How Much Horsepower A 1970 Plymouth HEMI Cuda Produces (And What It's Worth Now)

The 1970 Plymouth HEMI Cuda was the high-water mark for Chrysler muscle cars of its era. The 1970-74 E-body Plymouth Barracuda and its sibling, the Dodge Challenger, were Chrysler's "pony cars," designed to compete with the amazingly successful Ford Mustang, as well as with the Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Mercury Cougar, and AMC Javelin. The 1970 Plymouth HEMI Cuda combined Chrysler's smallest vehicle with its highest-output engine. The result of this pairing was a car that became a legend among enthusiasts and has established records on the auction circuit.

The 426 HEMI engine in the 1970 Plymouth HEMI Cuda represents the second generation of this key Chrysler powerplant. It was based on a dedicated racing engine that Chrysler had no intention of putting into street vehicles. That all changed when the racing HEMI placed 1-2-3-4 at the NASCAR Daytona 500 in 1964. NASCAR then changed its rules and required that the 426 HEMI would have to appear in production vehicles if Chrysler wanted to continue racing with it.

This change in the rules required Chrysler to sit out the 1965 NASCAR season. Chrysler engineers got to work and developed a street version of the HEMI, which first appeared in some of their 1966 models. 

The 1970 Plymouth HEMI Cuda produced the same horsepower as all other versions of the HEMI. But how much horsepower does the 426 HEMI engine produce? Well, it has an advertised output of 425 horsepower and 490 lb.-ft. of torque, but these numbers were likely significantly lower than the actual figures, in an attempt by Chrysler to prevent the insurance industry from charging 426 HEMI owners with truly ridiculous premiums. 

Some sources have estimated an actual figure of 470 horsepower without a full exhaust system and any engine accessories. Others have tested a stock configuration HEMI on a dynamometer, where they got a reading of 494.4 horsepower at 5,950 rpm and 521 horsepower when running exhaust headers. One possible reason for this big difference might have been that Chrysler provided the HEMI's power output at only 5,000 rpm, which is below the engine's 5,950 rpm power peak. However, the same dyno test showed that the stock engine put out 459.3 horsepower at 5,000 rpm, far above the Chrysler-supplied figure of 425. 

The HEMI option package consisted of more than just the HEMI engine: It came with either a heavy-duty New Process 4-speed manual or a Torqueflite automatic transmission, along with an upgraded rear axle (the 4-speed got a Dana 60 and the automatic a Mopar 8 3/4). The package cost a whopping $900 in 1970 (equivalent to almost $7,500 in 2024), which represented nearly one-third of the Barracuda's $2,865 base price. It is no wonder that so few 1970 HEMI Cudas were sold!

The HEMI was sold by Chrysler through 1971, after which it was no longer available. What killed it off was a combination of a high option price, strict upcoming emissions standards, and huge increases in insurance rates for high-powered muscle cars. The 1970 HEMI Cuda lives on as one of the rarest muscle cars, combining aggressive looks and street cred that was proven on both street and track. A total of 666 1970 HEMI Cudas were produced; 652 coupes and only 14 convertibles. 

The prices that the 1970 HEMI Cuda has achieved at auction fully reflect this car's rarity and desirability. A 1970 HEMI Cuda convertible with automatic recently sold for $2.1 Million at Mecum's 2024 auction in Kissimmee, Florida, while Nicholas Cage's personal triple-black 1970 HEMI Cuda 4-speed coupe hammered down for $550,000 at Barrett-Jackson's 2024 Las Vegas auction. The all-time champion at this point in time is the following model year's 1971 HEMI Cuda convertible, one of seven convertibles made that year, which sold at auction for $3.5 Million back in 2014. Certainly, these cars continue to be very good investments.