Plymouth Arrow Body: Just Add Nitro!
In the 1970s, Funny Cars still bore a resemblance to the production cars they were based on – albeit stretched in length and fitted with oversized rear spoilers. One of the standout body styles by the late ’70s was the Plymouth Arrow.
The story begins in the 1976 racing season, as Don “The Snake” Prudhomme was finalizing plans for his 1977 racing program. He was rejoining forces with Chrysler Corporation – marking his return to Mopar® factory support since his iconic Hot Wheels Barracuda.
Plymouth had just launched a new compact in 1976 – the Arrow – an imported model from Japan rebadged under the Plymouth name. Snake’s deal with Chrysler revolved around using the Arrow body for his 1977 Funny Car campaign. It was his responsibility to secure a production body and get it fabricated into fiberglass form for racing. Together with his crew, Prudhomme helped George Kirby of G&K Fiberglass in Bellflower, California, bring the Arrow shell to life.
In the November 26, 1976 issue of National Dragster, NHRA caught up with Prudhomme for a preview of the upcoming season. Reflecting on his 1976 NHRA Funny Car World Championship, he said, “It’s true that we’ve been fortunate enough to win just about everything there is to win. But in drag racing, there’s always room for going a little bit faster and doing a little bit better.” After running a Chevrolet Monza body, his switch back to Plymouth was a big moment for Mopar fans. “It’s going to be good to be back in the Plymouth camp again,” he shared. “And the new car should have better weight distribution than the Monza.”
The new car made its national debut at the 1977 NHRA Winternationals, featuring a fresh H&H chassis, Ed Pink HEMI® engine power and a sleek new fiberglass Arrow body. The Army Arrow instantly proved the move was a good one. It qualified #1 with a 6.14-second run at 241.64 mph. A quicker 6.03 at 247.25 mph followed – on the way to winning the event. The aerodynamic shape of the Arrow clearly worked.
The crisp lines of the Arrow Funny Car looked sharp and modern, while its flat, flush front end helped channel airflow to the injector instead of letting it stream over the car – an aerodynamic advantage that racers took seriously.
BLUE MAX ARROW
In 1978, Blue Max Racing out of Dallas, Texas, switched from a Mustang to the Arrow. Now both team owner and driver Raymond Beadle worked with artist Kenny Youngblood and painter Tom Stratton on the bold livery. The 118-inch-wheelbase Tony Casarez chassis housed a 484ci Keith Black HEMI engine with Crowerglide clutch and Lenco 2-speed trans. Beadle ran a 5.98-second pass in August 1978 – becoming the second member of the Cragar 5-Second Club, joining Prudhomme.
SUPER SHOPS 5-SECOND ARROW
ARROW 78SS [WAITING ON IMAGE]
After fielding the “Super Nanook” AA/FA, Super Shops debuted their Plymouth Arrow Funny Car at the ’78 Winternationals with Dave Hough. Pat Foster later took the wheel and clocked a 5.99-second pass in April 1979 – joining the Cragar 5-Second Club.
KENNY BERNSTEIN
In 1978, Texan Kenny Bernstein fielded the Chelsea King Arrow Funny Car, named after his pub chain’s signature sandwich. With Ed Pink engines, a Steve Plueger chassis and Kenny Youngblood design, it was a top-tier operation. For 1980, Bernstein was able to secure the full sponsorship of Budweiser Beer from Anheuser-Busch. With this car, the Budweiser King, he was able to join the exclusive Cragar 5-second Funny Car Club with a run of 5.99 seconds on March 15, 1981.
BILLY MEYER
Waco, Texas, native Billy Meyer, ranked #3 in 1978, secured non-automotive sponsors like Aquaslide ‘n’ Dive for his Arrow FC. In 1979, Braniff Airlines, Rio Airways and SMI International joined as backers. Meyer would later go on to build Texas Motorplex.
THE UTICA FLASH
Al Segrini began driving for Fred Castronovo in 1978 in an H&H-built Arrow. Segrini described it as “like owning a Rolex watch.” Every piece fit perfectly, from the tinwork to the body mounts.
TV TOMMY
Tommy Ivo ran a Rislone-sponsored Arrow in 1978 – his final season on nitromethane before switching to jet-powered vehicles.
GRATIOT ARROW
Tom Prock and Roberto “Poncho” Rendon campaigned a 1979 Arrow under the Gratiot Auto Supply banner, racing both NHRA national events and the Midwest match race circuit.
JOE PISANO
Always a force, Joe Pisano ran Plymouth Arrow bodies with drivers Jake Johnston and Tim Ridings – Ridings finishing runner-up at the 1980 Indy Nationals.
SUNDANCE
Shumake piloted a Johnny Loper Arrow to a 5.98-second run, claiming the final spot in the 5-Second Club.
CONDIT BROS. ARROW
The Condit family fielded a show-stopping Arrow at OCIR in 1978, built by Steve Plueger with a 480ci KB HEMI engine. Cousins to John Force, their cars were often “Best Appearing” winners.
MORE BUD
“Rapid Roy” Harris ran a Budweiser-sponsored Arrow from 1979-1980 – predating Bernstein’s national Bud deal – and later raced another Arrow-bodied car dubbed “Brutus.”
ALCOHOL ARROWS
The aerodynamic shape of the Arrow made it a hit with Alcohol Funny Car racers too. Notable names included Chris Christensen, Brad Andersen, Jerry Gwynn, Vern Moats,and Chuck Beal.
THE START WITH SNAKE
The Arrow Funny Car started as a stretched Plymouth production body with custom wheel openings, a flush air dam and aerodynamic lines. Don Prudhomme even cut his Hawaiian vacation short to be there when the first fiberglass mold was pulled. The graphics mirrored his prior Monza, but with Plymouth and CAM2 branding.
After initial testing at Irwindale, the car hit Pomona – freshly lettered with “Mopar Direct Connection” – and won. In 1978, CAM2 logos grew and Pepsi joined as a sponsor. By 1979, the stripes changed once more, marking Snake’s third and final season with the Arrow. In 1980, he switched to the Plymouth Horizon body, but many racers continued using the Arrow long after.
The Plymouth Arrow wasn’t just a body – it was a revolution in fiberglass.
The graphics were carried over from the previous Monza, however now with Plymouth and CAM2 (motor oil) logos.
1979 saw a change in the stars/stripes on the sides and marked the third and final year for Prudhomme running an Arrow body, as he switched to the Plymouth Horizon body in 1980. The Arrow body was a winner out of the gate and it quickly became popular, and while Snake moved to a newer body shape, a number of others kept it for an extended time period.
In 1976, the agreement between Plymouth and Don Prudhomme came about, and the making of the Arrow body for Funny Car racing also came about as a result. This new body had a profound impact on not only Snake Racing but also for the Funny Car class itself in years to come. In addition to the featured cars shown here, many other racers had chosen the Arrow Funny Car body. In no particular order, here are some of the others: Johnny Loper, Roger Guzman, Jerry Caminito, Kenny Safford, Dodger Glenn, Bob Pickett, Jim Moore, RC Sherman, Henry Harrison and John Lombardo. With wide-spread use over a five-year racing season span, the Plymouth Arrow was a most popular sight on the nation’s drag strips to be certain!
Author: James Maxwell
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