Snow Scape: 1965 Plymouth Barracuda – Sold?

by | Jul 2023 | Craigslist ClassiFINDS, Free For All Friday

(To stop the slideshow and expand the pictures, click on the current photograph below)

August 11, 2023, Update – While this “Classifind” expired recently, given the seller’s history, we suspect it may not actually be sold yet.  For now, we’re labeling this ride “Sold?” However, we will keep an eye out for an updated listing. In the interim, please reach out either by email or call Rudy directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

July 25, 2023 Update – With no takers at the already-lowered $17,000 price, the seller lowered their ask by another one large to land at $16,000.

July 10, 2023 Update – The seller replaced their expired listing with a fresh Craigslist ad. The already lowered price remains however, the seller is open to specific trades.

July 6, 2023 Update – In a last-ditch effort before their nearly month-old Craigslist ad expires, the seller of this ’65 Barracuda lowered their asking price by another one thousand dollars to land at $17,000. That’s a six thousand dollar reduction from where they started from in March.

June 7, 2023 Update – The seller of this ’65 Barracuda we first spotted in March 2023 posted a new listing following the expiration of their original Craigslist ad in March.  While the seller chose to continue using the excellent snowscape pictures, they elected to lower their asking price from $23,000 to $18,000.

March 31, 2023, Update – We confirmed the listing for this “Classifind” expired, so with no replacement found, we’re assuming this ride is “Sold?” until we come across a replacement ad.

The first “Pony Car” was not the Mustang.  Plymouth beat Ford to the punch by two weeks with the launch of the Plymouth Barracuda.  In the mid-1960s, fastback rooflines quickly became the rage among U.S. automobile stylists. Plymouth beat Ford by one model year by offering a unique glass-back Plymouth Barracuda version.  This red 1965 Plymouth Barracuda for sale, first listed on Craigslist in Granby, Colorado, in March 2023, shows off a stunning design that has stood the test of time.  The snow-filled background helps highlight the car’s lines.

Last offered for $16,000 (the original ask was $23,000), Classic.com, the analytics and search engine for the collector car market, confirms the ask is slightly below the one-year rolling average of this guide’s summary for first-generation Plymouth Barracudas produced between 1964 and 1966.  By clicking on the green dots in the graph below, you can navigate to each comparable car sold as a way to help you evaluate the price of the truck featured here:

As a second data point, the  Collector Car Market Review Online Tool reveals the seller’s ask falls between this guide’s #2 Very Good” estimate of $16,000 and its #1 “Excellent” appraisal of $25,800.

Knowing Ford was busy developing a sporty Falcon-based compact car, Chrysler stylist Irv Ritchie sketched a fastback version of Valiant.  At the time, Chrysler dumped most of its R&D budget into the Turbine Car project, leaving little capital to develop new models.  However, Chrysler’s marketing and sale executives needed a car to compete in this soon-to-grow segment.

Based on Chrysler’s A-body, Plymouth launched the Barracuda fastback on April 1, 1964. The new model used the Valiant’s 106-inch wheelbase and the Valiant hood, headlamp bezels, windshield, vent windows, quarter panels, doors, A-pillar, and bumpers; the trunk and some of the glass was new. Utilizing the same hybrid design approach as Ford did turning its Falcon into the Mustang significantly reduced Plymouth’s development and tooling cost and time for the new model. The greatest effort was put into creating its distinguishing 14.4 square foot rear window, a collaboration between Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) and Chrysler designers.

Powertrains were identical to the Valiant’s, including two versions of Chrysler’s slant-6 six-cylinder engine. was the 101 horsepower 170 cubic inch slant six while the 145 horsepower, 225 cubic inch version served as the mid-level power choice.  The highest-power option was Chrysler’s all-new 180 horsepower 273 cubic inch V8 in either two-barrel or four-barrel “Commando” form.

The 1964 model year was the first for the Barracuda and also the last year for push-button control of the optional Torqueflite automatic transmission. This year also marked the first use of the smaller “TorqueFlite 6” (A904) transmission behind a V8.

In 1965, the 225 slant-6 became the base engine for the U.S. market.  New options were introduced for the Barracuda as the competition among pony cars intensified. The 273 engine was made available as an upgraded Commando version with a four-barrel carburetor, 10.5:1 compression, and a more aggressive camshaft, still with solid tappets. These and other upgrades increased the engine’s output to 235 horsepower.

The MyMopar YouTube Channel features this video of a vintage 1965 Plymouth Dealer film strip extolling the virtues of the 1965 Valiant lineup:

This 1965 Plymouth Barracuda for sale appears to be a solid driver quality example equipped with a mildly massaged 318 cubic inch V8.  Classic Cragar SS aftermarket rims can make just about any car look better, and this Barracuda is no exception.

Here’s the seller’s brief description:

“Beautiful 1965 Barracuda. 318 engine, aluminum radiator, and automatic. The wheels look nice, but not perfect. Nice driver.
Got to love that back window.
23K obo. Car is located in Granby, Colorado

Show or go: What would you do with this 1965 Plymouth Barracuda for sale?  Please comment below and let us know!

2 Comments
  1. Snow Scape: 1965 Plymouth Barracuda – Sold?

    is the 1965 still for sale can you contact me asap thanks joe

    Reply
    • Snow Scape: 1965 Plymouth Barracuda – Sold?

      Hi Joe, The Denver Craigslist link we provided in this blog post is still active, so you must contact the seller directly. Unlike our Auctions and other offerings, we are not affiliated in any way with the cars we spot on Craigslist and blog about. In fact, 99% of sellers do not know we’ve blogged about their ride! Please keep us posted on how you make out, and you become the next caretaker for this Barracuda!

      Reply

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