1971 Plymouth 'Cuda. Ola Nilsson

card was included in the paperwork. The first owner received a 12-month/12,000-mile warranty, whichever came first, covering the entire vehicle except tires. A 5-year/50,000-mile warranty, was issued for most of the drivetrain. This 5/50,000 warranty was not issued to cars with either the 426 Hemi or 440 6-barrel engine.

       This Dealer inspection form was to be filled out during initial delivery inspection, noting that all components ordered on the car were present. A service technician performed the inspections and corrected any flaws prior to the customer receiving the new car. (Dodge, Plymouth and the AMC design are registered trademarks of FCA US LLC)

      Positive Automotive Reviews

      Several newspaper articles were written for the anticipated release of the new model. Many reports described how the new 'Cuda sported a strong grille treatment, with dual headlamps highlighting the front end with six sections formed by vertical bars. Parking and turn indicator lamps were mounted below the grille. Rear end styling was received well. The writers boasted about the new separation of the reverse lights and brake lights. Another favorable item was the reduction of the engine compression ratio so owners could use regular fuel instead of the more expensive high octane.

      On a positive note, some reviewers enjoyed the manually adjustable six-way driver’s seat and louvers for the rear windows that kept the glass dry and clear in rain or snow. Most of the great hardware was still available on the order form, and the high-performance engines retained high-compression status. Most other auto manufacturers had dropped every engine option to around 9:1 for this model year. Test driving a 'Cuda340 provided a new experience in curves and corners.

      All 'Cuda models were to go on sale in Plymouth showrooms on Tuesday, October 6, 1970. It was indeed a highly anticipated day for the enthusiast.

      Negative Automotive Reviews

      When automotive journalists first reviewed the redesigned grille, many disliked it. Authors wrote “too busy,” “reminds me of a cheese grater,” “unpleasant pearlescent color that can be made to look better with body color,” and a variety of other negative publicity for the new design. Most reviewers also disliked the Sport Stripe option, which were knownas “Billboards.” One author recommended that you special order your new 'Cuda so as to “avoid the garish displacement signs that are at least half the height of the doors.”

      Car Craft magazine was quoted, “It’s going to take some getting used to in order to accept the car’s new front end. First impressions leave one with such thoughts as a toothless grin or the frozen dessert section at the local automat.” It was a “bastardization” of a cleaner car. Most reviewers preferred the original design, noting that it was “clean, simple, devoid of clutter.”

       Shown here is a warranty document. This example has some slight amendments for California-registered cars. This indicated what was covered under a new car warranty. It provided the VIN, original owner, and original selling dealer. It is a valued document for collectors that can confirm a vehicle's history.

       Convertible 'Cudas are seldom seen and are considered very rare. Driving a muscle car with the top down is truly a wonderful experience. Two-tone Saddle Tan interior code H6T7 is a good match for this Formal Black paint code TX9 exterior. Note the standard Argent colored grille. (Steve Klein Photo)

      Insurance Rates

      The most prevalent reason for dismal sales was the rising cost of automobile insurance. Most performance engines found their home in a muscle car. This concept was looked upon in considerable disfavor when combined with the usually youthful buyers. The all-new 'Cuda appeared in 1970 just when these insurance companies became aware that they could spot and avoid a performance-minded client not just by the cubic inches of the car he owned, but by specific model designations and the power-to-weight ratio. The projected sales of the 1970 'Cuda were to be 50 percent more than 1969, but due to the high premium of automobile insurance, the actual sales were never met. Potential buyers desired them, but couldn’t or wouldn’t pay the high premiums, which could cost an owner $500 yearly. Automobile makers, especially Chrysler, would need to rethink their strategy for future sales. In 1971, Chrysler-Plymouth offered a large variety of performance options that just begged the insurance companies to gladly raise their premiums.

      Production Run

      Production was scheduled from August 2, 1970, to July 15, 1971, but probably actually started during the third week of July 1970. The very earliest Plymouths were slated for Canada and International Specifications builds. Chrysler-Plymouth faced many hurdles in the spring of 1971 and had already stopped offering many of the iconic options. The last Hemi 'Cuda was scheduled to be built in mid-June, the last 'Cuda440-6 a few days before that, and the last of the 'Cuda convertibles on June 22.

      Throughout the latter part of the production run, Plymouth was running about a week behind schedule. It is most likely that the 'Cuda that was scheduled for July 9 was actually assembled at the end of the second week in July, possibly even later. I have found that several 'Cuda 383 hardtops have a Scheduled Production Date of 709 (July 9, 1971). These may have been the last of the 1971 'Cudas built. Because Chrysler-Plymouth has no records from this golden age, exact build dates remain a mystery.

       CHAPTER 2

       DESIGN AND CONCEPTS

       A High-Impact, extra-cost exterior paint, Curious Yellow paint code GY3 was ordered on approximately 9 percent of the 'Cudas. Interestingly, the hue changes from more yellow toward green with a light change. It is a desirable exterior color for any 1971 'Cuda enthusiast.

      A division of the Chrysler Corporation Engineering Office issued a publication on May 11, 1970. This confidential publication was distributed internally to Chrysler divisions for the purpose of providing passenger car information to use as a resource for product advertising, press information, and a variety of internal purposes.

      On June 5, 1970, a request followed the issue of these documents to maintain its security until new model introduction time. That written request came from E. D. Vosburgh who was the manager of the Engineering Standards and Data Department in the Engineering Office.

      These seldom-seen internal publications emphasize new engineering and design features with potential customer appeal and show innovative leadership. Not every detail of each car line was included. Exterior and interior views of the car lines showed a general representation of the actual production versions. Many lacked details of trim and ornamentation. Photographs and illustrations of engineering and technical features were accurate and used for news releases and other publicity media.

      Prints of the technical illustrations in this publication were only available to authorized users. Requests from the Public Relations offices were made directly to L. Stewart, Manager of Press Information, Public Relations Office, and all other requests were made directly to Vosburgh. There was a lot of “red tape” to navigate to become an authorized user.

       New for 1971, the locking system on the steering column came with an “inhibitor ring” and instructional placard. The driver depressed this lever to remove the ignition key. This system prevents accidental locking of the steering column should anyone attempt to remove the key while the car is in motion

STYLING