1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda
SCCA Trans-Am homologation rules required 2,500 production examples, prompting Plymouth to create this single-year special and to brand it after Dan Gurney’s All American Racers (AAR) Trans-Am team.
Between March and April 1970, Hamtramck Assembly produced exactly 2,724 AAR ’Cudas, with 1,120 equipped with four-speed manual transmissions and 1,604 fitted with TorqueFlite automatics.
The fiberglass hood incorporated functional fresh-air induction, while side-exiting exhaust trumpets terminated ahead of the rear wheels.
Heavy-duty rear leaf springs raised the tail roughly 1.75 to 2 inches to accommodate the exhaust routing and allow staggered tire fitment (E60x15 front, G60x15 rear), making this one of the first American production cars delivered with factory mismatched front and rear tire sizes.
Longitudinal strobe striping progressed from wide segments at the cowl to narrower sections aft, terminating with the tri-color AAR shield graphic.
A modest rear spoiler and front air dam completed the competition-inspired appearance package, available across Plymouth’s High-Impact color palette.
The specially prepared 340-cubic-inch V‑8 featured the Six Barrel induction setup with three Holley two-barrel carburetors on an Edelbrock aluminum intake, along with a specific camshaft, revised cylinder heads, and heavy-duty internal components including a forged steel crankshaft.
Factory ratings listed output at 290 horsepower (SAE gross), though period testing and enthusiast consensus suggest the real figure was notably higher.
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