It is believed that there were 358 cuda 440s built, in the three production runs.

Having had the pleasure of logging over 30,000 miles in an original one, I can attest that they are certainly a handful. With armstrong steering, 10" drums, and the ability to break the rear loose at will, they certainly were not designed for the average person. Add to that the limited 12 month/12,000 mile warranty, and the skinny tractionless tires available at the time, they really offered little over a 340 car in terms of performance, and certainly not in the handling department.

I have heard they were produced to homologate the 440 for use in stock drag racing classes, however I have no proof that this is true.

Even in the early 90s, many "knowledgeable" Moparites did not even know of their existence, and with the fendertag indicating the E63 (383) motor, most often assumed they were simply a crudely done (motor mount) home swap. If I heard "fake" once, I heard it a million times.

I only knew of them from a two page black & white article in one of the first Mopar Action mags that featured one. And I still thank Nick Corbo of Stamford, Conneticut (whom I just google searched and found his obituary from 2009 ) for spending the time over the phone helping me learn and document my car before finalizing the purchase.

Grant