A 360 instead of the 340
The performance option is the 360 V8; the 1973 has the 340, though Wikipedia says late 1973 cars got the 360.135
Class of '74 · Plymouth Barracuda · 1974 body · third generation
1974Plymouth Barracuda
The last Barracuda: a 360 V8 in place of the 340, 11,734 built, and the end of production in April 1974.
The year in brief
The 340 gave way to a 360 V8, rated at 245 net horsepower by Wikipedia; the 318 stayed standard on both models.35
The 'Cuda had F70 tires, a power-bulge hood, a heavy-duty suspension with sway bars front and rear, and a black lower deck panel as standard.3one source
Consumer Guide and plymouthbarracuda.net agree on 11,734 cars: 6,745 Barracudas and 4,989 'Cudas.12
How to spot a 1974
What tells it apart from a 1973.
195.6 inches long
Overall length 195.6 inches by Plymouth's catalog, against 193.0 for 1973.37one source
Production128
11,734 cars, by body.
Every trim line
| Body | Trim | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Hardtop | Barracuda | 6,745 |
| 'Cuda | 4,989 | |
| All hardtops | 11,734 | |
| Total | 11,734 | |
Consumer Guide and plymouthbarracuda.net give the same two rows, and Wikipedia the same total.
Engines1359
2 engines. The letter is the engine code in the VIN.
Net horsepower, by Wikipedia's figures. Consumer Guide prints the same 150 and 245 but labels its table SAE gross. The 360's VIN letter is disputed: J or L; see the ruling.
Price when new14
Base retail prices in 1974 dollars, before options.
J.D. Power's price guide, the only source we have for each price. It does not say what its prices are based on, and its 1974 list also has a Barracuda hardtop with a 340, which Plymouth's 1974 catalog does not offer. Consumer Guide's price range for the 1970–74 coupes ends at the same $3,252.
Colors3one source
16 factory colors. The color names come from one source3one source; the swatches are approximate screen colors, not paint matches.
Powder Blue—
Lucerne Blue Metallic—
Rallye Red—
Burnished Red Metallic—
Frosty Green Metallic—
Deep Sherwood Metallic—
Avocado Gold Metallic—
Sahara Beige—
Dark Moonstone Metallic—
Sienna Metallic—
Spinnaker White—
Formal Black—
Golden Fawn—
Yellow Blaze—
Golden Haze Metallic—
Tahitian Gold Metallic—
No source we have gives the number of cars per color, so the counts are left empty. The 16 colors are the chart in Plymouth's catalog, which is shared with the Duster and Valiant and prints no codes; the names were read off the page image.
Reading the VIN9one source
A 1974 VIN has 13 characters. Type one in, and the decoder reads it against the code tables on this page.
BH23G4B1000019one source · An example built from the code tables on this page, not a real car's VIN: a 318 V8 hardtop, 1974, Hamtramck, unit 100001; the price-class H is one of the classes in tpocr's table, used only to fill the position. None of our sources prints a real Barracuda VIN.
The code table
| Position | Meaning |
|---|---|
| B | Car line: Plymouth Barracuda |
| H · L · M · P · S | Price class: High · Low · Medium · Premium · Special (tpocr's list for all Plymouths; which the Barracuda used is not in our sources) |
| 23 | Body: 2-door hardtop |
| G · J · L | Engine (see the engine table) |
| 4 | Model year (1974) |
| A · B · C · D · F · G · R | Assembly plant (tpocr's table of Plymouth codes) |
| 100001 → | Sequential unit number |
Where to find it: On a plate on the left of the dash, visible through the windshield.910
Questions about the 1974
How many 1974 Plymouth Barracudas were made?
Plymouth built 11,734 for the 1974 model year: 11,734 hardtops.128
How can you tell a 1974 Barracuda from a 1973?
Two signs, each explained under «How to spot» on this page: a 360 instead of the 340; 195.6 inches long.1357
What engines did the 1974 Plymouth Barracuda have?
Two engines, from the 318 cu in V8 to the 360 cu in V8. The engine table on this page gives every code and rating, and the rulings cover the disputed ones.1359
How much did a 1974 Plymouth Barracuda cost new?
Base retail prices, before options: Barracuda hardtop $3,067; 'Cuda hardtop $3,252.14
What colors did the 1974 Plymouth Barracuda come in?
Chrysler-Plymouth Division, Chrysler Corporation lists 16 factory colors.3one source
Where the sources disagree
Every conflict we found for 1974, and how we settled it. All rulings.
Settled
1974 Barracuda production
Our ruling: 11,734. Consumer Guide and plymouthbarracuda.net give the same two rows, and Wikipedia the same total, which is plymouthbarracuda.net's and not a third source. The two may still share an origin we cannot see.
What each source says (2)
- 6,745 Barracudas and 4,989 'Cudas1one source
- 11,734: 6,745 Barracudas and 4,989 'Cudas28one source
Open
The VIN letter for the 1974 360
Our ruling: Unresolved. The tpocr club's 1974 table of Plymouth codes has two four-barrel 360 codes, J and L («Hi. perf.»); Wikipedia gives L for the Barracuda's 360, and Plymouth's 1974 catalog calls it the «high-performance» 360 with a four-barrel carburetor, which leans toward L. No source we have ties the 245-hp engine to one code.
What each source says (3)
- J for the 360 four-barrel, L for a «Hi. perf.» 3609one source
- L for the 360 four-barrel with dual exhausts5one source
- the «high-performance» 360, with a four-barrel carburetor, optional on the Barracuda and 'Cuda3one source
Sources
- 1970-1974 Plymouth Barracuda Coupes HowStuffWorks (Consumer Guide Automotive) · read 2026-10-11
- 1974 Barracuda production totals PlymouthBarracuda.net · read 2026-10-11
- 1974 Plymouth Duster, Valiant and Barracuda catalog Chrysler-Plymouth Division, Chrysler Corporation · read 2026-10-11
- Plymouth Barracuda and 'Cuda 1970–1974: original MSRP (38 pages) J.D. Power (NADA Guides) · read 2026-10-11
- Plymouth Barracuda Wikipedia · read 2026-10-11
- 1970-1971 Plymouth Barracuda Convertibles HowStuffWorks (Consumer Guide Automotive) · read 2026-10-11
- 1973 Plymouth Barracuda, Duster and Valiant catalog Chrysler-Plymouth Division, Chrysler Corporation · read 2026-10-11
- Plymouth Barracuda: the production table Wikipedia · read 2026-10-11
- 1974 Plymouth Vehicle Identification Numbers The Plymouth Owners Club Registry (tpocr.com) · read 2026-10-11
- Mopar VIN Decoding StockMopar · read 2026-10-11
Keep going
Three more years.
1971Plymouth BarracudaThe second year: dual headlights, a new grille, gills on the 'Cuda's fenders, a low-priced coupe, and production down to 18,690 by Consumer Guide's count.18,690 built (disputed)
1972Plymouth BarracudaTwo hardtops, the Barracuda and the 'Cuda, single headlights again, four round taillights, and no big-block, convertible or Gran Coupe.18,450 built (disputed)1973Plymouth BarracudaSafety bumpers front and rear, no six-cylinder engine, the 318 and 340 V8s, and production up on 1972.22,213 built (disputed)See the whole third generation.
Dimensions, production year by year and every ruling, 1970–1974.