![]() The new body fit between the A and B bodies, but A.5 made no sense, so they called them E bodies-C was the large car and D was Imperial. Than Barracuda, and was also planned to have a $100 higher market price. Interchangeability with Barracuda was in line with the original product plan.Ĭhallenger by plan had 2 to 3 inches more wheelbase (á la Dart vs Valiant) Interchangeability formula limited achieving a unique appearance forĬhallenger, so the door skins became unique. Skins (á la A-body), but during clay model development we decided that this The Challenger plan was always to share door openings, windshield,Ĭowl and platform with Barracuda. The additional width helpedĪppearance but of course it added weight and cost. Also we had to add widthįor provision for bigger wheels/tires. ![]() They switched from using A-body (compact car) engine bay parts and dimensions to B-body (midsize car) engine bay parts and dimensions, including the cowl and everything from the radiator core support to the firewall. the big ‘B’ engines got stuffed in the car and then the car got fat and heavy and eventually led to a forcedĪs Roger wrote, fitting a big block engine required a wider car with wider wheels, adding weight and expense. Now, the execs felt they needed to match GM and Ford.ĭodge product planner Roger Struck, who saw the cars from birth through partway into production, later wrote, “It started as a light and nimble ‘secretary’s car’ with Cliff Voss steering the concept. Perfect-two eight-hour shifts at 60 cars per hour.” Developmentĭesigners started making clay models in 1967 by late 1968, Bill Brownlie and Carl Cameron’s clays looked ready.Īt GM, meanwhile, the Oldsmobile Cutlass added a 455 V8 option while the Camaro added a 427 and the Mustang got a 428. “Manufacturing loved the plan because 200,000 cars a year was He promised the executives at the Corporate Product Planning In 1967, the company projected sales of this class to hit 1.5 million sales in the US alone.īurt Bouwkamp believed they could have a 15% market share, selling 225,000 per year. Proposing a new Plymouth Barracuda and the Dodge Challengerĭirector of Product Planning Burt Bouwkamp told the executive group that they needed a new body for the Barracuda to be sportier and compete effectively as Mustang, Camaro, Firebird, and Javelin (“compact specialty cars”) sales rose. ![]() Because Plymouth didn’t have the money to change the front of the car much, the Barracuda’s engines were limited by the Valiant’s small engine bay and the overall look of the car was not as sporty as it could have been. The original Plymouth Barracuda turned the Valiant into a sporty-looking fastback. 1970-1974 Dodge Challenger and Plymouth Barracuda: Most respected failures?
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