds was one of the best results of that decade!
Interesting Facts
- Barracuda has appeared in several computer games – Gran Turismo,
- Need For Speed and Test Drive.
- Nash Bridges drives the series’ unique yellow Hemicuda convertible.
- Ami James from the Miami INK series is the owner of the red ‘Cudy’.
Rumors of a Dodge Challenger successor
In 2010, Chrysler signed the rights to use the Cuda trademark. This, of course, is the Plymouth Barracuda, the American muscle legend from the 1960s and 1970s. There is now information on the Web that the car will enter the market and replace the Challenger.
According to the latest news from Motown, the bubbling city of V8, Chrysler is already preparing a great market comeback for the Barracuda. It is not known whether by the real name or the equally popular little Cuda.
Although not official information, there is speculation that this car will join the SRT sub-brand which will soon absorb the new Viper. Maybe the same thing will happen with the Challenger – it will no longer be Dodge, and Dodge RAM, the big American pickup truck, will become RAM.
The modern Cuda will be built on a completely new chassis, which will make it smaller than the Challenger, and as such, will probably be much better. It also paved the way for apparent downsizing, namely to reduce the naturally aspirated capacity of the V8, as no one could imagine a turbocharged V6 in the top version of the Barracuda.
In addition, it could also be the opening of another technology exchange with Alfa Romeo. The information above indicates that Cuda will replace the Challenger. In theory, however, Chrysler is not claiming that the Kowalski refreshed film car is a market failure. Maybe a manufacturer from Detroit, which is currently under Fiat rules, can replace the Challenger with a Barracuda, but in 2-3 years we will see it on the market in a completely new version.
Why does that make sense? By making the Charger a clone of the 300C, Dodge killed the legend. Is it profitable to kill each other? So maybe the new Challenger can replace the old Charger so it will be a little bigger. Surely the most attractive proposition from the point of view of an automotive enthusiast, and not a potential customer, is the large 4-seater coupé. This, in turn, may be too at odds with Challenger’s image.
Will Barracuda Replace Challenger?
For several years, legendary American muscle enthusiasts have walked around with smiles on their faces, as the market for the so-called tsarist ponies really came to life. Ford is still doing something with the Mustang, Chevrolet has its Camaro and Dodge is currently working on a new Challenger.
Attention Chrysler is currently undergoing a minor restructuring, most likely Fiat regulation. RAM has become a separate brand, which means the pick-up is now independent of Dodge. Likewise with the Viper, which will now be sold with the SRT logo.
Until recently, the SRT was a special version, whose logo also appeared on the Challenger grille of the high-end SRT8. Not long ago, Dodge reminded everyone that he was entitled to use the Barracuda brand, and many initially thought that the legendary Plymouth was coming back.
There is information on the network that Dodge has a completely different plan. The new Challenger, which will be slightly smaller than the current model, meaning back to the roots, will appear on the top version with the Cuda or Barracuda logo, so this name will replace the current SRT.
There may be a 6.2-liter V8 under the hood of this version, but it’s not known what power it is. Detroit-based attention this time should focus not only on strength and appearance, but also on driving characteristics, because compared to the competition, this is the Challenger’s weakest point.
