Mopars that never happened

1977 Charger R/T

81 Charger R/T

1987 Plymouth Barracuda convertible

1996 Dodge Charger R/T 5.9L

Not a mopar car but engine. The 400 Ball Stud Hemi. I have mixed feelings. It was a neat motor. Basically big block chevy heads on a low deck mopar block. But what was the reason? I know it was to replace the BB wedge motors but why? For the hottest street brawls the 383 440 wedge was great. High velocity head ports. The BBC canted valve design is better for high RPM power than the inline valve wedge head but mopar had the Hemi for high RPM race engines. Was Mopar gonna REPLACE the hemi with this new canted valve headed motor? Was the Ball stud a replacement for the wedge AND the hemi? The Hemis valve train is cast, expensive and complex- the canted valve head had simple stamped steel rocker arms that were stud mounted. Very economical. I can see the advantage if the ball stud was a replacement for the hemi and the wedge. But it would have been a step down from the hemi head. Surely by 1971 it was apparent that Elephant 426 hemi head established it superiority in oval track and drag racing? I don't see the canted valve chevy type head dominating racing like the 426 hemi head/engine did.

i know they produced these, just wished it was offered in America

Just got my wife a Durango R/T with the Tow'n'Go package, basically an SRT with the 5.7. If they built a 2-door version they'd sell millions of them...

Manufacturers don't make money by not producing something they'd sell millions of.

The initial '62s designed by Exner.... the "S-Body" or "S-design" platform would have been full-size, and very attractive. There was even a proposed large, wrap-around back window 2+2 coupe which probably influenced the Barracuda a few years later. The Imperial was sharp and exquisite in comparison to the bulbous, finned, awkward '59 - '63s that we got. The "S" Imperial was very modern and forward looking.

That would have looked better than the 62's that they put out.

Three antennas, no passenger headrest, and are they sitting on the windshield frame?

AI blows.

Those kids also appear to have only one leg each. Nice boombox, though.

Bet he was a charmer and got her to hop into bed with him.

Is there a picture somewhere of the proposed 1992 or 1993 1500 pickup design
that Bob Lutz and Lee Iacocca had bad feeling for and rejected,
and ordered the designers to go do a “mini Kenworth T600” body style,
resulting in the 1994 pickup?

I've seen that image before. It literally looks like someone badge-swapped the 1992 F-150 and added a 1996 Dakota's grille.

That Barracuda, with optional 5.2L V8 Magnum after 1991, would have 220 hp (maybe more with a little better intake/exhaust) and could have been great competition for the Ford Mustang (5.0L at that time was 225hp).

JS

I'm i the only one who sees all kind of flaws in this pic? Two people sitting on the a pillar of a convertible(the guy has no foot). It has 3 antennas! One coming out of the front left fender, The "factory" one and the big whip in back that looks to be coming out of the top/cover. Whoever photoshopped it may have put some more thought into it.

Look at the “Barra???” And the license plate.

More late 80's early 90's barracuda convertibles

2005 Plymouth Trail Duster

2019 Cuda

new Dakota

2025 Dodge stealth AWD w/ 550hp Hurricane 6

DOOGE? Or is it DOOCE?

https://web.archive.org/web/2015022.../21/design-notes-1994-dodge-ram-truck/3/

1986-1987 Dodge Ram Louisville Slugger concept




1987-1988 Dodge Ram Phoenix concept

More info:

Chrysler Corporation 1962: the right cars for the wrong time

https://www.allpar.com/threads/chrysler-corporation-1962-the-right-cars-for-the-wrong-time.227899/

Automotive & Design History: 1962 Plymouth & Dodge – The Real Reason They Were Downsized

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cur...-brilliant-blunder-or-suddenly-its-1977/

One of the mopar rags years ago said in the mid 90s the EPA folks were shocked when Chrysler tried to pass a gen 2 style 426 hemi in the trucks.

So a Ford F150 and a Dodge pickup had a child, and unfortunately the Ford genes came through. In profile that looks more like a F150 made for a foreign market than a Dodge at all. Good on Lutz and Iaccoca to ax that one. At least the Dodge Ram that resulted didn't look like everything else.

100%

I remember reading that article, I think it was 1993 or 1994 in Car and Driver magazine just as the new 94 ram was taking the world by storm. That F150 clone truck ^ was all set to go before they killed it last minute and went with this "radical" design instead, which was another pure Chrysler product savior moment in their history

Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Maybach, Ferrari, Maserati, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz AMG One, Aston Martin, etc., not high volume but they surely make big money on them. Quality or limited availability is another way to make money other than volume. I'm sure Dodge made money on the 3,300 Demons and so did the dealers, but as you say "some" manufacturers similar to Dodge could never survive selling Demon like cars alone and do have to have cookie cutter million-unit sales vehicles in order to pay the rent. Not so much with those exclusive type high end cars. Your statement is true to a big point but not completely.

This is why if Dodge ever gets dropped it will be purchased by a group of investors and those high dollar cars will be all they make. They'll make them include Plymouth in the deal and all the trademarks associated with both names, including hemi, 440, 340 etc. The whole muscle car arm and in the right hands will be a low volume cash cow.

that looks like it came out of cartoon on Saturday mornings for the kids shows

Note the 72-74 Taillights...

Was AI mentioned in this thread and

BTW the tire tread pattern is not correct on both tires. if you were to flip the right rear to the left rear the still would be correct or the same or match like the should. The angle of the tread of the first outboard row should be leaning either inward or outward but the exact same direction. Just a little dumba$$ AI mistake.

1975 Plymouth Barracuda - The Fish That Got Away

https://www.motortrend.com/features/0709phr-1975-barracuda/