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I love “Mopar” A-bodies. This 1960-70s automotive family includes the Plymouth Valiant, the Dodge Dart (my first car), and the first-generation Plymouth Barracuda. They have a reputation for legendary durability, and are still prized as project cars today. But one teenage driver put that reputation to the test when he dropped his 1966 Plymouth Barracuda into reverse at 70 mph.

Adam Holbrook was one lucky 17-year-old. His first car was a bright yellow 1966 Plymouth Barracuda. It was stylish, quick, and vintage. What’s not to love? Well, like any old car it had his quirks. He said to Car and Driver, “I was headed home from a summer camping trip, and my gas gauge quit working.” With no working gas gauge, you have to guess how many miles you have in a tank. Adam owned his car long enough, he knew he’d have to fuel up soon. But either he didn’t want to or couldn’t find a station.

“I knew the car was close to running out of fuel, so my genius idea was to put the automatic transmission into neutral and coast down every hill on the interstate to conserve as much gas as possible.” But the console-mounted sport shift lever in the Barracuda presented a problem.

The major problem with coasting a 1966 Plymouth Barracuda

“The shifter lacked any sort of lockout to prevent me from shifting into reverse if I moved the lever too far too fast—a fact I soon confirmed.”

You know what they say: what can go wrong, will go wrong. “On the very last long downhill a mile before my exit, I attempted to ease the shifter into neutral once again at about 70 mph. This time, I moved it just a bit too far, putting the car in reverse, which locked the rear tires.” Car’s going forward, engine starts spinning the wheels backward. Not a god combination!

“I did two 360s. I got the car straightened out, pulled over, calmed down, and proceeded home.” First off, I’m thrilled to hear Adam wasn’t hurt. Secondly, his “accident” must have put an incredible amount of wear and tear on his poor powertrain. The engine was trying to spin the wheels in reverse. The road was trying to run the engine backwards. The result was–luckily–just the car stopping. But every component of the powertrain was stuck in a horrendous, 300-horsepower tug-of-war. A weaker powertrain might have broken on the spot, the gears in the transmission or rear end giving out completely. But not the sturdy Barracuda. At least not right away. Adam said, “The transmission lasted another year.”

You can see a first-gen Plymouth Barracuda for yourself in the video below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.