The fresh-air systems were named “Shaker” hood scoops.  

Magazine press cars were used to provide editors with feature vehicles and the factories were all too happy to get high-performance cars into the pages of the publications, and get their message out to the masses. Some publications seemed to always say nice things about the cars and it was no big surprise to see these same auto manufacturers run large color advertisements of said vehicle in the same issue, while other magazines rather enjoyed picking apart certain test cars, often adding somewhat derogatory comments along the way.

Any reader who saw a few different issues of these Eastern publications would quickly see that the staff were Chevrolet loyalists to be certain! However, with the Dodge and Plymouth cars doing so well on the drag strips and NASCAR tracks across the country, there was a need to do some editorial coverage on Mopar products, even if the writers didn’t like them. Besides, the aftermarket parts advertisers made parts for all makes and models so there had to be a mix of feature cars in the editorial package.  

One of the car magazines that featured the red-hued Hemi-power ‘Cuda as a new car test vehicle was High-Performance CARS, in their May 1970 issue. Here’s a classic case of an east Coast “anti-Mopar” magazine, testing a hot Plymouth but coming in with a poor attitude right off the bat. Read the opening paragraph:  

“Of all the performance engines offered to the public for street use, one has always stood out in our minds as being the biggest waste. The one we’re referring to is the 426-cubic-inch Mopar Street Hemi. We could never figure out the logical reason—just one—for there even being such an engine. It’s too expensive to buy, too expensive to live with, and in general, much ado about nothing. It just never made sense.”

Some of the magazine scribes really disliked the Chrysler products and were not afraid to share their thoughts on the subject. But this particular car, as fitted with a Hemi engine, somehow won over the HP Cars magazine staff, perhaps it was just voodoo, but something changed when they got behind the wheel of this beautiful machine.

Restored to true “original" condition

The car performed very well

The test pilot was a funny car driver of a nitro Hemi for a full season of racing prior to testing for the magazine. He was able to crank out an impressive quarter-mile run of 13.40-seconds at 105.10 mph with the fully-equipped ‘Cuda droptop, with his best times coming while driving the powerful Hemi out of the gate at near idle speeds, then nailing the throttle and making a wide-open pass down the track. The Goodyears were pumped up to 45-psi and were basically worthless if the car was launched hard it was instant tire smoke.

One article mentions that the car performed very well, the brakes were fantastic, was flat on the corners, and except for a transmission leak, the car was generally a hit! They got a few digs in here and there, as expected. With extensive praise and the ET slip was enough to convince the editors that Mopars, at least this one, were not bad cars.

A time capsule on wheels

Little did anyone at the time really know just how rare and unique that red ‘Cuda ragtop was at the time, and how valuable it would become some 50 plus years later. It’s current value? The car is now worth in the millions!....not bad for an old Mopar that used to drip transmission fluid everywhere it was parked. 

Today this car is owned by a muscle car collector and the one-of-a-kind former press car was fully restored to true “original condition,” save for the previously mentioned transmission leak!  Because of incredible detail work done in the resto process., the car appears as a brand-new, in the dealership showroom car from late in 1969.