The spotlight on the new 1966 Plymouth Barracuda only lasted for a few months. The SS model offered plenty of power and could also be purchased with disc brakes. It wasn’t that this vehicle lacked in speed, beauty or sheer glory. Instead, it had to do with the fact that the Ford Mustang was introduced less than a month later. That is what consumers had their eye on, and the 1966 Plymouth Barracuda was quickly cast into the shadows.
To help the Plymouth Barracuda do well, the body style was soon changed. The 1966 model was one of the few that had that particular body style featuring the fastback design. It also featured a wrap-around rear window. Later models featured changes to the front end and what was referred to as the “Coke-bottle body.”
Sales of the 1966 Plymouth Barracuda were decent, but not as good as the Ford Mustang. By 1974, Plymouth decided to halt the production of this particular vehicle. It was due to more than just the competitors on the market, though. A big impact on that decision had to do with the energy crisis that started in the early 1970s. Consumers were worried about the cost of fuel and looking for a vehicle that offered them more efficiency.
Even though the glory wasn’t always there for the 1966 Plymouth Barracuda, there is no denying that it belongs in the same category as other muscle cars of that time. The guts that it offered both inside and out weren’t fully appreciated back then, but they are today. There are many collectors out there with both the time and desire to restore such a vehicle to its original design with the use of after-market parts. Those collectors will be doing the muscle car world a service, because the 1966 Plymouth Barracuda was a serious member of the muscle car community and it deserves to be remembered.