When people watch the PHANTASM series they all have their favorite characters. Is it Reggie the intrepid Ice Cream Man turned hero? Or maybe the Evil Tall Man? However, for many fans the best character in all the films is the car!

The original PHANTASM featured a Triple black 1971 Plymouth ’Cuda and ever since then it has been one of the star attractions in all the subsequent sequels. So what makes it the baddest car in movie history?

#1 IT IS FAST

Whether it was Jodie and Mike out-running the Tall Man’s hearse in the original film, or escaping the Pink Hearse in PHANTASM 3: Lord of the Dead, the Cuda can never be beat on speed.

As Reggie said in PHANTASM 4: ObIVion “The Cuda's stashed a mile away. Once we get to that bitch, nothing can stop us."

In fact TopSpeed.com explains that :

“the HEMI enabled engine allowed the Cuda to charge from 0 to 60 mph in only 5.8 seconds, an outstanding figure for the era. The 0-to-100-mph sprint stood at 13 seconds, while top speed was rated at 117 mph. On the quarter-mile strip, the HEMI Cuda was one of the fastest muscle cars available, needing only 14 seconds to complete the run.

#2 THE BLACK PAINT JOB IS PERFECT FOR CEMETERIES

Let’s be honest. If you are hunting super natural villian’s in cemeteries and abandoned towns you probably don’t want to roll up in a neon yellow Corvette. You need something dark and sleek that can camouflage itself.

The Cuda from PHANTASM was the perfect car to drive into a cemetery while on the prowl to take down The Tall Man.

#3 THERE IS A BATTLECUDA VERSION

Armed with twin rotary machine guns and half-inch thick steel armor plating this “Cuda-on-Steroids” was a fire-spitting beast in the ultimate apocalyptic Phantasm: Ravager.

So PHANTASM Phans — Which Cuda was your favorite in the 5 films? Need a reminder? Visit The Tall Man’s Mausoleum to get a crash course in the history of the Cudas.