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This 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda convertible isn’t just rare — it’s the very first of only fourteen ever built, wearing Rallye Red paint, a black top, and the Shaker hood scoop that came standard on every Hemi ‘Cuda. Underneath sits the legendary 426 Hemi V8, rated at 425 horsepower and fed by dual four-barrel carburetors. Decades later, it remains one of the most sought-after Mopars in existence. See what makes serial number one worth more than the other thirteen.
Plymouth once paid Warner Bros. $50,000 just so the Road Runner could borrow a cartoon bird’s name and its ‘beep-beep’ horn — and it turned into one of Detroit’s best-ever marketing bets. By 1970, the car had a redesigned Air Grabber hood and a genuine 425-horsepower Hemi option, but only 152 buyers ever ordered one. This numbers-style 440 Six Barrel hardtop shows what nearly everyone else actually drove home instead.
A 1970 Plymouth Road Runner up for sale hides one of Detroit’s strangest factory options: a vacuum-actuated Air Grabber hood scoop that pops open with a cabin switch. This one pairs it with a 440-cubic-inch V8, a four-speed stick, and a Sure-Grip differential — the combination most real buyers actually chose over the flashier Hemi. Here’s what still makes it worth a second look.
Earle’s Classic Cars tracked down a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner — 383 big-block, 4-speed, one-year-only styling — abandoned outdoors in Canada for decades, exposed to freeze-thaw cycles far harsher than a typical Southern barn find. Viewers call it heartbreaking to see sitting in the weeds. See what decades of Canadian winters actually did to this big-block survivor.
Chrysler rated the 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda’s 426 engine at 425 horsepower, a number most enthusiasts agree was deliberately underrated to dodge insurance scrutiny during the height of the muscle car wars. With only 666 built and a documented convertible recently selling for $2.53 million, this screaming yellow hardtop carries real rarity behind its factory options list. Read on to find out what actually separates a genuine Hemi ‘Cuda from a clone.
Plymouth built the 1970 ‘Cuda on an all-new E-body platform designed specifically to house its biggest engines, and dropping in the 426 Street Hemi produced one of the rarest muscle cars Detroit ever made — just 652 examples, split across three transmission choices. Nine outrageous colors and the shaker hood completed the package. Read on to find out what actually separates a genuine numbers-matching Hemi ‘Cuda from a well-built tribute.