Plymouth ‘Cuda 1973 – First Start

By 1973, the Hemi and the 440 were gone from the ‘Cuda’s order sheet, emissions regulations having already claimed Chrysler’s biggest engines. What remained was a 340 V8 rated at 240 net horsepower — the strongest engine Plymouth would still let you order — plus a mid-year running change to the 360 that quietly previewed 1974’s lineup. This ‘Cuda represents the last real fight of Plymouth’s E-body muscle era before the whole platform disappeared. Here’s what made the final ‘Cudas worth remembering.

Do cars get any cooler than this?

“Do cars get any cooler than this?” isn’t just a throwaway line under this photo — it’s the exact right question to ask about a 1973 ‘Cuda, because that year sits at a strange crossroads in Mopar history that most people scroll right past. This was the last model year Plymouth’s E-body pony car could still wear a genuinely serious engine under the hood, even if “serious” by 1973 didn’t mean what it meant back in the Hemi glory days. The big blocks were already gone. The compression ratios were already dropping. And yet somehow, this particular ‘Cuda still had enough fight left in it to turn heads on a first start. What was actually left under that hood by 1973, and why does it still matter to people who know their Mopars?

⚑ Featured Gear

Start Car Conversations →

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Year the Big Blocks Finally Disappeared

By 1973, the 440 and the legendary 426 Hemi that once made the ‘Cuda one of the most feared cars on the street were both gone from the order sheet — casualties of tightening federal emissions regulations that had already been strangling Chrysler’s big-inch engines since 1972. That left the 340 cubic-inch V8 as the strongest engine Plymouth would let you put in a ‘Cuda that year, now rated at a net 240 horsepower under the newer, more honest SAE testing standard. It wasn’t the Hemi. It wasn’t even the 440. But the 340 had always punched above its displacement, and in a ‘Cuda that had shed some of its earlier bulk in the name of emissions compliance, it was still enough to make this car legitimately quick for 1973 — a year when plenty of other manufacturers’ “performance” cars had already gone soft.

A Running Change Nobody Saw Coming

What makes the 1973 model year even more interesting is that it wasn’t static. Partway through production, Plymouth quietly introduced the 360 cubic-inch V8 as a running change, previewing the engine that would fully replace the 340 for 1974 — the ‘Cuda’s final season before the whole E-body platform was discontinued. That means a 1973 ‘Cuda could have left the factory with either engine depending on when it rolled off the line, which is exactly the kind of build-date trivia that gets serious Mopar collectors reaching for the fender tag instead of just the window sticker.

Why the Last Real ‘Cuda Still Earns Respect

There’s a reason enthusiasts treat these final ‘Cudas with more reverence than the horsepower numbers alone would suggest. This was the end of the line for a car that had gone from a compact-based also-ran in 1964 to one of the most feared names in muscle car history by 1970, and the 1973 model represents the last gasp of that era before emissions regulations and insurance surcharges reshaped the entire industry. A first start on a survivor like this one isn’t just about hearing an engine turn over — it’s a reminder of what these cars had to fight through just to stay on the road at all.

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Republished by Blog Post Promoter