The Plymouth Barracuda was released to the public, 15 days ahead of the Ford Mustang


Wednesday 1st April 1964

The Plymouth Barracuda was released to the public, 15 days ahead of the Ford Mustang. Plymouth’s executives had wanted to name the car Panda, an idea that was unpopular with the car’s designers. In the end, John Samsen’s suggestion of Barracuda was selected. Barracuda was the first pony car, but was largely overlooked by buyers in their stampede to purchase the Ford. The Barracuda borrowed the Valiant’s wheelbase, hood, headlight bezels, quarter panels, A-pillar, bumpers, doors, and windshield. This significantly reduced Chrysler’s development costs, allowing the company to get the car to market in record time. The base engine was a 4 litre slant 6 with a 180 hp, 4.5 litre V8 available. With the V8, early Barracudas could accelerate from 0 to 60 in 12.9 sec, with fuel consumption of just 16-19 miles per gallon. 90% of 1964 Barracudas ordered were fitted with the V8. The ’64 Barracuda’s most distinctive characteristic, though, was its massive rear window. Covering a total of 14.4 sq. ft., the huge piece of glass was a joint effort between Chrysler designers and a Pittsburgh company. Towards the end of ’66, Plymouth made an effort to pull the Barracuda off the Valiant nameplate. In 1967, the new redesign would prove a serious competitor in the segment.


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