It wasn't that long ago when million-dollar rides were limited to vintage luxury cars and classic European exotics. The idea that American muscle could break into the seven-digits was laughable, with maybe only a rare Corvette or a one-off Shelby prototype flirting with the automotive elite. Times, however, have changed, and Golden Age muscle cars are now sharing the Concours d’Elegance greens with the likes of Duesenberg Model Js and Jaguar E-Types. It's kind of like a beer league hockey team crashing the International Debutante Ball, which is to say, it's completely awesome.Something like a Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic has always been an upper-crust ride. While muscle cars were for the people and could be bought for around $3,000. That's what makes the surge in pricing for these muscular classics so incredible, because cars that anyone had access to are now million-dollar auction superstars. All it takes is two deep-pocketed enthusiasts to send the bidding through the stratosphere and set a new high-bar. Of course, muscle car collecting has a huge fan base and the most expensive one to ever cross the block came from Plymouth. Third-Gen Barracuda Is Downright Evil Mecum Because the first-gen Plymouth Barracuda was such an unattractive and, quite frankly, weird-looking, set of wheels, there was no way anyone would have guessed the model would go on to be the most killer ride of the Golden Age. Introduced in 1970 on the revised E-body platform, the third-gen Barracuda was a feast for the eyes with a gorgeous yet menacing body style and a hyper-aggressive stance that dripped attitude. Though similar to the Dodge Challenger, the Barracuda was decidedly more badass, with cooler sheet metal and front fascia.The Barracuda was so perfectly suited for the 426 Hemi V8 that it got its own nameplate that would ride into infamy, known as the Hemi 'Cuda. This unholy union resulted in the fastest car of the classic era, which could officially pull ETs in the super-low-13s, that Chevelles and Mustangs feared.It's hard not to use evil-sounding descriptors for the 'Cuda because in 1970, exactly 666 Hemi cars were built. Which is an oddly coincidental number considering how wicked this Mopar masterpiece was. It seems as if it was forged in the fiery depths, and it certainly unleashed hell on anyone foolish enough to face it in a red-light challenge. Mopar Drop-Top Rarities Mecum Only 26 Hemi 'Cuda convertibles were ever built, continuing the Mopar tradition of ultra-rare drop-top muscle cars that have become the most collectible rides of the classic era. The Hemi 'Cuda's Challenger Hemi R/T cousin is an extreme rarity, with only nine units, but surprisingly, the Dodge Coronet has the most unicorns.With nine in '68, ten in '69, and just two in '70, the Hemi-powered Coronet has Mopar's most elusive cars. These Coronet drop-tops sell in the high six-figures. But so far a one-of-two '70 hasn't shown up at an auction and could very well top a million bucks. The Charger is the only Mopar that never got a convertible, but there was a topless concept based on the '69 Daytona aerocar, that is exactly as weird and wonderful as it sounds. The Hemi Collectibility Factor Mecum Precisely 9,761 426 Street Hemi V8s were made from 1966-1971, which is not all the much and why cars equipped with it go for so much at auction. Besides the rarity of the Hemi, it was the most raucous engine of the Golden Age, which makes it a price multiplier on the collector's market.To drive home this point, Hagerty says a 1971 Plymouth Road Runner with a 440 Six-Barrel has a $154,000 Concours condition, which is actually fairly expensive for a non-Hemi car. That black '71 pictured above, which is a Hemi car, sold for a half-million in 2023, proving how valuable those 426 cubic inches of displacement are to a classic Mopar. The 1971 Hemi ‘Cuda That Blew Up Mecum On Saturday, June 14, 2014, lot number S95 rolled up on the Mecum Seattle block and forever changed muscle car collecting from a hobby to big business. The Bright Blue 1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda was meticulously restored and was a numbers-matching four-speed, which checks off all the Mopar collectibility boxes of engine, transmission, drop-top, and originality.Nobody had ever seen such an exquisite car and there was a feeling like they might never get another chance at one. So there was a definite buzz in the air. Billed as a one-of-two Hemi four-speed convertible, and the only documented one that still exists, the bidding was frenetic.The opening bid was $1.2 million because potential buyers knew this was a serious car, and things quickly escalated from there. Moments later, the car was at $2 million, but that was just the beginning for the Mopar of Destiny. The car appeared to stall at $2.5 million, but a moment later it was on the rise again. Once it hit $3 million, that kind of seemed like the limit, and would have been a record, but the amazing Hemi 'Cuda still had more to give.Then, things slowed down with the price inching up in much smaller increments. Until one deep-pocket enthusiast bid $3.5 million and brought the gavel down on the most expensive muscle car ever sold. The whole scene played out like a sudden-death overtime game winner. The Hemi ‘Cuda That Almost Beat It Mecum As amazing as the $3.5 million auction sale was, it almost got dwarfed by another '71 Hemi 'Cuda drop-top. At a 2021 Mecum auction, the Winchester Grey convertible pictured above was bid up to $4.8 million, but apparently had a hell of a reserve and ultimately didn't sell. The car was actually an export to France that came back to America sometime in the 1990s.It, too, was a numbers-matching four-speed Hemi car, but there was nothing that made it that much more special than the record-setting Bright Blue 'Cuda. Maybe the owner got a little greedy on this one. Nearly $5 million dollars is an insane amount for any car, even a rare one like this. That reserve should definitely have come off. Hemi ‘Cuda Was a Performer Off the Auction Block Too MecumThe rarity of the '71 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda convertible is only part of the equation in its astronomic value, the other being the fact that it was the baddest of the bad Golden Age muscle car. There are a lot of even rarer weak-sauce Mustangs that don't go for nearly what this sucker does. So performance is another factor in desirability.The 425-horsepower, 490 pound-feet of torque 426 Hemi V8 was powering Mopars to glory in the 13s since it was introduced in 1966. For reasons that defy logic, perhaps a Faustian deal with the Devil, the Hemi Cuda made better use of the 426 Street Hemi. Charger R/Ts and Road Runners were 13.5 to 13.4-second rides, but the 1970-1971 Hemi 'Cuda could blaze a quarter-mile in 13.1 seconds on an off day. With a little bit of tuning, this was a 12-second car, but even without it, was untouchable on the streets. The Million-Dollar Mopar Club MecumA Sno White 1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda convertible recently sold at Mecum Kissimmee 2026 for $3.3 million, joining the exclusive, but ever expanding Million Dollar Mopar Club. A '70 Dodge Challenger Hemi R/T convertible was granted membership selling for $1.45 million and a '70 Hemi 'Cuda drop-top got in on the strength of a $2.3 million sale.A 1970 Plymouth Superbird swooped in with a $1.65 gavel drop, while several '69 Dodge Charger Daytonas have topped the million-dollar mark, including one that crossed the block at $3.3 million. All the Million-Dollar Mopars are Hemi cars, but a 440 Six-Barrel '71 'Cuda convertible got close with a $962,500 sale. Membership will expand in the near future. The Much Smaller Million-Dollar Muscle Car Club Mecum Auctions The non-Mopar Million-Dollar Muscle Car Club is a lot harder to break into, mostly because GM and Ford rides are much less rare. Mustang has a few million+ sales, but those are Shelby Holy Grails that don't qualify as regular production vehicles. A '68 Mustang GT did blow up for $3.75 million, but it's Steve McQueen's actual car from the classic film Bullitt. It doesn't really count, as a non-McQeen '68 GT isn't even a six-figure car.The 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS 454 LS6 convertible is getting closer with a recent $770,000 sale, but still hasn't crossed the threshold. The one true member is that sweet 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge Ram Air IV convertible pictured above that sold for $1.1 million. Why The Hemi ‘Cuda Is The Ultimate Golden Age Muscle Car Mecum The Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda was only around for two short years, but it has left an indelible impression on enthusiasts and collectors. The reasons are self-evident, as this is simply the most amazing thing that came out of Detroit in the Golden Age. No car looked cooler or went faster, and those are the only two things that mattered back then.There is also a forbidden fruit kind of thing going on with this car because most people will never own one, which only makes them want it more. The reality is that fewer than 800 Hemi 'Cudas were built. Even the coupes are unicorns. Nothing from GM or Ford comes close to the rarity, style, performance and especially value of the Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda.Sources: Hagerty, Mecum