Got this email yesterday. Interesting observation and reasoning.
The 4-door Barracuda story was a lie. It was really stupid. People fact check stuff these days, and many people who worked at Chrysler in 1969 are still alive so you have to wonder why he thought he could get this story past the guys who actually worked there.
First of all, there was never a 1970 Barracuda 4-Door model sanctioned, commissioned, designed, or built by Chrysler Corporation. No Chrysler built 1970 Barracuda 4-door has ever existed on this planet in any shape, form, not even as hologram.
There could have been a somewhat similar vehicle, representing a "similar shape" as maybe, perhaps, a four door Barracuda, that could have been mis-identified as such. The only car at that time, that could possibly this description would be the 1971 Satellite 4-door sedan - in some early form of prototype development or a crude roadable buck. Remember this was the fall of 1969, less than a year before 1971 production, and several months before the first pilot cars.
I've also been working on ECS/Roger Johnson's "loading dock" story that states the car sat outside for two days, in a general area for everyone to see. Yet nobody else at Chrysler remembers seeing it. This gives more credibility to the fact of a 1971 Satellite 4-door sedan in the later stages of development. Not too many people would consider something like majorly important, especially given the fact this was the engineering complex. But it could be important to some inter-company mail-delivery person, who's route normally would not give them access to restricted areas. For such a person, the first glimpse of a new 1971 body style would probably could be interesting.
Here's one of Roger Johnson Quotes":
"The car I saw was a red 4-door hardtop Barracuda. It sat on a concrete platform behind one of the main office buildings in the center of Chrysler’s Highland Park facility. This was a spot where odd cars showed up routinely, so I always looked for them".
That part may have been true. Chrysler routinely purchased competitive make cars for teardown analysis and review. These cars were disassembled for assembly method studies and component testing... and then completely measured from tip to tail. Even the curvature of the glass and sheet metal was recorded...but that's another story. It does however explain this quote from Roger Johnson.
"I walked through this area of the complex twice every day. I have seen a new Corvette up there, a 1970 Datsun 240Z and even a Mercury Capri of the same year" "Naturally when a 4-door E-body showed up, it caught my eye. It sat in the same spot for at least 2 days, more likely three"
Well that could be a possibility. Its logical that a prototype model, especially an (all new for 1971 design) could've been parked in the same area for completive testing - even in rough form. The 1971 Plymouth Satellite shares some similar proportions to the E-body, and like I said, in rough form, could be slightly confused as a Barracuda. Just a hypothesis here....but there's an outside chance, it could have actually worn a 1970 Barracuda grille - IF- it was being used as a roadable buck (in some form or fashion). It might likely be cobbled up to fit the fender and hood opening, but it's a possible scenario in late 1969, many months before the start of production, that a 1971 grille would simply not yet be available.
Roger Johnson states "The Barracuda appeared to be drivable from my view of about fifty feet away. But, it may have just been a body-buck. On the other hand, it was wearing regular Barracuda wheels and normal size tires. I realize they never produced such a car. I always figured it was just an experiment in concepts"
There's no chance, not even remotely possible, that this "thing" Roger Johnson claims he saw was a clay mock up (or body buck), or whatever he thinks it was. A clay buck would never be placed outside in the environment for very long. They traveled on skids (remember they weighed an enormous amount) and the wheels, tires, and axles were just there for looks. They mostly traveled indoors and there's really no good reason for a clay buck to be outdoors unless they wanted to photograph it, or see it outside for some reason.
Since clay bucks didn't travel, there's really no reason for it to be on a "loading dock". This is more likely a very early roadable buck, or rough prototype 1971 Satellite 4-door.... like I said before.
Furthermore, no experimental car made from fiberglass or clay would be sitting outside for any prolonged amount of time to risk the chance of a rain shower or prolonged sun exposure. The clay room would have had its own loading docks (for supplies obviously), and this wasn't the place where roger Johnson described.
Roger Johnson saw a 1971 Plymouth Satellite 4-Door Sedan. Period.
