All About The McDonald's Plymouth 'BurgerCuda'
As the world's biggest fast food chain, McDonald's is constantly changing and evolving its marketing practices. Following in the footsteps of Grimace, who made his triumphant return to the McDonald's advertising forefront in 2023, the Hamburglar has done the same. The longtime mascot has appeared in print ads, commercials, and on social media since coming back to the spotlight, and he even had his sights on a rather unique form of promotion. Earlier this year, he hit the road in his new ride, a Sean Smith-designed 1970 Plymouth Barracuda — from a family of very underappreciated muscle cars — that has been appropriately dubbed the BurgerCuda.
Suffice to say, the BurgerCuda isn't a ride you would've wanted to miss, and not just because it's a sleek white, black, and red 1970 'Cuda with a Hamburglar-themed interior, burger dispenser behind the shifter (with a built-in heat lamp), and 20-inch Billet wheels. From January 29 to February 25, there were some great prizes associated with the vehicle. If you were to spot it during its coast-to-coast road trip, you could scan a code to get an Arch card and various pieces of McDonald's merchandise. Unfortunately, according to MotorTrend, the BurgerCuda itself was not up for grabs.
One has to imagine that if the Hamburglar's BurgerCuda stuck around longer — unlike the entire Plymouth brand — it could've reached the same cultural status as other McDonald's automobiles.
McDonald's is no stranger to automobile marketing
Over the years, McDonald's has used cars to promote its restaurants, making the BurgerCuda the latest in a long line of marketing initiatives on four wheels. Arguably the most famous is Ronald McDonald's big red shoe car, which turned heads in Houston, Texas, over 20 years ago when it was created. Complete with giant yellow shoelaces, a bright red paint job, and a golden arches-shaped windshield, the piece commissioned by local McDonald's franchise owners became a nationwide sensation in short order. The car was designed by artist Jason Barnett, who sketched it out, created its fiberglass body, fitted it with a presumably reliable V8 engine, and more, as he shared in a 2011 interview with Product Mobiles.
Additionally, the McDonald's brand has appeared on the racetrack on several occasions. The earliest instances of the burger chain entering the racing game date back to the early 1970s when the company sponsored Benny Parsons and his 1972 Chevrolet. Other names who've raced with McDonald's branding on their cars include Bill Elliott, Andy Huston, and Jamie McMurray. Most recently, Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick have partnered with McDonald's, adorning their respective vehicles with the fast food giant's signature logo and red and yellow color scheme.
Few things can grab the public's attention like an impressive, colorful, or otherwise unique car. From Ronald McDonald's big red shoe to the Hamburglar's BurgerCuda, McDonald's has truly gone above and beyond in the realm of automobile marketing.