1970 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda Hardtop
With hopes of breaking the Big Two's lock, Plymouth hired Dan Gurney's All American Racers in Santa Ana, Calif., to build a Trans Am 'Cuda. It was more than competitive, winning its fair share of races. For 1970, Plymouth decided to honor those achievements on the track with a dealer only streetcar option called the AAR, which stands for All American Racer. The result was the 1970 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda, Plymouth's factory built race car. Has there ever been a more in your face vehicle built in North America? Three carburetors, a fiberglass hood and spoiler, side exit exhaust and eye popping graphics make the Plymouth AAR 'Cuda impossible to ignore.
For consignment is a bit of a Holy Grail, a '70 AAR Cuda hardtop. The Mopar guys at work are super psyched about this one, and why not. It's rare and is a strong running, show ready iconic piece of American pony car history. Plus, it has a title verified 47,249 actual miles on the chassis. It's been restored and the consignor states there's 1,000 miles on the non-original but correct powertrain.
Exterior
TorRed is a Mopar shade of orange and it's excellent with the exception of a few imperfections as we'll note later. But the topside is super clean and the AAR stripes and decals are perfect. The flat black front upper provides a striking contrast to the orange and the hood scoop is a gaping invitation to air. The marker lights, canted rearward and tucked into the top of the grille, in this writer's mind, is one of the most epic design elements of the car and denotes the viciousness of a barracuda fish or hammerhead shark or a tire tearing pony car. The tail is backed by satin black as well and the triple slit tail lights also give off a shark vibe. The chrome bumpers and exhaust tips look great and so do the 15-inch Mopar Rallye wheels. Imperfections include some areas of bubbling under the paint on lower quarters, some uneven surfaces and paint in the door jamb along with some cracked paint. There's a spot of exposed rust on the bottom edge of the rocker panel.
Interior
According to our resident Mopar junkie, the interior is about 98% original and that includes the black molded plastic door panels which look practically new. The high back vinyl sport bucket seats have tuck and roll style inserts and look like they just rolled off the line at the Hamtramck, Michigan plant. The rear seats and molded plastic interior panels in the back also show no wear whatsoever. The faux wood rimmed 3-spoke steering wheel has a proper patina, and the wood colored plastic is matched by the veneer that surrounds the gauge cluster. We note some scratches, but nothing a bit of skillful touch up couldn't remedy. The gauges, a full on Rallye display, are old school of course, and the speedometer goes to 150 mph which was not overoptimistic. The AM radio is still in place and the automatic shifter is housed in the center console that is wonderfully driver focused with a high barrier to the passenger as if to say, "I got this, no need for you to worry". Black loop style carpet fills the floor and is in very good condition and black headliner is holding high and tight with shoulder belts neatly folded in. The trunk is clean and covered in a gray mat with a space saver spare in place.
Drivetrain
In the very clean engine bay with the proper air element over the six pack, we have a casting number correct and AAR/TA specific block in a 340ci V8 rated at 290 horsepower. Three 2-barrel Holley carburetors make up the "six pack" and power is sent a circa 1977 Torqueflite A727 3-speed automatic transmission sending the spin to an 8.75 rear and 3.55 gears. Slowing and stopping is provided by power disc brakes in the front and power drums in the rear.
Undercarriage
Beyond acceptable, the underside is very clean and very dry. There's minimal surface rust and it's reserved for suspension hardware such as nuts and bolts and the exhaust. Speaking of exhaust, the dual pipes travel down toward the middle of the car, intersect a pair of stock style mufflers and then exit those mufflers on the same end as the inlet, then shoot sideways to terminate in big chrome tips that emerge just in front of the rear tires. So cool. For suspension, the car has torsion bars up front and leaf springs in the rear.
Drive-Ability
Just because it looks like a tiger doesn't mean we're going to go wild on the drive. We babied this car around our test loop to confirm functionality, but there's no doubt that the 290 horsepower rating is all there and more. The car runs smooth, sounds terrific, and handles well. And you just feel special behind the wheel. The radio doesn't work but we'd rather hear the motor anyway.
With only 2,724 AAR 'Cudas in the world, here is an incredible opportunity to purchase a fine representation. This is not a clone ladies and gentlemen, it's the real deal and we're thrilled to have it in our Hallowed Halls, even if it's not here for long. We'll enjoy looking at it until the next steward pulls up to the front door. Do you need directions to get here?
BS23J0B297222
B-Plymouth Barracuda
S-Special Price Class
23-2 Door Hardtop
J-340ci 6-bbl V8
0-1970
B-Hamtramck, MI Assy Plant
297222-Sequential Unit Number
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