Chryslers by the Bay highlight – 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda

For the 25th annual edition of Chryslers by the Bay, there was a diverse array of Chrysler and Chrysler family vehicles amongst the 200+ cars on show, including plenty of Aussie and American muscle.

Chryslers by the Bay never fails to attract impressive examples of Mopar’s baddest and brawniest machines, and the 2023 show, held in Geelong this March, was no exception. This 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda was one of the best of them.

This car is the real deal: a genuine 1970 ‘Cuda, which was not only the first year for the E-body platform (shared with Dodge’s Challenger), but also the first time the ‘Cuda nameplate was offered. Plymouth did this to separate the various styles within the Barracuda family. Of the three available types, Barracuda was the standard model, with the Barracuda Gran Coupe the luxury version and ‘Cuda the performance variant. All were available with coupe or convertible bodies and shared the same wheelbase and overall shape, differing only in drivetrain options, trim and detailing.

While most people automatically connect the ‘Cuda with a Hemi, it was not the standard engine. A 383 V8 was standard, with 340, 426 and 440 V8s optional. The 440 could be had in 375hp or 390hp form, with the extra ponies in the latter coming from the ‘Six Barrel’ set-up of three two-barrel carbs. The 390hp 440 was factory-fitted to this example - one item in a long list of options that increased the car’s US$3,164 list price by more than 40 per cent.

The build sheet displayed with the car showed that, surprisingly, an AM radio and 8-track player was the priciest option – even more expensive than the 440 back then. Other factory fitted options included a “Hemi” four-speed manual, the Super Track Pac suspension and braking upgrade, Rallye instrument group, rear spoiler, white vinyl bucket seats, ‘gator grain’ vinyl roof trim and more.

The ’In Violet’ paint (Plymouth’s name for Dodge’s Plum Crazy purple) on this car is authentic and was part of the ‘High Impact’ colour range that included novelty names like ‘Limelight,’ ‘Tor Red,’ ‘Vitamin C’ and ‘Moulin Rouge’. Including the paint, this car is authentic to its original build sheet in almost every way, with the only variations from how it came out of the factory being the large “billboard” side decals with ‘440’ call-outs.

Inside and out, the condition of this car was exceptional, including items like the ‘dog dish’ hubcaps, faux woodgrain interior accents, the dash pad, steering wheel, seats and even the boot carpeting.

As far as US Mopar muscle goes, this car was one of the best at the show, at least in the eyes of the JUST CARS crew.

For JUST CARS report on the 2023 Chryslers by the Bay, click HERE.