After the closure of World War II and the eventual reconstruction of England and much of Western Europe, many American GI’s stationed overseas became enamored with Europe’s fleet of small, lightweight two-seater sportscars. Brands and names like Austin Healey, Triumph, Berkley, Sunbeam and MG (to name only a very few) caught the attention of many a performance enthusiast taking full advantage of these little machine’s power-to-weight ratios.

Although too young to have been a soldier stationed overseas, Bob Gough found himself a young man living across the pond during those early formative years when car enthusiasts first begin to develop a taste for automobiles. Gough’s time in France influenced his view of automotive performance such that, upon returning home to the States, he had a certain distaste for the brutish, confrontational appearance of most Detroit steel.

That was, until Plymouth offered its completely redesigned-for-1967 Barracuda. The long, sloping roof, split grille and fold-flat back seat spoke to Gough’s European-tainted fancy, and when Ma Mopar offered the Formula S package later in the model year, Gough knew he had to have one. The Formula S beefed up the suspension and brakes, giving the Plymouth much improved road handling manners.

Although appearing stock (for the most part), the Barracuda is far from “as factory.” Gone are the standard 14-inch wheels for a set of custom 15-inch “steelies,” a new Tremec 5-speed TKO replaces the prior 4-speed, stiffened suspension and a tied-together unibody and improve the car’s rigidity, and gone is the original 273 V8 and replaced with a 340 making roughly 380 horsepower.

It’s a long love affair with a Mopar, which we’re sure you can relate. Enjoy the video from Petrolicious below: