Hurst Hemi Under Glass drag racers to be auctioned

Remember those mid-engine Plymouth Barracuda coupes that popped wheelies high enough to warrant under-car advertisements? Well, owner Bill Sefton is now selling them as a four-car collection with Mecum Auctions. The high-riding 'Cudas - officially the Hurst Hemi Under Glass (HUG) cars - were built by Hurst for the Factory Experimental (A/FX) class to advertise the company's aftermarket shifters and wheels. The HUGs were rear-heavy, enough so that they sprinted down the drag strip in a very unconventional manner that proved great for advertising!

The madness started when George Hurst was talking with Hot Rod Magazine Tech Editor Ray Brock, who suggested to Hurst that building a mid-engine Barracuda would make it quicker off the line, courtesy of more weight over the drive wheels. Brock even came up with the name, Hemi Under Glass. After Hurst (the company) built it, what it instead had was an endearing classic that transferred its weight a little too easily and wasn't able to put all the Hemi V8's power to the ground without lifting the front wheels and scraping the rear bumper on the ground.

The first HUG was built for the 1965 season, and also was ran in the 1966 season before being destroyed. The 1966 HUG that's for sale is a replica built in the early 1990s by former Hurst mechanic, fabricator and HUG driver Bob Riggle. The only original HUG cars for sale in the collection are the 1967 and 1968 cars, the latter of which is supercharged and was the first HUG to have a solid-mounted driveline. The 1969 HUG was built in 2010 by Riggle, and also uses a supercharger to force more power from the 468 cubic-inch Hemi.

Remember, if you want one of these cars, you'll have too buy all four - they don't come separately. The HUG collection will hit the auction block on October 12 at the Mecum Chicago Auction.