Take a Look at This Forgotten Classic: The 1971 Plymouth Barracuda
Take a look back at the 1971 Plymouth Barracuda. Is it the muscle car of your dreams?
Written by Jason Crosby
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
The era of muscle cars in the mid-1960s and into the early 1970s saw the advent of a new genre of vehicles. Car enthusiasts still reminisce about these
classic cars
from the golden era of big engines and tough-bodied cars at affordable prices. Jerry
, your favorite car insurance super app
, takes a look at one of these classic muscle cars: the Plymouth BarracudaWhat made the ‘71 Barracuda cool?
The Plymouth Barracuda was a muscle car manufactured from the mid-1960s until the early 1970s, during the peak years of American muscle cars. The ‘71 Barracuda was a forgotten classic, with its gill-like fender louvers, toothy grille, and quad headlights.
According to
Motorious
, the 1971 Barracuda was underrated at the time, with sales plummeting to 18,690, down from 54,800 in 1970. Plymouth was gearing most of its advertising budget to their Satellite line, so there wasn’t much advertising focus on the Barracuda. 1971 was the last year for the Barracuda convertible, as sales dropped down to only 1,385 units. Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
No spam · No long forms · No fees
The ‘71 Barracuda redesign
Plymouth offered the car in three models: the base Barracuda coupe, the luxury Gran Coupe, which was similar to a Dodge Challenger, and the performance model, known as the ‘Cuda, with its upgraded suspensions and reinforced structural components.
The 1971 Barracuda was changed from the 1970 model in a few ways. The re-designed model had four round headlights for the first and only time in the Barracuda’s history. It also featured vertical slats in the grille that resembled teeth, a fitting touch for a car named after a predatory fish.
Continuing with the fishy theme, chrome-looking fender louvers were a nod to gills on the performance ‘Cuda. The taillights were redesigned and the back fenders were given thick black “billboard” side stripes instead of the “hockey stick” graphic of prior years.
The engine options in the ‘71 Barracudas were the same as the prior year, with the exception of the 340 6-Bbi being eliminated. In other engine options, Motorious explained, a “standard engine was the 383-4, 440 with your choice of a 4-barrel Super Commando and a 6 barrel Super Commando optional. At the top was the 426 8-BBl Hemi—the last year it would be produced.”
MORE: Charger vs. Challenger: What's the Difference
How much are they now?
The base models were the most popular of the bunch, making the luxury and performance models extremely rare and valuable to purchase now.
The Hemi ‘Cuda convertibles are the rarest models of all. The highest recorded sale price of any Barracuda is $3,780,000 according to
Hagerty,
while the most recent sale was for $214,000. You can find Barracudas in good condition for around $32,000, though, for a more affordable option.MORE: The Hot GM Muscle Car Pickup From the Land Down Under
Save on insuring your classic with Jerry
You don’t have to drive a vintage muscle car to welcome savings on your car insurance. Download the
Jerry
app, and in about 45 seconds you will have insurance quotes from over 50 big-name insurance providers, plus Jerry will help cancel your old policy right through the app! And to ensure you always have the lowest rate, Jerry will send you new quotes every time your policy comes up for renewal, so you’re always getting the coverage you want at the best price.
Are you overpaying for car insurance?
Compare quotes and find out in 45 seconds.
4.7You might also be interested
