From John Wick to Black Panther: The Plymouth Barracuda Looks Good in the Limelight
The third generation of the Plymouth Barracuda is easily one of the most iconic muscle cars in history. But even royalty can have a good day, and the 1970-74 Barracuda is having a good year. This car is starring in two major blockbusters: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and John Wick 4. If you were thinking of buying one of these Mopar muscle cars, you may want to grab one before prices climb even higher.
The third-generation of the Plymouth Barracuda stands apart
The very first Plymouth Barracuda was a fastback option on an otherwise entry-level Plymouth Valiant. But it was available with a manual transmission and small-block V8. Released just weeks before the Ford Mustang, you could argue that it was the first pony car. This little Plymouth Barracuda did well enough that the automaker redesigned it, with completely unique sheetmetal, for the 1966 model year.
Still and A-Body, the 1966-69 Plymouth Barracuda offered larger engines and distinctive looks that have earned it a niche following. Plymouth moved the vehicle up to the larger “E-Body” chassis, shared with the new Dodge Challenger, for the 1970 model year. This chassis was a midsize coupe just big enough for a big-block V8 engine. The result was a muscle car legend.
The third-generation Plymouth Barracuda had enough power to back up its tough good looks. It has become an iconic muscle car, shocking the world back in 2014 when a rare convertible version sold for an unprecedented $3.5 million.
Riri Williams drivers her dad’s Barracuda in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Dominique Thorne plays an MIT student named Riri Williams. [Spoiler Alert] This character from the comic books eventually builds her own Tony-Stark-style supersuit and becomes the superhero Ironheart.
During the movie, we get to see her hideout in a Cambridge warehouse. And parked there is a third-generation Plymouth Barracuda. Riri reveals that the car belonged to her father before her. It is a neat callback to Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, also a car nut–but with a twist. The Plymouth Barracuda is involved in the subsequent car chase and even pops up again later in the movie.
According to the Just a Car Guy blog, the car used in filming wears a mashup of decals from the 1971 440 Cuda and 1970 AAR, along with some trim from a 1972 or 1973 car. If it is a 1970 AAR, Riri’s Barracuda is worth over $100k!
John Wick drives a 1971 Plymouth Barracuda in his fourth film
Cars are as central to the John Wick franchise as gun-fu and puppies. The titular character’s prize possession is of course his Ford Mustang Boss 429 (seemingly converted to an automatic transmission). But while its in the shop after its frequent crashes, he’s driven a Dodge Charger and a Chevrolet Chevelle. In John Wick Chapter 4 it seems he’s slipping into a 1971 Plymouth Barracuda.
This car is visible at several points during the upcoming movie’s trailer. [Spoiler Alert] it seems that Keanu Reeve’s character will commandeer it from a pair of heavies. Then he’ll challenge another bad guy to a game of chicken in the rotary around the Arc de Triomphe. You can see some of the scene for yourself in the video below:
Next, see every car in the Fast and Furious 10 trailer.
