AutoTrader Find of the Week: 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda 426 Hemi is Rarer Than Rare

I’m breaking a rule here.

In this column, I try desperately not to feature two cars of the same model in the same calendar year. Sure, I may feature a handful of classic Mustangs, Corvettes, or 911s over the course of 12 months, but always from different generations, to feign variety.

Back in May, I highlighted a 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda 440. Really nice car. Really cool car. Really rare car. And I figured that it would almost certainly be the best ‘Cuda to come up for sale this year. Boy, was I wrong.

Because what has just come up may be the most interesting and significant muscle car we’ve ever put in this column.

This 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda 426 Hemi for sale right now on AutoTrader through John Scotti Luxury Prestige of Kirkland, Que., isn’t just another E-Body Mopar.

To get the obvious out of the way, yes, it is a real-deal, numbers-matching 426 Hemi ‘Cuda with a four-speed manual transmission and shaker hood. The VIN is BS23R0B376069. This is the baddest of the bad street bully muscle cars ever born from the fever pitch of the horsepower wars. Chrysler claimed 425 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 490 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm from the “Elephant” 426 cubic-inch (7.0-litre) Hemi V8 engine. Actual crank horsepower? Somewhere between 470 and 500.

While Chrysler had experimented with dropping “smaller” race-bred Hemi (short for hemispherical, denoting a domed valve head that creates more space inside a combustion chamber) engines into street cars, the introduction of the “E-Body” chassis for 1970 meant Chrysler could finally drop its mammoth 426 Hemi V8 in its “pony car” Mustang competitors.

Plymouth only built 666 (so cool) Hemi ‘Cudas for 1970. Out of the gate, this is already among the rarest classic muscle cars. However, only about 7 per cent of ‘Cudas were painted FF4 Lime Green Metallic. So this car is probably less than one of 50.

However, all of that is almost insignificant when you consider the claim that this car is one of only three ‘Cudas to be used in Chrysler of France’s Racing Division.

Back in 1970, European buyers were skeptical that an American sports car could be reliable or nimble enough to compete with the best Europe had to offer (I guess some things never change).

In early 1970, Henri Chemin left Ford France (where he had successfully campaigned Mustangs) to run Chrysler of France’s newly formed racing division. Apparently, Chemin had made it something of a mission to win over European hearts and minds towards American pig iron, even going so far as to race himself.

Chemin imported 1970 Hemi 'Cudas directly to France, where they competed heavily in Group 1 and Group A touring car events, securing dozens of podium finishes and multiple French Group 1 Circuit and Hillclimb Championships — racking up 60 verified race wins in total.

Now, while there is documentation that this car is one of those imported ‘Cudas, and VIN BS23R0B376069 proudly boasts its Chrysler of France fender tag, we can’t say for sure whether it ever actually competed, especially given its pristine condition and exceptionally low mileage. The race cars also frequently swapped livery and even licence plates during events, so it's hard to say for sure which cars ran in which races.

You’ll also notice it’s in perfectly stock showroom condition and not covered in racing stripes and livery like one of the French racing ‘Cudas that was recently discovered and restored. This car not only avoided any kind of crash or damage, but was apparently entirely unmodified. It’s somehow also only ever done 3,685 miles. Curious.

Still, even without the European racing heritage, this is still one of the most desirable, rare and indeed pristine examples in existence of an original 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda, which makes it one of the most desirable muscle cars in existence. Period.

And it’s optioned exactly how you would want. Hockey stick Hemi side graphic. A four-speed manual gearbox with a pistol-grip shifter. Black leather interior. N96 shaker hood (standard on the ‘Cuda, not the Challenger).

Asking price? USD$400,000, which is about CAD$560,000.

That’s really insane money for a car cheaply slapped together and originally marketed to teenagers. But there’s also nothing in the world quite like it. It's a piece of history, and the ultimate example of what a muscle should and can be.