The death of the Plymouth brand almost two decades
ago signaled the end of one of America’s best-known automakers. While we’d be lying if we said we
missed seeing new Plymouth models on dealership floors, there is one of the manufacturer’s
models we would love to see be reincarnated: the Barracuda.
Built for a decade between 1964 and 1974, the
Plymouth Barracuda was an appealing pony car with a sleek two-door design and
an absolutely killer name. While it was short-lived compared to other pony
cars, most notably the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, it left an indelible
mark on the industry. Eager to see the Barracuda be revived, automotive designer Ihor
Alekseev decided to dream up a modern Barracuda based around the current Dodge
Challenger.
Viewed from the front, the Challenger hasn’t
undergone any major modifications. Instead, it has received a selection of
small alterations that tweak the vehicle’s look, such as a reshaped bumper, a
distinctive hood, and a new front splitter.
Elsewhere, the modern Barracuda incorporates small
air vents on the front quarter panels and a pair of bespoke wheels. Final
visual touches include black graphics, squared-taillights, a new rear bumper, a
small rear trunklid spoiler, and rectangular tailpipes. All in all, although
the vehicle depicted isn’t much more than a Dodge Challenger with some
retro-inspired parts, it does look pretty good.
Unfortunately, it is extremely unlikely a new-age
Barracuda will ever be produced since Plymouth is dead and buried. Then again,
perhaps they could use the evocative name for a special version of the
Challenger or something – a very long shot, but we’ve seen stranger things
happen.
