John E. Herlitz, an automobile designer who styled a signature     American muscle car and left his imprint on many notable          Chrysler Corporation models of the late 20th century, died March  24 in Naples, Fla. He was 65.

The cause was complications of a fall in his winter home in Naples, a son, Kirk Herlitz, said. Mr. Herlitz also lived in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Mr. Herlitz made his reputation with the 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, which brought a touch of class to the “pony car” segment, a genre of sporty compact cars started with the Ford Mustang, with long hoods and short rear decks.

His Barracuda replaced designs that were only mildly successful, starting with an awkward 1964 fastback based on the Plymouth Valiant economy car. In contrast, the Herlitz Barracuda was clean and largely unadorned, with a wide body and a hunkered-down stance that hinted at the considerable power available to customers who checked the right boxes on their order forms.

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