Although Plymouth has disappeared from the list of Detroit’s brands, the brand is still highly respected by collectors. Established as an economy manufacturer offering cheap and dependable mechanics, the company flourished in the 1950s and 1960s with a lineup of exciting yet affordable muscle cars. Today, we will remember this once-famous car company by looking at its best models.
1. Plymouth Fury (1958)
Before the Fury was a separate model, it was an option on Belvedere, and for 1958, this model benefited from Chrysler’s new Golden Commando engine. The mighty Hemi was gone, but Chrysler didn’t abandon the performance market. The Golden Commando had 350 CID displacement, hotter equipment, and 305 HP.
Plymouth even experimented with a fuel injection setup, but the system proved very problematic, so the factory compensated the owners and gave them a conventional four-barrel setup. If the fuel injection worked as it should, it should produce up to 315 HP.
2. Plymouth Savoy Super Stock 413 (1962)
Mechanically almost identical to the Dodge Dart 413 Max Wedge, the Savoy Super Stock was Plymouth’s version of a drag strip unique. It featured a different design, but the platform was the same, and the engine, the mighty 413 Wedge, had 420 hp in top trim.
The interesting fact was that the automatic transmission, the favorite option, was even better for launching off the line than the standard 3-speed manual. In those early days, Chrysler didn’t offer a four-speed manual, and the automatic was a better choice. The Savoy Super Stock 413 was the first car to break the 12-second quarter-mile time record for stock cars.
3. Plymouth Barracuda (1964)
Introduced in April 1964, just two weeks before the Mustang, the Barracuda was the first Pony car ever made. It was based on the standard Valiant platform, and since the automotive world was anticipating the Mustang due to reports from Ford, Chrysler decided to introduce a car in the same segment.
The Barracuda had modest underpinnings, with three engines available: two straight sixes and one V8, so designers had to develop an exciting design to attract buyers. The 1964 Barracuda had a big panoramic rear glass and a sleek fastback body line, which was pretty advanced for the period.
4. Plymouth GTX (1967 to 1971)
Introduced in 1967 as a luxury option in the Belvedere lineup, this model was based on the same platform as the Coronet. Still, it was much more luxurious and had a 375 horsepower 440 V8 as standard. Plymouth wanted the GTX to compete with luxury cars of the period, so it installed almost all possible creature comforts and some unique trim on the outside to distinguish the GTX from the rest of the model lineup.
The GTX was a gentleman’s hot rod with all the options, lovely interior and exterior details, and only one optional engine choice—the mighty 426 Hemi. The 440 Magnum was the standard engine, but if you wanted the ultimate Plymouth muscle luxury, you had to go for the Hemi. Because it was significantly more expensive than the rest of the Mopar muscle car lineup, the GTX was never that popular, and it is pretty rare today.
5. Plymouth Roadrunner (1968 to 1974)
When it first appeared in 1968, the Plymouth Roadrunner proved to be a very influential and essential muscle car. Not only did it introduce the new trend of inexpensive and fun vehicles, but it was also a strong seller, which affected the whole segment. The entire idea behind the Roadrunner was simple. Present a low-priced but powerful model and attract people with a limited budget but a strong need for performance.
The Roadrunner had a bench seat, no luxury options, and manual steering, but it came with the powerful 383 V8 as the base engine, and buyers could also opt for the 440 or the mythical Hemi 426. In 1969, the Roadrunner got a convertible option for those buyers who wanted an open-air driving feel, but most Roadrunners produced were two-door hard tops. For just above $3,000, you could be the proud owner of a Roadrunner in 1970. However, if you wanted a few options and the Hemi engine, the price would quickly rise to over $4,000.
6. Plymouth Superbird (1970)
As one of the craziest muscle cars ever produced, Plymouth has one of the most recognizable graphics packages ever presented to the general public. The Superbird attempted to win the famous Aero Wars in the late ’60s to early ’70s NASCAR championship. Plymouth built just under 2000 road-going Superbirds to homologate the car for racing and sold them all over America.
The car was based on the Roadrunner, and it came with a 440 V8 as standard and a 426 Hemi as the only engine option. However, Plymouth installed a nose cone, hideaway headlights, and an enormous spoiler on the back to make it as aerodynamically efficient as possible. Also, it transformed the rear glass from the standard concave-shaped one to a regular one, which proved more slippery in wind tunnel testing.
7. Plymouth AAR Cuda (1970)
The 1970 model year was undeniably the pinnacle year for classic muscle cars. Never before or since have there been so many muscle cars and memorable and sought-after machines on offer. The Pony car wars were in full swing with the brand new Firebird and Camaro, the Dodge Challenger, and the latest and much improved Plymouth Barracuda. One of the most interesting 1970 Barracudas was the rare AAR ‘Cuda.
The AAR Cuda was a limited production model to commemorate Dan Gurney’s All-American Racing team, which used ‘Cudas in the Trans Am championship. It came with a 340 V8 small block, a unique plastic hood in matte black paint with a hood scoop, a rear spoiler, and exciting side graphics, which included a big AAR logo. This version was more expensive than the regular 340 ‘Cuda, so only 2724 were made.
8. Plymouth Barracuda Hemi (1970/71)
Two of the biggest Chrysler legends from the classic days of muscle car culture are the Barracuda and the 426 Hemi engine. Throughout the ’60s, those industry icons didn’t mix, at least not in street-legal cars. In 1970, Plymouth offered this legendary engine in the Barracuda body style, immediately creating one of the fastest and most desirable muscle cars ever made.
The mighty Hemi engine was an expensive top-of-the-line option for 1970 and 1971, available in coupe or convertible form. It cost around $900 more than the standard Barracuda, and it was installed in just about 600 coupes and only 17 convertibles during a two-year production period. The power was rated at 425 hp, but everybody knew the orange monster delivered more than 500 hp straight from the box.
9. Plymouth Duster 340 (1970)
As an economy brand, Plymouth was very active and successful at the lower end of the market since the early ’60s and the Valiant model. By the late ’60s and early ’70s, the compact market had grown, and Plymouth introduced the Duster 340. This model was a junior muscle car since it looked like bigger competitors, but it had a more petite 340 hp engine rated at 275 hp.
Plymouth never anticipated the success that Duster 340 had achieved, and production doubled in just a few months. Despite being a compact model, the 340 was a very good muscle car since 275 hp moved the light body to respectable 0 to 60 mph times in just over 6 seconds. The vehicle may have been half the size of some of the heavy hitters of the era, but it was almost as fast. Also, it costs just under $3000, which is highly affordable.
10. Plymouth Prowler (1997)
The Hot Rod culture is one of the critical ingredients of the American automotive landscape. However, no company dared present a factory-built Hot Rod until 1997, when Plymouth presented the Prowler—a retro-futuristic roadster with a V6 engine and fantastic looks.
Imagined as the follow-up to the Viper, the Prowler was a hit on the show circuit, and Chrysler wanted to capitalize on that. Despite its initial success, the car proved to have slow sales.