1969 Plymouth 440 'Cuda Fastback Automatic 440ci V8

1969 Plymouth 440 'Cuda Description

Number's matching 440 'Cuda Fastback restored to a high level of detail! One of only 359 ever built in 1969, and one of only 292 as a Fastback! Super Commando 440 with 375hp and 480 lb. ft. of torque, Torqueflite automatic, and 3.55 Sure Grip axle! Very fast, super sharp, and incredibly rare!
In the early midst of the American muscle car scene, the small sports car market was soon to be awoken by the vast marketing hype from Ford with the unveiling of the new Mustang. Little do many car enthusiasts realize is that the Plymouth beat Ford to the market with its compact Barracuda two weeks before the Mustang. It featured a sharp compact design, more powerful 6-cylinder & V8 power plant options, and surprisingly good looks with a fastback body style right out of the gate. Unfortunately, the Blue Oval budget in the marketing department left the Barracuda in the shadows. This only forced the engineers at Plymouth to continue its efforts to outgun the Mustang under the hood! After all, it was the muscle car era, and there is no substitute for engine displacement when you are looking for more horsepower!
The Barracuda quickly made impressions on the automotive world, with revisions each year to balance the sporty looks with under hood performance. By 1967, the body grew helping provide more room under the hood along with more aggressive body lines. It was truly coming into its own, and Car and Driver quoted "The new barracuda is the best-looking car out of Detroit in 1967. It has the tautness of line and integrity of design matched by few American cars of any vintage." It was now available with the 383ci V8 as well! Fast forward to 1969, and Plymouth went all in with straight-line performance to produce a no-nonsense street racer in the form of the 'Cuda 340, 'Cuda 383, and in April 1969, the fabled 'Cuda 440 as a special order only option! These 440-conversion examples, option code A13, were shipped with heavy duty convertible chassis components from the Hamtrack, MI assembly plant to the Hurst/Campbell facility for the special installation of the larger RB-440 equipment.
Because of the size of Super Commando 440 V8, it required special engine mounts and a special left side exhaust manifold unique to this car only! It also meant it would be void of any power steering or brakes as there simply wasn't enough room. Engineers knew these 375 horsepower beasts would fall into the hands of serious drag racers, so they were all built with automatic transmissions to reduce the risk of u-joint and rear axle damage from the 480 lb. ft. of torque they produced. At the rear was a 8¾ Dana axle with 3.55 Sure-Grip gearing as standard equipment! And it was fast! Out of the box, it could push 0-60 times in just 5.6 seconds, and lay down ¼-mile times under 14 seconds at 104 mph! Only 359 Plymouth 440 'Cudas would be built in 1969, of which 66 were Notchback coupes and 292 in Fastback form like this one! They are very rare, and exceptionally hard to find on the open market today!
We are very excited to offer this 1969 Plymouth 440 'Cuda Fastback finished in Sunfire Yellow with Black bucket seat interior! It has been beautifully restored in rotisserie fashion with excellent attention to detail! Under the hood lies its original, numbers matching 440ci Super Commando V8 and correct 1969 date-coded TorqueFlite automatic and 3.55 Sure Grip Dana axle! Features include 'Cuda simulated twin hood scoops, black accent stripes on the hood & rocker panels, blacked out grill, racing fuel cap, dual exhaust with chrome tips, and 440 'Cuda call-outs on the front fenders! Heavy duty 14 x 5.5" steel wheels are wrapped in BF Goodrich Silvertown radial tires measuring 215/70R14. The driver is accommodated with comfortable bucket seats with headrests, wood grained center console with matching door panels, full dash instrumentation with tachometer, hood-mounted turn signal indicators, and driver remote outside mirror. Hidden under the passenger seat is a modern Custom Autosound AM/FM/MP3 radio head unit with remote and auxiliary port hidden inside the console ashtray.
The 440 'Cuda offered here is complete with original fender tag, all original tire changing equipment with matching spare, reproduction window sticker, option code breakdown sheet, original 1969 Plymouth brochures, factory warranty literature, and several articles highlighting the rarity of these special, first year Cuda 440's. Make no mistake, these special Plymouths were sold to horsepower hungry individuals who wanted to race AND win, as they weren't for the faint of heart! They were real muscle cars, and Plymouth could now brag about having the largest displacement in any compact pony car from the epicenter of the 1969 muscle car era! Very few have likely survived, and this example is surely one of the finest you will ever find. Act quickly MOPAR collectors! Chances like this don't come around often!