History of Our AAR Cuda

The 1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda was not your typical muscle car. It was designed with modest-engine racers in mind, built to compete on twisting road courses – what Plymouth built was a street rod.  

 

In 1970, Plymouth entered SCCA Trans-Am racing, contracting with Dan Gurney’s All American Racers (AAR) to build and campaign cars to be driven by him and Swede Savage. At that time, SCCA homologation requirements dictated that a manufacturer build a minimum of 2,500 street versions in order to compete. The single-production-year AAR ’Cuda met the homologation requirements with 2,724 cars built, all during a five-week period between March and April 1970.  1970 was the first and only year that every Detroit "pony car" manufacturer has a factory-backed team in TransAm.

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What makes the AAR Cuda so collectible is the combination of iconic E-Body style, high impact colors like Lime Light, and the incredibly low production numbers verse the other manufacturer Trans-Am series cars.  Ford made 7,014 Mustang Boss 302's,  Chevrolet made 8,733 Z/28's and AMX made 2,501 Mark Donohue SST Javelins.  As with the growing popularity of Nascar, the Road Course Trans-Am series was influencial in attracting new buyers to desire the Special Order Muscle Cars.  The average Dealer Invoice cost for a 1970 AAR Cuda was $4,500 with package upgrades.  The standard 383 Cuda was about $3,300 and the Hemi Cuda came in between $4,400 and $5,000.  

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Until I purchased the car from Phillip Haas in May of 2022, this AAR Cuda had spent its entire life in Wisconsin.  Purchased new in Minneapolis, Minnesota at Chrysler City on September 4th 1970, Brian Danielson bought the brand new Lime Light green AAR Cuda.  Brian was from nearby Chippawa Falls, Wisconsin.  The car would remain in the surrounding vicinity for the next 52 years.​

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Brian did not keep the car long and it ended up in nearby Thorp, WI owned by the mother of Kurt Misfeldt.  Phil told me he could remember the car when he was in High School.  Kurt was in his older brothers grade, and drove the car to school occassionaly.  If only I could see the school parking lots in the early 70's.  Kurt inherited the car from his mom and kept the car garaged and drove occasionly for the next 40 years.  

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As the Muscle Car market started to take off and interest grew, many tried to buy the real AAR Cuda off Kurt.  He seemed disinterested in any offers and was beligerant in the community about it.  As the car got older, it was needing restored but was all there.  That's until Josh Peloquin convinced Kurt to sell the car to him in 2014.  He would spend the big bucks to have the car completely restored by John Balow at the famed Muscle Car Restorations in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.  Read this article from Motor Trend about John and his shop.

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The car was completely finished in 2017, maintaining the highest standards of all orginal parts.  The numbers matching engine and transmission were restored and today the car has 80,800 all original miles.  The car retains original components like the spare tire and air can, jack, dash and rallye instrument cluster, rims, and body panels including fiberglass hood.  

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Josh kept the car till he sold it to local Car Collector Phil Haas.  Phil parked it next to his 1970 B5 Blue Superbird, 1970 Trans Am, 1963 Impala SS and other Muscle Cars.  I had been looking for a Lime Light or Sassy Grass Green AAR Cuda after my friend Bob Meldahl convinced me that I'd be happier with an AAR over a 1970 440 6-bbl Cuda.  The search began and soon found me talking to Phil.  He agreed to sell the car and send to the Boggs Stable.

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We are thrilled to add this caliber of a Legenary Mopar to the Boggs Muscle Car Stable.  As we learn more about the history of the car, we will continue to update and share show pictures and videos.  This car will be featured at the 2022 Mopar Nats in Columbus, OH this August.

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