Part of a suite of four highly customized Plymouth models, the “Rapid Transit System” ad campaign was an ambitious attempt to promote the brand and their racing division, capturing and securing its share of American Muscle car sales. The four heavily modified examples, including a Duster 340, a Road Runner, a funny car, and this Barracuda, were introduced to refine Plymouth's performance division.
The RTS caravan of brawn traversed the country in 1970-71, promoting the racing division and stimulating a huge uptick in sales. Known as the "Nitro Circus" of the 1970s, the RTS division held tutorial clinics for potential drag racers, teaching performance and tuning procedures, and eventually became a prominent competitor in drag racing and NASCAR. However, the 1970s oil shortage and increasing fuel prices put an end to the racing and the division.
The stunning RTS Barracuda, styled by Hot Wheels legend Harry Bradley and built by well-respected coach builder Chuck Miller, was discovered with a reported 967 actual miles and a leather interior noted to be a "lux 1970s time capsule...right down to the solid state AM/FM radio." The paint job reflects the outrageous neo-psychedelic paint schematics of the 1970s, with patterns applied using visually pleasing fade-outs.
Under the shaker-style hood, the Barracuda was fitted with a 440-ci (7.2-liter) V-8 engine with the "six-pack" carburetor setup, generating a powerful 355+hp, top speeds of 125+mph, and 0-60 in 5.9 seconds, with the quarter mile in 13 seconds.
Expected to be auctioned off in about one month, this original RTS Barracuda is likely to fetch a price exceeding the $2.2 million currently marked for the very first 1970 model with a 426 engine. 47 years of dusty storage has revealed a well-preserved icon of American Muscle legend.
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