1971 Plymouth Barracuda Has the Wrong Front End, Rare Feature in Plain Sight

Don't let the 1972-74 front fascia fool you; this Barracuda is a 1971 version, and it has a VIN to prove it. I don't know what's up with the facial transplant, but this Barracuda is intriguing beyond the incorrect front end. That's because it also has a sunroof.

These may not mean much on modern cars, but they're quite rare on early 1970s Mopars. There is not much documentation to run by, but the Mopar Sunroof Registry shows that fewer than 5,000 Plymouths were ordered with factory sunroofs from 1971 to 1974. Of these, only 1,279 were built in the first two years.

As for Barracudas, the website only includes info for the 1972 version. It lists 100 cars, including 65 Barracuda models and 35 Cudas. There's no data for the 1970-1971 version, but, interestingly enough, the same registry shows data for the other E-body Mopar, the Dodge Challenger. The company sold 196 sunroof cars in 1970 and 63 examples in 1971. 

But there's a reason for the lack of information on 1970-71 Barracuda sunroof cars. Plymouth simply did not offer this option. It's unclear why it chose not to, but experts agree that not a single 1971 Barracuda rolled off the assembly line with a sunroof. So, what's the deal with this one then?

Well, the selling dealer doesn't provide any solid info, and that is most likely because it does not have any to share. But strangely enough, the ad mentions a "factory Mopar sunroof," with a follow-up question on whether it's "the only '71 to have it or dealer installed?" I guess it could be a dealer-installed unit, but it's impossible to know without proper documentation.

Sunroof conundrum aside, this Barracuda was originally equipped with a 318-cubic-inch (5.2-liter) small-block V8 engine and a three-speed TorqueFlite automatic. It's a very common combo, with more than 6,000 units produced.

It's also in pretty bad shape, with severe rust around the C-pillars and heavily weathered seats and dashboard. It looks like it's been sitting for decades. The original engine is no longer under the hood, but a small-block V8 is present. The blue-on-blue color combo is reportedly factory correct.