ARTICLE FROM UNKNOWN PUBLICATION

Plymouth has probably turned out some of Chryslers most radical dream cars. But one of the companys best looking factory show cars, the Barracuda Landau, was different. It represented an only slightly modified version of Americas first pony car. The Barracuda Landau was built around 1964. It was different, in character, from earlier Plymouth experimentals like the 56 Plainsman wagon and 60 XNR sports cars. They had reflected the vivid imagination of designer Virgil Exner. Shortly after the XNR appeared, Exner left Chrysler. Following his departure, very few Plymouth prototypes were made. The few that did appear were basically custom editions of production models. Among cars in this group were the Barracuda Landau and its better known big brother, the Satellite I Landau. Both cars were true convertible landaus with open-front roofs and wrapover rear roof sections. The use of the convertible landau body style on the two Chrysler Corporation show cars seems like a natural development. As early as 1957, a simulated landau roof treatment was seen on some Imperial models. Then came the 1963 Chrysler New Yorker Salon and 1964 Silver 300, both of which featured landau style roofs. For 1965, the Dodge Dart was also scheduled to get a landau vinyl half-top as a factory option. (This eventually became a relatively popular extra, especially on the Dart GT hard-top.)The Satellite I Landau was probably intended to generate public interest in optional, landau style vinyl roof treatments. From a promotional standpoint, teaming it up with a convertible landau version of the Barracuda made a lot of sense. After all, this sporty, mid-year compact was already getting lots of new-model attention. Therefore, a semi-open edition for the show car circuit was sure to spark some extra excitement. Designers and engineers may have had some second thoughts about the show car project. The Satellite I was a conventional hardtop coupe. Landau variations on this body style had already appeared for several imported cars. In addition, American customizers had done similar roof treatments on several of their creations. The Barracuda, however, had fastback styling. An oversized, wraparound backlight, formed with a large piece of curved glass, mated to a special rear deck lid. It was somehow difficult to predict how this type of body styling and construction would work out in landau-convertible form. Fortunately, concerns among these lines were unnecessary. The Barracuda Landau turned out as an extremely handsome automobile. Its too bad a production version wasnt considered; it might have become a big success on the sales charts.After a brief stint on the show circuit, the car disappeared. Most likely, anyone who saw it assumed that it had been destroyed, common practice in Detroit. But later the Barracuda Landau turned up at the Hershey flea market in Pennsylvania. It was in good condition and wearing a for sale sign.At a glance, the car appeared like a homemade custom. Closer inspection revealed high-quality workmanship, consistent with Chrysler dream cars. It was finished in metallic gold and had a license plate reading Key Largo Florida.The man selling the car had it in a flea market space on Hersheys Park Avenue. He verified that the car was a factory show car and added that he had, in his possession, documentation of this fact. If memory serves correctly, the price that was asked seemed reasonable for a car of this type. He pointed out that there was provision for attachment of a forward roof panel, although that panel was not on the car. Whether this historic vehicle changed hands at Hershey hasnt been publicized. Most likely, it will show up at a concours or a classic car auction. If you happen to see it, youll probably agree that it is one of the handsomest Plymouth dream cars ever put together.

TRANSCRIPT OF CORRESPONDENCE 11-26-1985

CHRYSLER CORPORATIONCIMS 416-25-29September 26, 1985

Mr. Adolph Woltanski[contact information redacted]

Dear Mr. Woltanski:It was a pleasure to get re-acquainted with your 64 Barracuda landau roof conversion at the 85 Carnival of Cars. This is the car that the Corporation modified, and its history is as follows. At the time (1964), I was Assistant Studio Manager in the Valiant and Barracuda Styling Studio, and I recall the project very well. The original fastback Barracuda was an adaptation of the Valiant Signet 2-door hardtop design. In its embryonic stage, it existed for some 18 months as a quarter scale airbrush illustration in the Design Studio prior to presentation to upper management. The delay was due to Corporate financial problems and internal politics, as the Studio wanted this car to be in the dealers showrooms with the introduction of the second generation Valiant in 63. Once the fastback Valiant, as it was then known, was a sold part of the Valiant program, the Studio created several variation proposals: a convertible which surfaced as a premium Valiant, and a notchback hardtop Barracuda which was stillborn. This was an interesting car using the Valiant 2-door quarters, upper deck panels, and hardtop doors but with the Barracuda roof, side glass, and pillars. The only new tooling would have been a backlight glass and some interior trim. Since the normal Valiant 2-door hardtop was already programmed for production, this proposal was unfortunately turned down. In any case, the Studio felt that a Barracuda show car could be for the show circuit when the 64s were introduced. Some years previous to this while in school I had owned a 53 Studebaker 2-door hardtop which had a roof of cantilever style not unlike the Barracuda, and I remembered seeing a custom version of this car in a magazine where it had been landaued by cutting the forward portion of the roof over the driver away and it looked sort of neat. I proposed that we try this as a simple and inexpensive way for a show car, and my Studio Manager agreed. Product Planning had an extra production car supplied to the Metal Shop here at Highland Park, and I taped on it the where to cut lines. We had the Metal Shop graft on the already-in-production convertible windshield surrounding structure once the roof section was cut away, and the car was then at least partially repainted to give us a look in 3-D at the proposal. The whole study was a minimal and quick job relative to our normal course of business. We took the car either outside in the private courtyard or into our indoor showroom for serious evaluation, and judged that to be a proper Corporation show car the roof would have to be lowered relative to the windshield header if the project was to materialize. We dropped the proposal at that point, probably due to the internal workload pressure of developing the new Fury, Belvedere, and Barracuda lines for 1967. You will recall that carlines were in the process of proliferating, and the Studios then had the job of maintaining 3 or 4 body carlines instead of just one. Had we proceeded with your car, we would have equipped it as a full Formula S vehicle with all the production speed and luxury equipment associated with that package both inside and out. In the interest of fulfilling that original intent, I think it would be highly desirable to equip your car in that manner. The Ritz cracker small wheels and tires and other nominal equipment on it were economy expediters at the time and do not convey what this car really should have been. I personally regard this as a significant part of the history of the car.I hope this background will be of interest to you, as your car is indeed the vehicle involved.

Sincerely,David CumminsDC/mj

MISC NOTESAn interesting version of the 66 Barracuda that was never built. A hard top coupe model was created by changing the rear window and deck lid. Note how closely the rendering comes to the actual 66 design. Except for the backlight and decklid, it is very close to actual production models including the taillampA very exciting hatch roof version of the Barracuda that was never built. It was conceived ten years too soon.

AUCTION WINDOW SIGN ($25,000 asking price)1964 Plymouth Barracuda PrototypeThis very rare car was given to the designers at Chrysler to see if they could make a convertible out of the new 64 Barracuda line. The top is cut to put a Landau cover between the winshield and the roof area. Includes original top. Most 1 of 1 cars were destroyed, so how this left the factory-no one knows, but it does come with a letter from a Chrysler engineer who helped design the car stating this is a 1 of 1 car. In addition, we have a variety of news articles about the car.

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