1968 Plymouth Barracuda B029 "Mule" Spotted in the Wild, Super Stock HEMI Sounds Vicious
The Plymouth HEMI 'Cuda is one of the most iconic muscle cars of the golden era. It's also rare, desirable, and expensive, pretty much because it was produced in small numbers over only two model years (1970-1971). But there's an even rarer HEMI version we usually forget about. It was built long before the 426 HEMI became a regular option on the third-gen Barracuda.
I'm obviously talking about the Barracuda B029, which Plymouth developed in 1968. Unlike the HEMI 'Cuda of the early 1970s, this HEMI rig was based on the second-gen pony car. And even though it was technically road-legal, it was developed for Super Stock racing. The HEMI mills used in these cars were also tuned for the drag strip.
Assembled by Hurst Performance, the B029 was a notable departure from the Barracuda available in dealerships in 1968. It featured fiberglass front fenders, lightweight windows and seats, and was devoid of unnecessary items at the drag strip, like the rear seats and sound-deadening materials.
The car rolled out of Hurst's shop with a sticker indicating it was not for use on public roads and a beefed-up HEMI good for around 550 horsepower. The regular streetable version came with 425 horses on tap. The B029 needed less than 11 seconds to cover the quarter-mile as equipped from the factory. However, tweaked examples ran the distance as quick as 8.9 seconds at 148 mph (238 kph).
Plymouth built only 50 units, and most of them hit the race track during the 1968 NHRA season. Some didn't survive years of intense racing, and those that did fetch six-figure sums nowadays (even when they don't have the original engine).
But these Super Stock monsters rarely appear on the auction block or at car shows. So, the fact that some of these rigs showed up at the inaugural Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge is fabulous, to say the least. Making things even more spectacular, the lineup also includes the first-ever B029 produced. It's called the "Mule," and unlike the B029s that followed, this one was developed and put together by Chrysler's factory engineering team.
The purpose of the prototype was to showcase the 426 HEMI as the ultimate factory-built racing engine, and its successful testing sessions prompted the collaboration with Hurst Performance for the limited-series production model.
Now a flawless gem restored to original specifications, the "Mule" is under the care of Myron Serbay of Plymouth, Michigan. He's been preserving the car for more than 20 years. If you cannot attend the Sox & Martin Hemi Challenge at the NHRA US Nationals on August 30, the footage below shows the "Mule" being driven out of a trailer. Hit play and crank up the volume because that race-spec HEMI will blow you away.
I'm obviously talking about the Barracuda B029, which Plymouth developed in 1968. Unlike the HEMI 'Cuda of the early 1970s, this HEMI rig was based on the second-gen pony car. And even though it was technically road-legal, it was developed for Super Stock racing. The HEMI mills used in these cars were also tuned for the drag strip.
Assembled by Hurst Performance, the B029 was a notable departure from the Barracuda available in dealerships in 1968. It featured fiberglass front fenders, lightweight windows and seats, and was devoid of unnecessary items at the drag strip, like the rear seats and sound-deadening materials.
The car rolled out of Hurst's shop with a sticker indicating it was not for use on public roads and a beefed-up HEMI good for around 550 horsepower. The regular streetable version came with 425 horses on tap. The B029 needed less than 11 seconds to cover the quarter-mile as equipped from the factory. However, tweaked examples ran the distance as quick as 8.9 seconds at 148 mph (238 kph).
Plymouth built only 50 units, and most of them hit the race track during the 1968 NHRA season. Some didn't survive years of intense racing, and those that did fetch six-figure sums nowadays (even when they don't have the original engine).
But these Super Stock monsters rarely appear on the auction block or at car shows. So, the fact that some of these rigs showed up at the inaugural Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge is fabulous, to say the least. Making things even more spectacular, the lineup also includes the first-ever B029 produced. It's called the "Mule," and unlike the B029s that followed, this one was developed and put together by Chrysler's factory engineering team.
The purpose of the prototype was to showcase the 426 HEMI as the ultimate factory-built racing engine, and its successful testing sessions prompted the collaboration with Hurst Performance for the limited-series production model.
Now a flawless gem restored to original specifications, the "Mule" is under the care of Myron Serbay of Plymouth, Michigan. He's been preserving the car for more than 20 years. If you cannot attend the Sox & Martin Hemi Challenge at the NHRA US Nationals on August 30, the footage below shows the "Mule" being driven out of a trailer. Hit play and crank up the volume because that race-spec HEMI will blow you away.