1970 The first surface Plymouth Barracuda Hemi is sold.

The 1970 Plymouth Barracuda with Hemi V-8 is coveted by car collectors, but the first of these iconic muscle cars is up for sale.

First spotted by Muscle Cars & Trucks, the car is being offered by Indiana-based Motorvault for $2.2 million. While a regular Hemi 'Cuda (performance versions were badged after 1970) would probably fetch that amount at auction, this car is considered a pre-production example with only 17,755 miles on it.

Plymouth introduced the Barracuda in 1964 to compete with the Ford Mustang (in fact, the Barracuda was introduced a few weeks before Ford's pony car), but the second-generation model introduced in 1970 proved more popular with muscle car fans. This is probably due to the more distinctive styling and the wide variety of performance variants, including the racing-inspired AAR 'Cuda and, of course, the Hemi 'Cuda.

Powered by the legendary 426 cubic-inch Hemi V-8 engine, this was one of the most powerful Barracudas, claiming 425 hp and 490 lb-ft of torque. The car combined this engine with a four-speed manual transmission (an automatic was also available), making it one of only 284 1970 'Cudas built with this engine/gearbox combination. [That's not the only thing that makes this car special: it is the third 1970 Plymouth Barracuda and the first to feature the Hemi, and it has some unusual optional combinations, as it was completed in Hamtramck, Michigan, on August 1, 1969. Unlike most Hemi Cadas ordered by customers, it lacked a tachometer and exterior graphics. It also comes with an overhead console and a premium trim package.

According to the seller, the car has been in Indiana since 1983 and spent most of its life in a museum. Repainted in Alpine White, the same color as it was painted at the factory, but otherwise claimed to be unrestored, the two convertibles sold for over $2 million each at a 2016 auction.