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'Cuda. The R.T.S. presents the ultimate Barracuda.
It was inevitable, really.
Sooner or later we knew our guys would have to step in and show the rest of the ponycar builders what ponycar biz'
is all about.
Not that there's anything wrong with other people's ponycars, per se Indeed, the average specimen looks the part
-- the long hood, the short trunk, the plethora of spoilers, airfoils, racing stripes and fake scoops.
But in the beginning, most ponycars were designed to be little more than personalized compacts. And despite the
demands of car enthusiasts for something gutsier, many ponycars still cling to their spindly-legged ancestry,
We figured it was time someone gave equal time to the ponycar's dark side: its chassis the suspension, brakes,
driveline and so on. We figured our ponycar ought to begin life as nothing less than a bona fide Sports GT car.
The result of our efforts is called simply, 'Cuda.
You can obtain 'Cuda in any of five high-potency formulae -- 340, 383, 440, 440 6-bbl. or 426 Hemi. We'd suggest
that if you're a Gran Turismo bug, order the 34O, because of it's excellent weight distribution rear anti-sway
bar and resultant great handling. If you're a straight-liner, dial a bigger number, like maybe our new triple-carbureted
440. In between, there's our 383, which is standard. If all else fails, order the Hemi - by George, that oughta
do it.
Whatever its propellant, though every 'Cuda carries the most over-engineered underside in the industry. In fact
the entire chassis setup is virtually the same used on our intermediate size Supercars -- torsion bars, shock absorbers,
rear springs, spindles, wheel bearings, axle shafts, driveshafts, bolt circles, control arms, front and rear track,
U-joints, ball joints, anti-sway bars - even the brakes, which are big 11" units. All this, to underpin a
body configuration that's as lithe as they come.
Needless to say, the effect it has on 'Cuda's all-around stability is something like having theRock of Gibraltar
as the foundation for a phone booth.
As for the body shell itself, it sports one of the lowest 4-place rooflines in America, Preceded by one of the
angriest Iooking snouts in the business, Racing-type hood pins are standard, as are road lamps. Also available,
on Hem-'Cudas and 'Cuda 440s, is our quivering air scoop that protrudes right through the hood. Optional, but very
racy, are elastomeric (body color) bumpers.
And speaking of racy, every 'Cuda Coupe carries crash-bracing designed on the same principle as the roll cages
in Trans-Am and Grand National race cars. It offers protection from side impact as well as roll-over. Not that
you'll ever need it. But how nice to know it's there.
That's Plymouth's Rapid Transit Systern working: It assures that our race cars and our street cars always have
a Iot in common.
For further details, see pages 14 and 16 of this book, and/or your Plymouth dealer.