Spotless Survivor: 1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda
Although the practice was common in years past, it is rare today for manufacturers to produce specific models for motorsport homologation. Plymouth undertook the process in 1970 with the AAR ‘Cuda, with 2,724 cars rolling off the line in a flurry between 11th March and 20th April 1970. It is believed that around 1,700 survive today, and our feature car is one of those unmolested vehicles. It presents well following an older faithful restoration but needs a new home. You will find the AAR listed here on Barn Finds Classifieds in Cary, North Carolina. You could become its lucky new owner by handing the seller $130,000.
The seller indicates they purchased this ‘Cuda in 1993 following a three-year restoration. Due to it spending its life in drier climates, it had avoided the rust issues that often afflict these classics. The process was more a cosmetic refresh than a nut-and-bolt build. The previous owner applied the car’s factory shade of Rallye Red, the distinctive Black on the fiberglass hood, and the strobe side stripes. Records indicate buyers ordered their new AAR in nineteen colors. Rallye Red proved the most popular, with 224 vehicles. That represents a healthy percentage, but the relative rarity of these cars means they are hardly thick on the ground. This car’s panels are laser straight, with the paint showing an impressive depth of shine. There are no rust issues, with the original floors and rails rock-solid. The seller indicates one front light has a small hole, but it operates as it should. That is one of the few flaws worth mentioning, with the chrome and glass spotless and the original Rallye wheels showing no stains or flaws. It is worth noting the show success of this ‘Cuda because it provides an insight into its condition. It has accumulated a significant collection of First Place trophies in various Mopar categories and a couple of “Best of Show” awards. The seller includes some of the trophies and plaques in the sale.
If we turn our attention to this classic’s interior, we find a point of difference that helps it stand out and seems to increase its rarity. This ‘Cuda features a bench seat with a center armrest, and I haven’t seen many examples of the AAR with that feature. I tried to confirm the production total with this seat but have run into a brick wall. However, several sources indicate that of total ‘Cuda production in 1970, only around 7.2% of buyers specified the bench. Some more in-depth research may provide a definitive answer, but I’ve only seen a couple so equipped. The interior presents superbly for a vehicle of this vintage, with no evidence of wear or damage on its Black vinyl upholstery or matching carpet. The dash and wheel are spotless, and the Rallye gauges feature clear lenses and crisp markings. Everything works as it should, except the odometer. The AM radio functions, although the seller removed the antenna to avoid damage when the vehicle is stored under a cover. The antenna is present, and reinstalling it for tunes on the move would take a few minutes.
Lifting the hood reveals what separates this ‘Cuda from mere mortals. Plymouth produced the AAR as a motorsport homologation special for the popular SCCA Trans Am Series. Although the racing versions ran the class-maximum 305ci V8, the road cars all featured the 340ci V8 Six-Pack V8 producing 290hp. The standard transmission was a four-speed manual, although this car is 1-of-1,604 ordered with the three-speed A-727 TorqueFlite transmission. The AAR also featured numerous suspension upgrades, power front disc brakes, and a unique exhaust configuration that brought the pipes out the side just before the rear wheel openings. Performance figures were impressive, with an auto-equipped AAR capable of storming the ¼-mile in 14.9 seconds before winding its way to 127mph. One of life’s great automotive pleasures isn’t the outright performance but removing the air cleaner from these classics. Doing so exposes the beautiful Six-Pack induction system, which is a work of art. This AAR is numbers-matching and has been appropriately maintained under the stewardship of its current owner. They recently replaced the fuel tank due to deterioration, along with the brake lines, original shocks, and water pump. They include the removed parts in the sale and a vast collection of receipts and invoices dating back to 1990. It is a turnkey classic ready to be enjoyed by its new owner.
Purchasing any classic car with a six-figure asking price involves a leap of faith and deep commitment. That is the decision facing anyone contemplating pursuing this 1970 AAR ‘Cuda further. Its price isn’t pocket change, but nor is it unprecedented. Its originality increases its desirability, but its value growth could help justify the outlay. This one-year-only model has recently climbed by around 10% per year, with that trend showing no signs of slowing. That could make it a soling long-term investment. However, classic car ownership is sometimes more about our hearts than our heads. If you have the available funds and long to park this ‘Cuda in your garage, it might be worth contacting the seller while there’s still time.
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Comments
Geez, $130K? I think they added an extra zero to the price….
That’s what these are going for now. It’s crazy
Wow what a nice unmolested completely restored survivor lol.
I don’t understand how you get a completely restored and unmolested car in the same sentence! It is a very nice car but it is restored, not unmolested it would be nice to fix the headlight to ask that kind of money!!
K . he should be fixing the odometer too.
My cousin just sold his Sassy Grass green AAR. His was a 4-spd all original with buckets and console. This bench seat slush box car is not what people want in these cars. Ask is a dream for this seller. He won’t get half
Automatic on the column? Blasphemy!
Beautiful car, no doubt. But as Shuttle points out, the true blasphemy is located on the column. Especially when what this car should have/could have had was the coveted and absolute best (in my opinion) Pistol Grip on the floor – to be able to happily work through all four gears. Oh yeah.
$130k for a nice car that needs work is not worth paying top of the market prices. Car should be sent to Graveyard Carz or Tony’s Mopars for a thorough going over. Odometer not working so real miles not known and who wants a column shifted bench seat automatic? No thanks
I like it. If its not a manual, may as well be on the column, shift into D and leave it.
Really! Want a ride in my slushbox 130 K ‘Cuda? Sigh…………….
Automatic on the column? Scarcity!
Nowhere near as scarce as a ’69 or 2nd gen t/a with auto on the column!
https://www.motortrend.com/features/1969-pontiac-trans-am-executive-transportation/
&
https://barnfinds.com/rare-column-shift-1973-pontiac-trans-am/
Many Superbirds came that way too – auto on the column. It must have been a popular choice.
Actually nobody could “order” an AAR ‘cuda or a Challenger. Yes, there were 19 colors available but Chrysler specced out all of these cars themselves based on popularity of options ordered by customers. They were working on a short timeline to get the cars approved by the SCCA and didn’t have time to wait for orders to come in, so all of these cars were built and you did your best to try and find one that came as close to what you wanted. The same was true for Daytonas and Superbirds, although I have heard they announced the Charger 500 early enough they did take some orders for those, and some of the late orders came through as Daytonas because the 500 production was stopped after 392 cars and switched over.
Absolutely! All cars were “sales bank cars” my friends John and Dennis sat in an office one day and filled out every production order!
I understand from a sales volume, “big 3” car company, and having to get them built and out the factory to qualify for racing perspective why Chrysler built these with automatic transmissions, but I’ve always believed that they should have been 4 speed manual transmission only in the AAR Cuda/TA Challenger models.
Having said that, bucket seats and a console shift should have been “standard equipment” regardless of auto or manual transmission. A bench seat doesn’t help a car made to handle corners.
I’m a HUGE fan of the 6bbl/6 Pack setup, so going to a modern Gen 3 Hemi on a RestoMod AAR/TA would have to use a 3×2 setup, like the FiTech EFI or F&B 3×2 EFI, an independent rear suspension vs solid axle, and ALL of the best suspension trick parts, rack and pinion, 4 wheel discs, etc. A RestoMod AAR/TA would be quite the machine!
4 speed like the ’69 Z-28
Would it be hard to find a used non cracked dash that matched the black shade of the rest of the interior?
The sound of a 340 sucking air through the six-pack at high revs and high speed was like no other. 120 was quite a visceral thrill, especially since this was in the day of 55. Now my wife’s Escape does 100 and it feels like 55. Beautiful car, beyond my realm of possibility. Can’t imagine thrashing these old Mopars like me and my friends all did it like it did back then. Glad I was alive when these could be beat without remorse.
The car is worth about 58,000 the auto on the tree, bench seat. Keep looking fellows & gals, they are out there with consoles, buckets or 4 speeds. This is a wish and a prayer price.
This is a Unicorn. The others are just garden variety AAR ‘Cudas🥱
The word “survivor” has clearly become completely meaningless.
I hear you there. It managed to survive the restoration just fine, but will it recover its medical costs? At 130K, I sure hope so. I got to visit the Brothers Collection recently and they literally have a wall full of these, stacked three high, nine of them all in different colors. I think they needed to make room for all the Hemi cars on the floor, like 50 of them. If you get the chance, go there.
just dashes will do an outstanding job on that. And it will look like the day it came off the line. BUT 130000, You can find a Hemi stick for that price. anyway, very nice survivor
Thanks everyone. I’m open to reasonable offers. There are no cracks on the dash btw. I had a brand new yellow one in 1970 and used to bracket race it. For years after that I was looking for one and every time I’d read about a ‘mint condition’ one it ended up being very rough, or worse yet, in boxes. This has been my baby for 30 some years and an interesting story was that I bought it a week before the worst earthquake in LA. It struck two days after we left to move here to NC and the building it has been stored in for those few days, also house among other cars, 2 original Cobras and a gull-wing Mercedes, were crushed. I swore I’d never sell it but my health is very bad and I need the money for doctor’s bills. It still has the original air in the collapsable spare ‘can.’ I know $130K is a lot and I am open to reasonable offers.
It’s a great thing to see a beautiful 1970 AAR Cuda out there for sale but the reasons are a sad thing. I understand you have been a terrific caretaker to a legendary Mopar for 30 years and for that you are to be commended and not criticized and wanting top dollar is expected not uncommon so if you want realistic money contact Tony at Tony’s Mopars he is always with Mark Worman of Graveyard Carz they will be your best bet to either but your car or find you a buyer for the car. Good luck n get well
Since you are a “member” of BF I’m sure you recognize commenter observations and opinions are just that …. No malice intended. Good luck with the sale and better luck with you the health:)
As a young adult, I wanted one of these bad. I would have opted for the 4spd at that time but 50 years later, the bench seat and Torqueflite would be my choice. I wish I had bought every one of the available and sat on them in a climate controlled environment, until the present day. In 1970, these could be bought new for less than 5K. How many people have wished they had that forethought?
$130,000 for a bench seat, auto on the column AAR?? I don’t care how rare that set up is, that’s a hard pass for me. What next, a bucket seat, 4-speed Cuda with a slant 6??
Survivor? Not today. (Make me pull my hair out.) Survivor does not mean a car that still exists, it means a car with less than minimal touchup done to it. Survivor means about the same thing as ”one of one”. My car came from the factory with the floor mats installed upside down, so that makes it one of one. Nothing wrong with being a ”rookie” in the old car hobby, but learn what you are talking about. This car does not need incorrect descriptions. It is a super nice old car that is worth big bucks. Sell it as that. It is still an AAR Cuda and it doesn’t matter if it is pushbutton on the dash, it’s still cool and it’s still hot. Figure that one out kids.
Nice, unusual combination. I have never seen one of these with a bench seat. Is there room for three in the front. These AAR were pretty fast cars, a bit faster than my ’69 Z-28. A fact a really wrestled with at the time.
It might do better at a big name auction. Mecum is today in Vegas.
130k for this car is outrageous since it needs a good going over by an old time expert on Mopars before an actual price is asked. It has needs to be addressed also for a few ppl who asked questions 5 grand in 1970 was a down payment on a house bc money had alot more value and buying power. The minimum wage was a dollar or less an hour. The dashpads always needed replacing just a fact and also this column shifted bench seated cuda may be unusual but it’s only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
Meh, column shift, bench seats, 340. It’s rare because no one would order it that way.
I can’t figure out why people have to go out of their way to leave downright nasty comments. The people on this site are just that, real people, like you.
There are ways to share an opinion or comment without being nasty. The English language is pretty flexible that way.
Thank you for all the kind comments. I am absolutely open to lesser options. The only reason I am selling the AAR at all is we have major medical bills because of my illness. Thank you. so much, and have a great weekend.
@Brad460. You are totally right, and it keeps getting worse. If we were all having a few beers on a Saturday night sitting in the garage after helping someone with the latest project…none of us would bash cars in the way it happens online. Sure there would be the usual “ball busting”, but that’s not what this is. This is people who have the comfort of not having to look into eyes of the people whose cars they are trash talking, simply being jackasses. Why? Because they’re the type of people who feel so inadequate, that tearing down the cars of others somehow makes them feel superior…as long as it’s not in person. Pathetic.
The price of this one reinforces the fact that the Challenger T/A that recently passed through Barn Finds was a real bargain.
I’m not sure what the big deal about the seats is? The factor buckets were terrible, thinly padded, no bolster support and weak backrests. You slid all over and better seats were necessary for corner carving. So I can see where a bench seat would be nice for everyday comfort. And its not like this car will be pulling corner G’s again, ever.
It is a beautiful car, soooo much better than they were new, and some buyers with cash will appreciate its appearance and presentation. Hopefully he will get an offer that satisfies both buyer and seller. Me, I can’t square 50 year old cars selling for more than a house. So that leaves me far out of the game.
I agree, but even though I only live in NC and not CA or NY anymore, you sure can’t buy a house around here for $130,000. In fact, a fairly modest one starts at around $300,000.
Speaking of bench seats, when my wife was growing up in Hillsboro, OR she had a 1974 Spirit of America, Nova and it had bench seats.She used to Armour All them, front and back and then take her girlfriends on ‘joy rides :)’
I left a comment earlier and I didn’t consider it offensive but humor. That being said, honestly I’ve never seen or heard of a bench seat or column shifter in an AAR. I’ve never seem a console slap stick either. Just pistol grip four-speeds. To me that looks like a basic 318 “Barracuda.” The seller should do some Do-diligence here and see if he has a one of one on his hands. Maybe that would help his asking price out.
I’m not a Mopar guy, but I did check and there were 1,614 1970 Cudas with an automatic and 1,120 with a four speed out of the total production of 2,724. I also found where roughly 189 were bench seat. I don’t know if the bench seat is a guestimate or a fact. This car in no way looks like a basic 318 car to me. If it was not real, we would already have heard that from our fellow warriors. It is a one of 2,724 made. I’m not a Pentastar guy, but I would take this one in a heartbeat.
There are about 20 bench-seat column automatics that were built. I know of about 6 left floating around.
I could have bought one exactly like this one a couple years ago for $40,000, except it had the automatic shifter in the proper location; in a console on the floor. Beautiful car that was sitting in a warehouse of the owners business. I passed because it was an automatic
Even tho they don’t make a dynacorn cuda body, they do make a ’70 chally one. Considering what orig AAR cudas go for, it might be a lot cheaper to get a Chally dynacorn body & make one of these —>
https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AAP7Fvd.img?w=1920&h=1080&q=60&m=2&f=jpg
IF you do it yourself & say, make a custom interior with aftmkt buckets, no back seat, etc.
Well then, you really wouldn’t have an AAR ‘Cuda nor would you have a genuine Challenger TA. You’d have an expensive mutant with a Chinese body and zero historical value (woohoo another trendy restomod!) Might as well put that money towards a new Meyers Manx 2.0 styled by Freeman Thomas and manufactured right here in the USA. Can you imagine that? Ain’t nothing worse than a phony Chinese bodied “vintage” musclecar. It’s an absolute slap in the face and an utter disgrace.
Well, for what this cuda costs, you certainly should not drive this much, if at all, with all the distracted nuts on the road today – for me, it’s no fun having just a GENUINE museum piece – in this overrestored condition – a car only trailered to & from a car show. This car looks a lot better than a brand new one you would get in 1970 off the lot! I saw brand new ones on the lot back in the day already with rust on some suspension components!!
I like to drive em – a lot – the way they were meant to be used – & not just on sunny days. & i would have thought that a modern steel asian dynacorn body – & asian fenders, hoods, etc. would fit together at least as “good” as the horrible factory fit & gaps of cars from the ’70s – maybe i’m wrong – in that case, i stand corrected. Not to mention modern auto steel being a lot less likely to rust than ’70s body panels. How many rust buckets do you see on the road today, compared to what you saw in the late ’70s & 80s cars on cars as little as 2 years old!!? lol
The real disgrace is that these bodies are not built in the USA & so many parts are now coming from china – even well know brand maintenance items, like oil filters!