Images: hemicuda-france.com

When one thinks of Chrysler and France, one might think of Simca, the company that Chrysler bought in the late-1950s to establish a more international presence. The Chrysler/Simca affair was not a good one, and the brand ended up being controlled and phased out by Peugeot around 1980. This association gave Chrysler opportunities to campaign its cars throughout Europe, as you can see by this 1970 ‘Cuda…wait a second, a ‘Cuda in France?

Indeed, Ecurie Chrysler France campaigned five ‘Cudas from 1970-73, and the one above is the only one that’s road-worthy. Originally built with the V-code 440-6 putting out 390 horsepower, it was later converted to HEMI power. And while this doesn’t appear unusual to those outside the US, the Plymouth was actually campaigned as a Chrysler, which you can see on the rear fender of the below car.

Initially they were run in Plymouth’s blue and white colors, but after 1971 they were changed to a red and white scheme. They raced in places that may not resonate to American ears but are familiar to French race aficionados, such as Monthlery, Belbeuf, Mont de Ventoux, and Spa – click here to download old footage of these racers.

So where are the other four ‘Cudas? One was part of Dan Gurney’s AAR racing team so it came back to the US after competing in LeMans under a private team. Another car ended up in Belgium whose current location is unknown but it’s believed to be in a collection. And the last two are still in France and are being restored.