1970 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda

Guess what ? Not every Muscle Car had giant V-8s and mirrored straight-line drag racers. Some mirrored  modest-engined  race cars fashioned  to compete on twisting road courses. The 1970 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda was just one such creation.

The production AAR 'Cuda couldn't be mechanically identical to its Trans-Am namesake. It didn't even attempt to copy the pavement-hugging posture of its competition cousin. What Plymouth built was a real nice street rod.

The AAR 'Cuda achieved  it’s name from Racing legend Dan Gurney's “All-American Racers,” ( the team that ran Barracudas in the Sports Car Club of America's popular competition series.) Like the similar racing Dodge Challenger T/A’s, Plymouth’s track AARs ran full-race 440-bhp 305-cid four-barrel V-8s and were lowered and modified for all-out twisted road course combat.

And like production Challenger T/As built to qualify the cars for  racing, the street AARs used a 290-bhp 340-cid with three two-barrel Holley carbs on an Edelbrock aluminum manifold. Buyers could choose a four-speed or TorqueFlite automatic transmission , with a Sure-Grip axle and standard 3.55:1 or optional 3.91:1 gears. The engine breathed through a functional hood scoop.

( ...sorry…my mouth just began to drool…give me a second… )

While the AAR's interior was all basic 'Cuda,  its exterior definitely  was not. From a matte-black fiberglass hood, through body-side strobe stripes and tri-colored AAR shield, to the standard black ducktail spoiler, this was a hot, exotic machine. Special shocks and recambered rear springs raised the tail 1 3/4 inches over regular 'Cuda specs, allowing clearance for way cool exhaust pipes that exited in front of the rear wheel well (after first routing through the standard muffler beneath the trunk). It also permitted use of G60xl5 tires in back and E60xl5s in front.

With its raked stance, oversized rear rubber, side-exit exhausts, and loud graphics, an AAR was better suited to a Saturday cruise night than a Sunday afternoon at Lime Rock. It’s front weight bias caused  handling to be inflicted by understeer. But… the AAR 'Cuda was strong in a straight line, and an eyeful anywhere it went . Just like a good street rod. And unless you wanted otherwise…that was all that mattered. Climbing behind the wheel of one of these today  still remains a real treat.