A short history of the Plymouth Barracuda

The name “Plymouth Barracuda” will, for most car enthusiasts, evoke the image of the third-generation model: an icon from the 70s, with a striking “Coke bottle” body shape and sporty ‘Cuda version. The first car to carry the Barracuda nameplate, however, was released in 1964, just four years after the Valiant. The first-gen Barracuda was very nearly named after a very different animal: “Panda” had been suggested as a potential name for the model during the very early stages of its development. However, “Barracuda” eventually prevailed. The model had an identical powertrain lineup to the Valiant, which included two inline-six engines (2.8 and 3.7 liters) and a 4.5-liter V8. The second generation of the Barracuda, though not directly derived from the Valiant, still shared numerous components with it. This generation was on the market between 1967 and 1969, before being replaced by the more famous third-gen model in 1970. This version of the Barracuda, although contemporary to the Duster, was no longer related to it as the connection with the Valiant had been severed by the redesign.