AAR with auto on the column - how rare?

I know of a restored AAR that might be coming on the market - all matching numbers. Has a auto on the column, owner says that's very rare - just wondering how many were built. Car is FJ5 "limelight"

I have one, I am curious also.

Not very. Back in the day I remember seeing dozens of column shift AARs. I've seen 3 FJ5 cars that way. Rare on a T/A, but not the Cuda. Conversely, many 1971 Dodge B-bodies were column shift, but it was rare on the 1971 Plymouth B-body.

I pretty sure Dodge just kept records of automatics. They never stated if it was column or floor . . I have the same on 70 challenger 440 mag R/T

They really aren't that uncommon, and the column auto hurts the value some compared to the other shifter options.

In my mind about 10% less than the slapstik, and easily 20% less than a 4 speed.

I wonder if they exist because AAR buyers tended to be young and affording the T/A option itself was a stretch that left many other options out of the question.

One of my '70 Challenger R/Ts was a column-shift auto. Pretty nice when the GF was along and could sit on a throw pillow.


Tim

Well there IS that factor, but my first car was a Camaro with a 4 speed, and virginity didn't stand a chance.

The column shifter cars I’ve seen were lacking in options. Mine is manual steering power disc and I have rally gauges. But the other AAR Cudas I’ve seen with column had non rally gauge. From what I’ve read most cars were bought off the lots and not ordered.

You all need to remember that the AR and T/A where made for one year only so Mopar could compete against the Mustangs and Camaro in the Trans Am road racing, those cars where never really popular with most young street guys due to the SB, 6 packs and automatics
Mopar had the 426 Street Hemi , 440 and 383 Magnums and 440 six packs
As far as the column shifters in the AAR I have seen and heard of a lot of them along with the standard instrument package, it seems like who ever was in charge of production on both the AAR and T/A had to meet a minimum production number and didn't have very high standards on how those cars where equipped and how they turned out
Mopar drop those cars in 1971 due to lack of sells

Thanks guys, here is the fender code breakdown - it does have a rallye cluster -

E55: 340 cid 4 barrel V8 275hp
D32: Heavy Duty Automatic Transmission
FJ5: Sublime Exterior Color
H6X9: Trim - High, Vinyl Bucket Seats, Black
000: Full Door Panels
408: Build Date: April 08
FJ5: Sublime Top Color
A53: Trans Am Package
A62: Rallye Instrument Cluster Package
B51: Power Brakes
C55: Bucket Seats
G36: OS Dual Racing Mirrors
J45: Hood Tie Down Pins
J82: Rear Spoiler - Duck Wing
M21: Roof drip rail moldings
M88: Decklid Moldings Treatment
N44: 70 only Side Exhaust
N85: Tachometer
N94: Fiberglass Fresh Air Hood
R11: Radio Solid State AM (2 Watts)
V6H: Longitudinal Stripes, Trans Am Black
Y05: Build to USA Specs
26: 26in Radiator

I am aware of over 170 column shift AARs so far but there are no records on how many were actually made.

A lot of them have been altered to floor shift over the years, so seeing one with the original column shift intact is refreshing to see.

Jeff at the AAR Registry owns a red column shift automatic AAR with the extra cost bench seat.

I also have a column with the bench seat and love it for a change of pace. It sure seems like I’ve seen way my column AARs than T/As though

They are more common on AARs than T/As, but AARs were also produced in a higher volume than T/As.

Mine was the classic convert it to 4spd, cut hole in floor and drag race. Now it’s back to column shift and I like it. Wish I had the original motor but that’s ok. It might still be around somewhere in Missouri.

Joe,
If you have not checked with the registries that track AARs yet, you can.

Several AAR (and T/A) blocks have been reported over the years & every once in a while, one of them does return 'home'.

Same for transmissions & various paperwork.

www.transamcuda.com & www.hamtramck-historical.com

Many, many years ago I went to look at an AAR that was for sale fairly cheap. $750 or so. When I got there I found out why. It was Column shift with bench seat.

Because I had not ever seen or heard of such a thing before, I thought maybe the seat and column had come out of something else. Still the only one like that I have ever seen.

The next week, I bought a '70 340 Cuda with a slapstick for $750.

.

My 71 cuda 340 shaker is column shifted bench seat also...glad mine stands out in the crowd

I still hear from many that do not realize that the bench seat was an extra cost option in the E-bodies.

Bucket seats were standard, so the bench seat was an extra cost item.

I do truly appreciate seeing original cars that came with them when they are intact.

A relative of mine has a Cuda with a column shift and bench seat and I think its pretty cool set up in an e body when I think about the car. This coming from a guy who converted a 69 Charger from column to floor auto back in the day and would probably still do the same today in a Charger.

Correct - most of these were dealer ordered cars & many of the dealers wanted to keep the price down, so few options. Mine is floor auto with console, PS with the fast ratio, PDB, but standard gauges.

And come to think of it, my '72 Cuda 340 is a LOADED car (showroom showcase for all the Cuda options in 1972), & it is a column auto with buckets.

Learn something new every day.
Many years ago (mid-70s) I looked at a '70 Barracuda /6 auto on the column that had a bench seat. Thought it was just a stripper model as it had nothing except an AM radio.


Tim