The Plymouth Barracuda is a two-door pony car that was manufactured by Chrysler Corporation from 1964 through 1974 model years. The first-generation Barracuda was based on the Chrysler A-body and was offered from 1964 until 1966.

Officially labeled as the Valiant Barracuda, the first Barracuda was an option package for the four-year-old Valiant. The wraparound rear glass window has been reported to be the largest piece of glass ever used on a production car.

Its 180 horsepower helped keep the Valiant competitive against the Falcon, though the Falcon-based Mustang always far outsold the Valiant-based Barracuda (8:1 ratio), though apparently at the expense of the Falcon itself.

Mar 25, 2015 · Plymouth Barracuda Overview. Plymouth produced the Barracuda for 11 model years, from 1964–1974. Its direct competitors were first the Ford Mustang and later the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. The first generation lasted from 1964–1966 and was originally known as the Valiant Barracuda.

Jul 9, 2024 · The Barracuda was an adaption of Valiant sheetmetal to its uniquely styled roof, deck and rear window. Trim features, front to rear, were distinct to this model.

May 26, 2022 · They managed to beat the Mustang to market, but the Valiant’s plebeian doghouse doomed the 1st gen Barracuda to a fraction of the Mustang’s sales. Then, they tried to mimic the nice-looking 2nd gen Corvair Monza hardtop and that didn’t exactly pan out, either.

Unlike the Mustang, the 1964 Plymouh Barracuda was considered a Valiant, with a base 225 slant 6 and optional 180 horsepower (gross), 273 cubic inch V8. The V8 Barracudas would run 0-60 in 12.9 sec, and the quarter mile in 17.8 @ 72 mph, with an automatic ( Car Life , July 1964).

1 day ago · First Generation (1964–1966) Introduced April 1, 1964, Plymouth’s initial Barracuda leveraged the compact Valiant's sturdy A-body chassis, sharing a host of its components including hood, do. For car enthusiasts, few vehicles inspire excitement quite like the Plymouth Barracuda. Emerging as Plymouth’s bold answer to Ford's Mustang, the ...

Jan 28, 2025 · The 1964 Valiant Barracuda was more notable for sporting the largest glass fastback window on a production car than for its performance. The ’64 Barracuda was powered by a 170 cubic-inch Slant Six which developed 145 hp, or a 273 cubic-inch V8 that developed 180 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque.

Nov 16, 2020 · 1960-1969 Valiant and Barracuda: Compact Plymouth cars. From 1960 to 1969, Chrysler's compact car was the Valiant; starting in 1964, it was accompanied by the sporty Barracuda coupe, based on the same body but, from 1967 onwards, with very different styling.