STOCK WE ALL know the impact that the Chrysler E-body made on the automotive world when it was revealed to the masses in the fall of 1969. It combined slick, sporty looks with big power hooks, all rolled into one powered-up, air-wicking muscle machine. The styling of the new Challenger and Barracuda was alluring even to those not necessarily in the Mopar camp, as one enthusiast recalled.
“Fifty years ago, on September 24th, 1973, I bought my 1971 Plymouth ’Cuda from the front line at Armory Garage in Albany, New York, when I was just 19 years old,” Don Kirsch says. “It had a 340, a column shifter due to the high-back bench seat, a white interior, black billboards, and two fender tags. But what hooked me was the color.…