Hemi Cuda convertibles

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SAV@RPM
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Hemi Cuda convertibles

Post by SAV@RPM »

Looking through some old photos I came across this one taken at the old RPM workshop in Aldershot probably around 1998. The red car is the first 1970 Hemi Cuda convertible built and was used as the press car, tested by a couple of magazines back in the day.The white 1971 car was the last Hemi Cuda convertible built and was exported new to France along with two other Hemi Cuda convertibles. The quality is not brilliant sadly, this was long before everyone had a mobile phone/camera. Both cars went from England to Roger Gibson in the States to be restored and were then sold as a package, they are now part of The Brothers Collection in the US.


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Pete
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Re: Hemi Cuda convertibles

Post by Pete »

Fantastic, Martin!!!
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Stu Twin
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Re: Hemi Cuda convertibles

Post by Stu Twin »

So if the red one was UK registered, who owned it?
And was the white one originally the silver grey car?
RM23
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Re: Hemi Cuda convertibles

Post by RM23 »

Great photo I remember when I was a teenager and buying a load of magazines off you and Pete and Pete took me to your work shop and the white car was there with a superbird and a 427 69 camaro black or dark green this would’ve been mid nineties?? Went to Petes house and he showed me and my relative that drove me photos of the cars he owned he was very fond of a challenger he owned Hemi maybe ?? Sorry memories a bit crap RIP Pete and RIP tony they always had time and encouragement for us teens at the time =D> :salute:
watch out for the quiet ones ...
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RobTwin
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Re: Hemi Cuda convertibles

Post by RobTwin »

RM23 wrote: Mon Aug 09, 21 10:00 am Great photo I remember when I was a teenager and buying a load of magazines off you and Pete and Pete took me to your work shop and the white car was there with a superbird and a 427 69 camaro black or dark green this would’ve been mid nineties?? Went to Petes house and he showed me and my relative that drove me photos of the cars he owned he was very fond of a challenger he owned Hemi maybe ?? Sorry memories a bit crap RIP Pete and RIP tony they always had time and encouragement for us teens at the time =D> :salute:
Where's the 'like' button? Nice post Steve :thumbright:
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SAV@RPM
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Re: Hemi Cuda convertibles

Post by SAV@RPM »

Thanks for the replies, looking back it was amazing how much stuff Pete and I got up to back in the nineties. The old RPM workshop was always a bit of an open house with Pete out front and me down the back putting something together. In answer to your question Stu, both car’s belonged to Carlos Monteverde. Pete and I travelled to New York to buy the red car from Wayne Hartye who had owned it for many years. We also knew of the two French cars that had gone back to the States at that time. The white car was in Colorado and we sent Galen Govier to inspect it (I still have his report) with a view to possibly buying it on Carlos’s behalf. The Winchester Grey car was in California being restored so Pete and I went to see it there. It was a choice between the two cars and we decided on the white car as it was the last Hemi Cuda convertible built and as Carlos already owned the first one built it made for a good pairing. Both cars sat in the RPM workshop for a while and it was decided to send them to Roger Gibson in the States to be restored owing to their rarity and also a Gibson restoration was considered the ultimate in terms of authenticity. It was while the cars were with Roger that Carlos was made an offer even he couldn’t refuse ! so sadly they never came back to the UK which was the original plan. The Winchester grey car was bought by Tom Lembeck who still owns it today.
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Re: Hemi Cuda convertibles

Post by SAV@RPM »

Another photo of the French Cuda. Of the three 71 Hemi Cuda convertibles that were sold new in France two survived, this car and the Winchester grey car. The third car was destroyed by fire possibly in the late seventies, early eighties and the remains ended up in a French scrap yard. I believe that car was also white, the four speed gearbox and some other parts were rescued. A clone of that car exists wearing the lost cars vin and there is quite a story attached to it, last I heard it was in Canada.


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Stu Twin
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Re: Hemi Cuda convertibles

Post by Stu Twin »

Thanks for clearing that up Martin, I think the 'KRX...' registration on the red car must have confused me with another that used to be around.

Yes they both look like they needed restoring.
:D
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Adam
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Re: Hemi Cuda convertibles

Post by Adam »

Great stuff Martin, thanks for sharing :thumbright:

Also cleared up a misconception I had that you and Pete had tracked down the white Cuda to an underground car park in Paris, and brought it back to the UK from there. #-o
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Steve
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Re: Hemi Cuda convertibles

Post by Steve »

Wow, dream material, what a story!

Thanks for sharing with us

cheers Steve :thumbright:
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SAV@RPM
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Re: Hemi Cuda convertibles

Post by SAV@RPM »

This picture was taken in 1998 outside the old RPM workshop in Aldershot.This particular 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda convertible is very highly optioned and originally built for John Herlitz who was a stylist for the Chrysler corporation and responsible for styling the 1970 Barracuda, effectively it was his company car !
From left to right are myself, Pete Jordan, Darrell Davies and Galen Govier. Galen had flown over with Darrell to authenticate the car for Darrell who at that time was a Vice President at Chrysler US and a really interesting guy. So the car ended up going full circle, owned and driven by a Chrysler employee albeit a fairly important one. It eventually sold at auction for $2.25 million in August 2015 and now resides in the Brothers Collection in the US along with several other Hemi Cuda convertibles.


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Derek
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Re: Hemi Cuda convertibles

Post by Derek »

Keep them coming Martin, history like this won't be repeated. =D> =D> =D>
Are we there yet dad ..... 10 to the gallon but worth it.

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RobTwin
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Re: Hemi Cuda convertibles

Post by RobTwin »

Thanks again Martin, I didnt know Darrell Davis had that position at Chrysler! I just know him as the 'Galen Govier' for the Max Wedge era Mopars 8-)
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SAV@RPM
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Re: Hemi Cuda convertibles

Post by SAV@RPM »

Hi Rob
Yes he is quite an authority on the Max Wedge cars. We spent some time with Darrell and he had some fascinating stories to tell. He literally started working at a Chrysler dealership as a young man and over the years worked his way to the very top. What I do remember was he always had a large cigar on the go but he never lit it, he hadn’t fired one up in thirty years he told me.
RM23
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Re: Hemi Cuda convertibles

Post by RM23 »

Great photo I recognise Pete the tallest there keep these coming amazing :salute:
watch out for the quiet ones ...
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