In 1970, Plymouth turned up the wick on its effectiveness lineup, launching its Fast Transit Method. The automaker commissioned personalized variations of a Plymouth Street Runner, Duster, and Barracuda to showcase its RTS lineup for a touring roadshow to Plymouth dealerships. Sooner or later, Plymouth retired the roadshow and the RTS lineup. The vehicles disappeared and have been forgotten by all but a couple of die-difficult Mopar fans.
A short while ago, Auto Archaeology uncovered the 1970 RTS Barracuda, hidden absent in a suburban Detroit garage for 46 yrs. It only has 967 miles on the odometer and nevertheless wears its initial, untouched personalized paint plan. The recent operator purchased it in 1976 and stashed it absent. Irrespective of not remaining washed, the motor vehicle is in wonderful issue. The inside of is like a time capsule for 1970, down to the strong-state AM/FM stereo radio.
Underneath the shaker-fashion hood, the Barracuda retains its unique motor with the “Six-Pack” carburetor setup. A distinctive electrical motor is mounted to the firewall, which would shake the shaker scope at car or truck demonstrates. The fender tag implies the RTS Barracuda was the fifth 1 made for the 1970 product yr and was equipped with electric power steering and brakes.
The Automobile Archaeologist interviewed Chuck Miller in the video clip, who personalized the 1970 RTS ‘Cuda. According to Miller, the styles were done by Harry Bradley, who made a lot of of the Very hot Wheels automobiles. Miller translated Bradley’s drawings to the 1970 ‘Cuda, developed for the Rapid Transit System roadshow.
Viewing Miller speak about the cars he labored on, like the ‘Cuda and a Hurst Olds, is a deal with for the initial-hand account of heritage. But it can be also surreal the way he is so make any difference-of-reality about how numerous of the personalized cars and trucks were applied up and discarded like old appliances. It makes you speculate how quite a few other distinctive or just one-off vehicles ended up truly lost and will make you value it even much more when a thing like the 1970 RTS Cuda or the Bullitt Mustang reappears out of heritage.
It also makes you a little bit envious but appreciative of how persons of that era lived their finest lives driving these vehicles. As Miller suggests, “It was a enjoyable time back then.”