FCA Trademark Activity Reignites Dodge Barracuda Rumors

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Rumors about Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' plan to reincarnate the Barracuda are surfacing yet again thanks to some trademark activity. According to the folks atAllpar, FCA renewed trademark rights to the Barracuda name on June 23, 2015, though the Mopar enthusiast site doesn't have much more info beyond that.

Allparreports the trademark covers "Motor vehicles, namely, passenger automobiles, their structural parts, trim and badges." That said, the automaker may simply be taking action to prevent other automakers from using the name, or it could use it for Mopar-sourced parts and badges.

Still, many Mopar enthusiasts are eager for the Barracuda's return, a rumor that has been circulating from at least January 2012. Back then, we reported about the possibility of a Barracuda reboot as a replacement for the current Dodge Challenger. With Plymouth long gone, we speculated it would likely fall under Dodge and would debut in 2014, just in time to celebrate the original Barracuda's 50th anniversary.

That date has passed, but rumors still persist. Word has it that the Barracuda could share a rear-drive platform with Alfa Romeo, possibly the new Giulia sedan's chassis. The midsize platform would make the new Barracuda smaller and shorter than the Challenger, mimicking the size differences of the two models from the 1970s. With its smaller footprint, the new Barracuda would be better suited to take on the more agile Camaro and Mustang.

While all the aforementioned speculation sounds promising, there's still a strong possibility FCA may shelve Barracuda plans altogether. The introduction of the Hellcat variant has provided a big boost in overall Challenger (and Charger) sales and FCA made no mention of a Barracuda-type model in its five-year plan.

Source: Allpar