Why are Cudas so popular?

[WingCharger]

I was up till 2am watching the Mercum car auction up in Indianapolis, and EVERY OTHER CAR WAS A CUDA! There wasnt a single B-Body the entire night. 9pm-2am.

Why have they gotten so popular? Everybody was selling them! I did see a very sharp 63 dodge max wedge, black on black.

[G-man]

As far as I hear...

Lighter

Faster

More valuable

Handles better

Rarer


Any questions?


I dont think they look better and I dont believe the majority of ppl that buy it race it for the handling to matter. 

[pettyfan43]

Pony cars will ALWAYS be cool. Notice that the true retro cars that are being marketed now are Pony cars with STRONG resemblances to their forefathers.

The Mustang, Challenger and Camaro are all great modernizations of the originals.

[1970RT]

Back in 94 when I started looking for a mopar to fix up my first call was on a 318 challenger I saw in a car buyer magazine.  The seller was a mopar guy that bought and sold cars as a side business.  I asked about the challenger and when I found out he sold other cars I asked if he had a 68 - 70 charger because that's what I really wanted.  He didn't have one but I couldn't believe it when he told me that E bodies were more popular and higher priced than B bodies.  I like E bodies but it's no comparison to any 68 - 70 2 door hardtop B body for me.  The B body wins.  For whatever reason what he said is true though.

[69*F5*SE]

I like B bodies just as much as E bodies or maybe B bodies better.    I do like the Challenger more than the Cuda 

[rav440]

because they used CUDAs and a CHALLENGER in the 4 PHANTASM movies and the 2 VANISHING POINT movies 

[hemi-hampton]

Yeah, But they used lots of B body's in movies too, probably more, like Bullit, DMCL,ect,ect. LEON.

[1970RT]

I like B bodies just as much as E bodies too.

If I were to rank my favorite 5 mopars by general style:

#1 68 - 70 charger
#2 68 - 70 roadrunner/gtx/sattelite
#3 68 - 70 cornet/super bee
#4 70 - 74 challenger
#5 70 - 74 cuda/barracuda

[Ghoste]

I thinks it's just because the nickname "Cuda" has been so well established over the decades by the popular press.  Remember, it was a street name before Chrysler started using it on the model as well.  When Camaros and Mustangs became too blase, then it was easy for all of the "me toos" to go out and get a "Cuda" because it was the next cool name they knew.  B-J and the recent boomer musclecar nostalgia wave came along at the right name and helped to fan the fire and here we are. 
It would be interesting (or maybe it wouldn't) to find out how many of those Cuda owners were new to cars and Mopars in general versus lifelong fans and compare those stats to B-body owners.

[Fitz73Chrgr]

I love 70-71 Ebodies.  They're popular because theyre beautiful cars.

[nakita7]

Don't get it either. My wife and I still prefer the Challenger to the Cuda.

[twenty mike mike]

It's because they look so much like Camaros.   

[Ghoste]

You laugh but I've had a Challenger and a 70 style Cuda and I had people asking about my Camaros all hte time when I owned them.  It kind of ties in with my earlier point about it being an easy leap for a wannabe Mopar buyer who has previously been a GM or Ford fan or no kind of car fan at all.
On a related note, I've had people stop me about my GTO when I owned a 2nd gen Charger too so there you go.

[Kevin68N71]

Well one thing, the values of the ebodies have been significantly higher since at least the 80s.

I remember reading Hemmings in the 80s and looking at the ebodies and laughing, $15,000! They gotta be kidding!

This was back when you could still get ratty Road Runners for $500.  People did, as the previous writer stated, always consider these more attractive and better handling cars. 

But its all a matter of taste.  I remember riding in a buddy's 383 Cuda, with its sparse instrument panel and cheap plastic door panels, and I could not even begin to compare it with the relative luxury of even my non-SE Charger.  And it didn't seem to handle any better than my car either.

Don't get me wrong, I love ebodies.  But I don't see the exponential difference in style between a Super Bee, Road Runner or especially Charger, and a 'cuda or Challenger.

[Mike DC]

Half the desirability of musclecars these days is their exclusivity.  I think that's been the deal-breaker with these things. 

Desirability = rarity + good looks + fast.  E-bodies have the same looks & speed as B-bodies but they're rarer. 



If we just wanted to go fast, there are 1979 Cordobas that can swallow a 440 much more cheaply than a '69 Charger or a '71 Cuda.  (And whatever weight penalty the 'Doba gives over an earlier car could be negated by a few basic parts swaps.)

 

[Old Moparz]

I think the Cuda has an appealing look to a lot of people, even those who aren't into cars at all. I've always liked them ever since I've been interested in cars, but mostly the '71 because of the grille & gilled fenders.

I couldn't afford one in 1980 when I got my lecense, & still can't afford one.   

[BB1]

There not.

Yes I said it... sue me. I'd rather have a Charger in any year than an E.

[Troy]

The E bodies are awesome cars and when it comes to Mopars they rank pretty high on my list of favorites. My first car was 70 Challenger. Since then I've had one Cuda and I now have another Challenger. I like them but I have still had more Chargers and if I had to choose one only one car it would be a 68 Charger. I can tell you from experience that the Cuda attracted 2-3 times more attention and thumbs up than the Charger I'm driving now (and it's an R/T). Maybe it was the color? I really don't think so since I have found that more people are familiar with the Cuda as well.

Troy

[1970RT]

The first car I called on was a 73 318 challenger when I started looking for a car to fix up.  When I found out the guy dealt in old mopars I told him that I really wanted a 68 - 70 charger.  I couldn't believe him when he said that the 68 - 70 chargers were cheaper and easier to find than the challengers.  I like challengers but I couldn't believe anyone would buy a challenger over a 68 -70 charger but he was telling the truth.

[twenty mike mike]

You laugh

I laugh because of all the E Body Barracuda guys who hotly deny any resemblance whatsoever.   

[66chargerkid]

Ebodies didn't come with HUGE WINGS!
Therefore I will always have some more love for the B-bodies.
Plus thats all my dad owns lmao!

[4speed]

need we say any more

[1969chargerrtse]

" Why have they gotten so popular? Everybody was selling them! "

If everybody was selling them wouldn't that be the opposite of being popular?   

[suntech]

Maybe many people dont have garage space for a real car???

[Ghoste]

I barely do.