1972 Plymouth Barracuda 340 V8 Coupe

Plymouth's Barracuda badge had been around since 1964, but it was the debut of the 'E-body' third generation in 1970 that truly captured the hearts of American muscle car fans. With that came the first of the Barracuda's serious sporting intentions. Known simply as the 'cuda, the stock engine in the sporting version was a 383ci big-block V8. The legendary 426ci 'Hemi', and four and six-barrel versions of the 440ci monster were also available; those who preferred circuit work could order the lighter small-block 340ci V8 with six barrels and track-biased suspension in the AAR version. The E-body remained in production until 1974 with some alterations to the bodywork. 1971 was the only year to house a four-headlight front with the 1972-74 models reverting to a cleaner front-end more reminiscent of the original 1970 model. By this stage, though, performance had suffered with Plymouth being forced to cut their big-block motors and strangle what remained with the new pollution regulations. Still, the 'cuda remains at the top of many a muscle car lover's ultimate wish list, for its fantastic looks and muscular performance, with a soundtrack to match.