The 10 Best Old Plymouth Cars of All Time
From the iconic HEMI ‘Cuda to the unkillable Valiant, Plymouth has produced some of the best old cars.
Written by Sarah Gray
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
Table of Contents
- What makes an old car great?
- 10. Plymouth Valiant (1959-1976): the car that could have saved Chrysler
- 9. Plymouth Satellite (1966-1974): the top-of-the-line Belvedere
- 8. Plymouth Fury (1956-1989): the godfather of muscle cars
- 7. Plymouth Duster (1970-1976): aka, the Valiant coupe
- 6. Plymouth Barracuda (1964-1974): the actual first pony car
- 5. Plymouth HEMI ‘Cuda (1969-1971): the Camaro killer
- 4. Plymouth Superbird (1970): too stylish for its own good
- 3. Plymouth GTX (1967-1971): the gentleman’s muscle car
- 2. Plymouth Race HEMI Belvedere (1964): destroying Daytona
- 1. Plymouth Road Runner (1968-1980): yes, that Road Runner
- How to find affordable car insurance
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From the iconic HEMI ‘Cuda to the unkillable Valiant, Plymouth has produced some of the best old cars in American automotive history.
Plymouth helped cement America’s reputation for muscle cars with models like the Fury, GTX, and Road Runner, but it was also well-known for reliability for many years, thanks to the slant six featured in several models, like the Valiant.
In the late ’60s and early ’70s, Plymouth helped define what would become known as American muscle cars. Want a better understanding these cars’ history? Check out our guide to the models that made Plymouth a household name.
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What makes an old car great?
Just because a car is old, that doesn’t mean it’s great—just ask anyone who ever owned a Volare. So if it’s not about the age, what is it that makes an old car a classic?
For our list, we’re considering everything from the Barracuda’s dependability to the GTX’s G-force generation and the Fury’s “forward-looking” fanciness. Each of the Plymouths on our list is beloved for a different reason.
10. Plymouth Valiant (1959-1976): the car that could have saved Chrysler
The Valiant was Plymouth’s response to the mini-import boom of the 1950s that flooded the market with
VWs
and Fiats
, leading car manufacturers to build more fuel-efficient, compact, and dependable options for buyers. The Valiant answered all these demands and may have even turned out a bit too reliable. Powered by the Chrysler slant six—the cockroach of car engines, the Leaning Tower of Power, the most unkillable motor in American car history—some Valiants are still on the road today almost in spite of their owners’ lack of anything resembling classic car care.
In 1976, for no discernable reason, Plymouth booted the Valiant from its lineup, replacing it with the infamous bucket of bolts known as the Volare. The Volare and its
Dodge
cousin, the Aspen, dragged Chrysler into bankruptcy within two years.
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9. Plymouth Satellite (1966-1974): the top-of-the-line Belvedere
The Belvedere Satellite, or Plymouth Satellite, was a midsize addition to the Plymouth lineup in 1965. The Satellite was available as a hardtop or convertible and was originally powered by a 7.0L Commando engine until it was outfitted with a Hemi in 1966.
In 1968, the Satellite got a sister in the Sport Satellite that featured a 5.2L V8 and seemed more closely related in style to the Road Runner than the original Satellite.
8. Plymouth Fury (1956-1989): the godfather of muscle cars
If it hadn’t already been a cornerstone in American automotive history, the Plymouth Fury would have earned its place after the release of Christine in 1988—a movie based on Stephen King’s 1983 novel of the same name featuring a 1958 Plymouth Fury possessed by a malevolent spirit bent on avenging a group of bullies who vandalize the car. Not unlike the real Plymouth Furies of old, Christine refuses to die, rebuilding herself to pristine condition and hunting down the boys one by one.
But Christine wasn’t the only unstoppable Fury—in fact, the first-generation 1956 Fury wowed onlookers at Daytona Beach Speed Week when it blew away all its competition. The first-gen Fury was equipped with a 5.0L V8 with twin four-barrel carburetors—an ultimate muscle machine—but it wouldn’t be until the Fury was outfitted with that incomparable slant six that it would enter true “undead” territory befitting a car that became synonymous with horror.
The first-gen body style is what we think of when we think about the Plymouth Fury—the iconic raised headlights and the legendary tailfins—but the model held on through 1989 when it was discontinued along with other full-size M-body Chryslers, like the New Yorker.
7. Plymouth Duster (1970-1976): aka, the Valiant coupe
The Plymouth Duster was essentially a mini Valiant. Built on the same platform, the semi-fastback, two-door coupe was marketed as a more economical alternative to the Valiant that also offered additional cargo capacity and peak performance.
The standard Duster could be equipped with either a 3.2L or 3.7L slant six, and the performance-oriented Duster 340 featured a 5.6L V8—while the slant six immortalized the Valiant, it would be the 340 that propelled the Duster into everlasting fame.
The Duster’s 340 engine would be the standard in its Dodge cousin’s version, the Dart Demon (rebranded the Dart Sport in 1976 to soothe church groups opposed to the word “demon.”) and would continue to slay racing competition even after Chrysler reduced its horsepower from 275- to 245-hp in 1972.
Along with the Valiant, Plymouth discontinued the Duster and the Duster 340 in 1976, and we all know how that turned out.
6. Plymouth Barracuda (1964-1974): the actual first pony car
Contrary to popular belief, the Plymouth Barracuda actually preceded the
Ford Mustang
as the first pony car on the market. Granted, it only preceded it by 16 days, and it was quickly eclipsed by the ‘Stang’s superior performance, but we digress.The first-gen Barracuda, like so many of Plymouth’s models at the time, was heavily based on the Valiant and only offered a series of slant sixes or a 273-hp V8 under the hood. With the second generation, Plymouth veered away from Valiant styling for the Barracuda and got serious about performance, unleashing a 440 Super Commando V8 capable of generating 390 horses and 490 lb-ft of torque.
The Barracuda’s third and final generation sat atop a new E platform, which is shared with the
Challenger
, and gave rise to a Formula S-derived beast powered by a 426 Hemi in 1970—please welcome, the Hemi ‘Cuda.Make safe driving pay
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Start earning now5. Plymouth HEMI ‘Cuda (1969-1971): the Camaro killer
The Plymouth Barracuda was a great little car, but it had nothing on the Hemi ‘Cuda. Though it was first introduced in 1969 as a trim package, the true ‘Cuda wasn’t born until 1970, when all similarities to the Valiant were removed from the full Barracuda lineup along with the original fastback and the stigma of “economy car.”
The ‘Cuda moniker was reserved for the high-performance models designed as an homage to fifty 1968 fastbacks outfitted for Super Stock drag racing. Among these, only 652 were powered by the 425-hp 426 Hemi engine that gave them the name, Hemi ‘Cuda. Of these, only 14 were convertibles.
The iconic shaker hood and elastomeric colored bumpers were options on lower-trim Barracudas, but they, along with the high-performance Dana 60 rear axle were standard on the Hemi ‘Cuda, or “Camaro Killer” as it came to be known for killing that car’s net sales.
Increasingly stringent emissions standards coupled with the 1973 oil crisis sounded the death knell for the Plymouth Barracuda and the Hemi ‘Cuda along with it. But the market for the rare Hemi ‘Cudas stays strong. Standard bodies sell for upwards of $1 million, and a convertible 1971 Hemi ‘Cuda recently sold for $3.5 million.
MORE: 10 affordable American muscle cars
4. Plymouth Superbird (1970): too stylish for its own good
For one model year, Plymouth included a NASCAR-inspired model of the Road Runner that it dubbed the Superbird. Featuring a tall “nose cone” and a rear wing design that produced more downforce than any other car on the track, the Superbird seemed a bit ahead of its time. Add to this the Hemi engine under the hood, and it’s easy to see how the Superbird properly decimated NASCAR while it was still allowed on the track.
Production was halted in July of 1970 following changes to NASCAR racing rules and a decided lack of demand in the popular market for the car. With only 920 models ever produced, and many of those with the nose cones and wings removed, it’s clear why originally-outfitted Superbirds sell on the collector circuit for millions of dollars.
3. Plymouth GTX (1967-1971): the gentleman’s muscle car
Movie fans may recognize the Plymouth GTX as the car driven by Dominic Toretto in The Fate of the Furious, but car enthusiasts like to call it the GT Xtra. Originally the Belvedere GTX, the car got its own nameplate in 1968, but it wouldn’t morph into the beloved beast we know it as today until 1971.
With fewer than 3,000 units produced, the 1971 Plymouth GTX is one of the most sought-after collector muscle cars today—even more so are the 30 that were equipped with the 425-hp Hemi engine discontinued after this model year.
2. Plymouth Race HEMI Belvedere (1964): destroying Daytona
If there were such a thing as a shut-out car race, that would have been the case in 1964 when the Hemi Belvedere took first, second, and third position at Daytona. As you can likely imagine, the ‘64 Hemi Belvedere was not a production car—it was built solely for racing. Although a street-legal Hemi Belvedere did hit the market in 1966, it couldn’t hold a candle to the ‘64 original.
1. Plymouth Road Runner (1968-1980): yes, that Road Runner
“Spartan” would be a generous description of the Plymouth Road Runner. This car was all about muscle. Early models didn’t even offer carpet, and options were stripped down to the bare minimum including little more than the basics, like power steering and disc brakes.
Despite its lack of creature comforts—or, perhaps, because of it—the Road Runner dashed to the top of the best-selling lists faster than the desert bird it was named for, and that was stamped on its rear.
The first-model-year Road Runner cemented Plymouth’s place in the muscle-car hall of fame, but when the 1969 model rolled off the line armed with that iconic 426 Hemi, the Road Runner, and the Plymouth name were both catapulted into legendary status.
How to find affordable car insurance
Though the Plymouth make was discontinued in 2001, many of its models, especially those from the pre-oil-embargo years of muscle-car-madness are still highly sought after in the classic-car market. Whether you’re looking for
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