1970 Plymouth AAR Cuda
Specifications
Engine: V8 with three 2-barrel Holley carburetors
Displacement: 340 cu in
Horsepower: 290bhp at 5,000RPM
Torque: 345 ft-lbs at 3,400RPM
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Max speed: 137 mph
Weight-to-power ratio: 12.31 lb/bhp
A Little History
The 1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda was not your typical muscle car. It was designed with modest-engine racers in mind, built to compete on twisting road courses – what Plymouth built was a street rod.
In 1970, Plymouth entered SCCA Trans-Am racing, contracting with Dan Gurney’s All American Racers (AAR) to build and campaign cars to be driven by him and Swede Savage. At that time, SCCA homologation requirements dictated that a manufacturer build a minimum of 2,500 street versions in order to compete. The single-production-year AAR ’Cuda met the homologation requirements with 2,724 cars built, all during a five-week period between March and April 1970.
The AAR ‘Cuda was different from the regular ‘Cuda in many ways. The AAR had a unique stripe called a strobe stripe, which held the AAR ‘Cuda logo.
The hood is made of lightweight fiberglass. What really set this hood apart from all other cars is the hood scoop, functional and drawing in fresh air.
For spoilers, it had front “eyebrow” spoilers and a rear “duck tail.”
Unlike a standard ‘Cuda, the AAR’s exhaust came out the sides near the back wheels.
All AARs had a 340 6-barrel V8 engine, offering lots of power. The 340 could accelerate the ‘Cuda 0-60 miles per hour in 5.8 seconds, 0-100 miles per hour in 14.4 seconds, and race a quarter mile in 14.4 seconds at 100 miles per hour.
