• Although we often refer to several familiar automobiles as “muscle cars,” in actuality they were “pony cars,” which were shorter in length, lighter in weight, with long hoods. Although Ford is given the credit for the first pony car with its 1964 Mustang, the Plymouth Barracuda was actually released on April 1, 1964, 16 days before the Mustang. Pony cars leaped in popularity because they were sporty and affordable. The base price for the 1964 Mustang was $2,368.
• The 1964 Barracuda was really just a redesigned fastback version of the Plymouth Valiant, and was in fact known as the Valiant Barracuda until 1966. The feature that distinguished it from the original Valiant was its huge wraparound rear glass window, the largest piece of glass ever used on a production car. By 1966, traces of the Valiant were being phased out and the Barracuda fish logo was introduced. In 1967, the bubble top window was gone, along with all signs of the Valiant.
• The Plymouth 426 Hemi Barracuda was named the fastest vehicle of 1970, with a 13.1-second quarter-mile at a speed of 107.1 mph. The 426-ci, 425-horsepower car could be purchased for around $6,000 in 1970. At a 2014 Mecum auction, one 1970 Cuda was sold for $3.4 million.
• The Barracuda wasn’t much competition for the Mustang, with Mustang outselling the Plymouth 8:1. General Motors jumped into the ring with the 1967 models, introducing the Pontiac Firebird and the Chevy Camaro. The Camaro came first, hitting dealers’ lots on September 29, 1966.With a price tag of $2,600 to $3,500, Chevy logged sales of 220,000. The Rally Sport included hideaway headlights, backup lights under the rear bumper and a special trim molding package. In 1967, Chevy introduced its first Z28 with its distinguishing stripes on the trunk and hood, the most expensive of the Camaro coupes, starting at $3,273. Only 602 were built that first year.
• Mercury’s contribution to 1967 ponies was the Cougar, with a base price of $2,851, $390 more than the Mustang. Its wheelbase was 3 inches longer than the Mustang, providing more legroom, better suspension and sound insulation, resulting in a smoother and quieter ride. 151,000 were produced, and it ranked third in sales behind the Mustang and the Camaro. “Motor Trend” tagged the debut Cougar as its Car of the Year.
• Pontiac’s response to the Mustang, the Firebird debuted in February, 1967, coinciding with the release of the Mercury Cougar. The Firebird was a little heavier pony car, a little more luxurious, and more expensive. It was the creation of GM exec John Delorean, who had been tasked to come up with a vehicle that could compete with the other muscle cars. It was an immediate hit. The iconic Firebird decal that appears on the hood was created in 1970, but it wasn’t used until 1973. Nicknamed the “Screaming Chicken,” the decal option was an extra $55.
• Mustang sales were extraordinary in 1966, 607,000 cars, but with the competition from GM, sales dropped dramatically to 472,000 in 1967 and 317,000 in 1968.
• The Javelin was in production from 1968 to 1974, AMC’s answer to the Mustang. The Jav became a serious contender in the pony car field, particularly in the racing world. In 1968, AMC debuted the AMX, a two-seater car touted as an alternative to Chevy’s higher-priced Corvette. It was the company’s attempt to change its image from plain economy cars to high-performance vehicles. The AMX was based closely on the Javelin, but about 12 inches shorter, with a wheelbase one inch longer than the Corvette. With a base price of $3,245, it was $1,000+ less than the price of the Corvette. Sales of the AMX never took off, and in 1971, the AMX name was transferred to the higher-performing Javelin.
