With the 1960’s well underway, the automotive industry began hearing whispers that Ford Motor Company was working on a new edgier compact car. While Americans liked their compact rides, there was a new youth movement desiring that same size vehicle, featuring the same affordability, but with the ability to get elevated V8 power and upgraded packages. The younger Americans wanted a sportier car. That was exactly what Ford was determined to provide, and so, the “pony car” era was born. With these rumblings, Plymouth head designer Irv Ritchie was determined to get his piece of the pie. As the middle of the decade was fast approaching, Ritchie took his most jaunty offering, the Valiant, and began to sketch a fastback version of the car. As his design came together quickly it was determined that the new car would be dubbed the Barracuda, as it was a name of a somewhat smaller animal that still evoked the sense of speed and ferocity. All things that could be used to market the new car to the youth of America. In 1964 that sketch and inspiration was brought to life and the Barracuda hit the showroom floor, and in fact, it even beat out the 1964 ½ Mustang to market. The swiftness of Plymouth getting the Barracuda to market would give it undisputed rights to being named the first ever in the Pony Car Class. From 1964-1967, the Barracuda shared many aspects with its predecessor the Valiant. Plymouth used the marketing campaign of “for people of all ages and interests” to try to break the everyman family car image that that had given it. As 1967 rolled around so did the second generation of the Barracuda, and with that fresh outlook the car began to see change in the design and overall appeal. The car would be given model specific sheet metal for the first time, new Barracuda badging would be added, and the overall flashy appeal of the car began to take shape. Then by 1969 performance began the key emphasis of the car. That 1969 car would be the final year that the compact A-body version of the Barracuda was produced before giving way to the reformatted E-body version that took shape from a shorter and wider platform. That major transformation of body type makes the 1969 Plymouth Barracuda Fastback one of the most sought-after pony cars today. D&D Classic Cars is delighted to offer our customers the opportunity to own a piece of this Plymouth history, with that exact car. This car is genuine and unyielding but is a candidate for some further affection. While we would have loved to bring this rare gem back to life ourselves, our restoration department is overflowing with cars, and so we are offering that opportunity to our customer base. The Barracuda is currently painted in a Sunfire Yellow that has begun to show a little age. The body is in good condition front to back, but a bit of cosmetic work and a fresh coat of paint would bring this beauty back to full brilliancy. The car interior is well broken in as well and could use some love if you plan to enter it at car shows. There are a few small tears in the driver’s seat, and the seats would benefit from a more coordinating color scheme. The interior features under dash gauges and an AM/FM/Cassette stereo with added rear Pioneer Speakers. On the mechanical spectrum the car features a healthy 318hp engine that was rebuilt by Watson Ruppel Performance in 2011. The odometer shows 101,485 but the car has very few miles since that refreshening. This car is generally nice condition and would make an excellent driver as is, but with some time and effort this Barracuda could be easily returned to its original splendidness and retake its rightful place in Plymouth history. This vehicle has a great foundation, and embraces the opportunity to reconnect its new owner with the vision that was the 1960’s pony car.
