Legendary 1968 HEMI® Barracuda B029 Prototype Fails To Sell

Some cars are just plain legendary—and this one should’ve been untouchable. The very first 1968 Plymouth HEMI® Barracuda B029 Super Stock prototype, the one that kicked off an era of factory dragstrip dominance, rolled across the block at Mecum Indy 2025… and didn’t sell. That’s right—despite a $125,000 high bid, the reserve wasn’t met, and “The Mule” went back to the paddock.

This wasn’t just any HEMI car. It was the prototype—Chrysler’s test mule used to develop the B029 package that turned the Barracuda into a Super Stock legend. A genuine piece of Mopar history, this car was built by Chrysler Engineering with the help of Hurst Performance, reworked from a Formula S 340 car into a full-blown dragstrip weapon by none other than Bob Tarozzi and his R&D team.

Built to Test the Limits – 

The story starts in 1968. Chrysler needed a street-based car to stuff a 426 HEMI into, and the A-body Barracuda was the perfect lightweight platform. This exact car, Road Test Garage build #139, was used to figure it all out—engine placement, suspension tweaks, cooling system, and everything that would go into the run of 50 B029 cars sold to racers.

To do it, Chrysler had to get creative: fiberglass fenders, a lift-off hood, slimmed-down torsion bars, and six-cylinder brakes for weight savings. The car also received manual everything, including windows with pull straps and a battery relocation to the trunk.

Saved for a Buck, Raced for Glory – 

After Chrysler finished beating on the car during testing, it was headed for the crusher—until drag racing legend Arlen Vanke stepped in. He scooped it up for $1, dropped in a race-ready HEMI he built himself, and let it rip. After a short stint, it changed hands to Tony Suppa, who made the car famous as the “Suppa Cuda,” nearly winning the U.S. Nationals with it.

By the 1980s, collector Pat McGroder got his hands on it and performed a faithful restoration, bringing it back to its original “Irwindale test mule” spec—down to the cross-ram intake, dual Holley carbs, and 12.5:1 compression ratio. It later landed in the hands of Myron Serbay, who kept it in show condition and displayed it at big events like Mopars at the Red Barns, the All HEMI Reunion, and the U.S. Nationals.

More Than a Car—It’s a Time Capsule – 

The sale included rare engineering documents, handwritten notes by Bob Tarozzi, and even a 40-minute audio interview with Arlen Vanke talking about its development and racing history. It was even praised by Steve Comella, 2022 HEMI Challenge winner, who said, “Without this car, none of us would be here today.”

Still Looking for a Home – 

So why didn’t it sell? Maybe people were expecting it to go way higher. Maybe bidders didn’t understand the historical weight of what they were looking at. Either way, Mecum labeled it “Big Goes On,” meaning it might still find a buyer in private negotiations—or it could show up again at another auction.

Let’s be clear—this isn’t just a muscle car. It’s the first HEMI A-body ever built by Chrysler, a rolling piece of racing and engineering history. If any car deserved a bigger moment on the auction stage, this was it.