Copy and pasted this from a book by Steve Magnante
Fact 9: Why didn’t Plymouth counter the 1965 Shelby GT350 Mustang with a similar Barracuda? The Formula S was a good start, but not nearly as hardcore as Shelby’s offering. According to research conducted recently by SCCA racer Mike Ritz, it almost happened.
Ritz (who currently campaigns the Team Starfish 1966 Formula S Barracuda in vintage road race events) uncovered a 13-page FIA homologation request, on Chrysler letterhead, claiming that between November 15 and December 15, 1965, Plymouth built 500 1966 Barracuda GTs. The goal was to secure assurance they’d be legal for competition in FIA-sanctioned Group 3 GT road racing events. Each Barracuda GT was purportedly powered by a 318 small-block (a year before it’s official introduction for the 1967 model year) with an aluminum intake manifold, Holley 4160 carburetor, 8-quart oil pan, steel tube headers, and full-length dual exhaust.
Other exotica included an 83 ⁄4 rear axle, 11-inch front disc brakes, 10-inch rear drum brakes, 15×7 cast-aluminum wheels, with steel rims, a thin Plexiglas rear window, a trunk-mounted battery, twin 20-pound front bucket seats, and, in place of the rear seat, a 22-gallon auxiliary fuel tank, which, combined with the stock 18-gallon unit, allowed 40 gallons of fuel for endurance races.
The crazy part is that the FIA Standard Certificate of Minimum Production document is signed by Bob Cahill (Manager, Special Performance Events) and H. E. Weiss (Manager, Valiant Product Planning).
So did these cars actually get built? Unfortunately the answer is no. Perhaps Plymouth witnessed Shelby’s sale of a mere 561 GT350 Mustangs in 1965 and got cold feet. The concept was revisited—with excellent results—four years later with the arrival of the 1970 AAR ’Cuda.
Fact 9: Why didn’t Plymouth counter the 1965 Shelby GT350 Mustang with a similar Barracuda? The Formula S was a good start, but not nearly as hardcore as Shelby’s offering. According to research conducted recently by SCCA racer Mike Ritz, it almost happened.
Ritz (who currently campaigns the Team Starfish 1966 Formula S Barracuda in vintage road race events) uncovered a 13-page FIA homologation request, on Chrysler letterhead, claiming that between November 15 and December 15, 1965, Plymouth built 500 1966 Barracuda GTs. The goal was to secure assurance they’d be legal for competition in FIA-sanctioned Group 3 GT road racing events. Each Barracuda GT was purportedly powered by a 318 small-block (a year before it’s official introduction for the 1967 model year) with an aluminum intake manifold, Holley 4160 carburetor, 8-quart oil pan, steel tube headers, and full-length dual exhaust.
Other exotica included an 83 ⁄4 rear axle, 11-inch front disc brakes, 10-inch rear drum brakes, 15×7 cast-aluminum wheels, with steel rims, a thin Plexiglas rear window, a trunk-mounted battery, twin 20-pound front bucket seats, and, in place of the rear seat, a 22-gallon auxiliary fuel tank, which, combined with the stock 18-gallon unit, allowed 40 gallons of fuel for endurance races.
The crazy part is that the FIA Standard Certificate of Minimum Production document is signed by Bob Cahill (Manager, Special Performance Events) and H. E. Weiss (Manager, Valiant Product Planning).
So did these cars actually get built? Unfortunately the answer is no. Perhaps Plymouth witnessed Shelby’s sale of a mere 561 GT350 Mustangs in 1965 and got cold feet. The concept was revisited—with excellent results—four years later with the arrival of the 1970 AAR ’Cuda.
