Plymouth Barracuda. White version inVieux-Boucau-les-Bains
The Plymouth Barracuda is a two-door pony car that was manufactured by Chrysler Corporation from 1964 through 1974 model years.
Second generation (1967–1969)
The second-generation Barracuda, though still Valiant-based, was heavily redesigned. Built from 1967 through 1969, it was available as a two-door in fastback, notchback, and convertible versions.
The new Barracuda was chiefly the work of John E. Herlitz and John Samsen, with Coke-bottle side contours and heavily revised front and rear ends. Design changes included wider wheel openings, curved side glass, and S-curved roof pillars on the hardtop.
The roofline on the fastback coupe was more streamlined, more steeply raked, and with a much smaller flush rear window in place of the distinctive massive wraparound in the original model. Also, the overall use of chrome trim was more restrained.
During this time the first U.S. Federal auto safety standards were phased in, and Chrysler’s response a requirement for side-marker lights distinguishes each model year of the second-generation Barracuda:
1967: no sidemarker lamps or reflectors, and backup lights on the rear valance by the license plate.
1968: round side marker lamps without reflectors, mostly white tail lamps with backup lights in the tail lamp housing.
1969: little changes on the front grille, rectangular side marker reflectors without lamps, and the backup lamps were moved back to the rear valance by the license plate.
As the pony-car class became established and competition increased, Plymouth began to revise the Barracuda’s engine options.
In 1967, while the 225 cu in (3.7 L) slant-6 was still the base engine, the V8 options ranged from the two- and four-barrel versions of the 273 cu in (4.5 L) to a seldom-ordered 383 cu in (6.3 L) “B” big-block, rated at 280 bhp (209 kW), the latter available only with the Formula S package.