Plymouth Road Runner (1968-1971)

When the Plymouth Road Runner came to fruition, Chrysler wanted to create and develop a fast vehicle, but still make it affordable for the U.S. market. It was a tall order considering the Plymouth division was looking for something that could run a quarter-mile in 14 seconds. When they put a cap on the overall price at $3,000 it sounded like an impossible quest.

Ever since Chrysler had to build the 426 hemi engine as a street version in 1966, consumers would have to pay extra to drop it in any of their vehicles by 1968. If you wanted anything that would reach or break 14 second quarter-miles, you would easily pay $4,000 or more on the vehicle.

However, Plymouth was able to pull them off and introduce the world to the Plymouth Road Runner in 1968. In order to even call the new vehicle "Road Runner," Warner Brothers had to be compensated. They received $60,000 in total, but $50,000 was just to use the name. The rest was to utilize the cartoon character's sound and integrate it into the horn.

The only way Plymouth was able to reach the $3,000 cap was by leaving out everything that was considered an additional feature. Here is a list of things you could find in the Road Runner:

* Automatic transmission
* Air conditioning
* Cloth and Vinyl bench seat
* Front disc brakes
* No carpet
* No console
* Power steering
* Radio (AM only)

One thing to note is if you had the 426 Hemi engine, an air conditioner would not be available. However, most Road Runners came with the 383 in order to keep the overall cost lower. If you wanted to upgrade to the 426 then you would spend an additional $700+. If you wanted to race the Road Runner, it could do a quarter-mile in less than 14 seconds. In fact, some records state that it reached as fast as 13.5 seconds and speeds of over 105mph.

Even though they were making an affordable muscle car, the initial sales goal was only around 2,000 Road Runners. By the end of 1968 they were close to selling 45,000. It was a huge success, and it gave Dodge ideas for 1969.

1969 Plymouth Road Runner

When the 1969 Road Runner model hit dealerships, Chrysler took the stance of "If it's not broke; don't fix it." Therefore, they decided to keep the same look, but added a few minor changes. In fact, outside of the rear tail lights being changed, everything else was considered an option. They gave buyers the option of purchasing convertible styles, bucket seats, new decals, and ten hemi-j code options.

Today, we only know about 3 of them that are still in existence.

Due to its unbelievable speeds in the quarter-mile, there were tweaks to the engine for drag racing purposes. By the time Plymouth was finished making all the necessary changes, they offered an engine that was very close to the 426 Hemi, but only over the open road and on highways. By the end of the year, the Road Runner became the Car of the Year by Motor Trend.

The original purchases in 68' were nearly doubled by the end of 1969 at a little over 82,000 units.

1970 Plymouth Road Runner

The turn of the century didn't slow down production on Chrysler's Road Runner. In fact, they added a few additions in hopes it would truly set the Road Runner apart from other vehicles. Here is a list of some of the additions:

* Disc brakes
* Leather seats
* New grille
* New hood
* New front fenders
* Non-functional rear-quarter scoops

Probably the most intriguing addition was a switch just below the dash. When an owner flipped the switch, these vacuum servos would raise the scoop that showed these teeth on either side (similar to shark's teeth). It was definitely there to intimidate other racers, and it proved to be helpful tool in many races.

The 1970 Road Runner also came with new styles of colors. The three most popular additions were:

* In-violet
* Moulin Rouge
* Vitamin C

Throughout the year, the Road Runner was a popular choice, but it would be the last year the vehicle was offered in a convertible. In total, there were less than a thousand of them made, which makes them much more valuable for collectors today. It's worth even more than the 1969 convertible, because the colors, seats, and better dash were added.

While the vehicle was still popular, it didn't have nearly as much presence as the 69' Road Runner. Insurance companies started making policy changes for muscle cars in 1970. The added surcharges turned in affordable muscle into an expensive joyride. Even with the 440 Six Barrel becoming an option, it still wasn't enough to turn potential owners away from muscle cars all together.

By the end of the year they had lost over 50% of their previous year's sales. Plymouth also didn't realize that their compact Duster 340 would end up hurting Road Runner sales as well. Needless to say, around 41,000 vehicles were sold and still good enough for 2nd place in yearly sales (behind the Chevelle).

1971 Plymouth Road Runner

Since the Duster 340 had become the "Road Runner of the future," Chrysler and Plymouth believed they could provide a huge overall to the design and engine. Here are a few changes initiated:

* 340-4bbl option
* Decreased length
* Detuned 383 with 8.7 compression
* Increased wheelbase
* Rear sway bar

The biggest benefit to these changes came from being able to detune the 383 engine. It helped reduce the horsepower of the 71' Road Runner to 300, which made the insurance premiums much lower. It allowed the Road Runner to become a more affordable option, especially since it could now run on regular gasoline.

The Road Runner continued its production through 1975, but 1968-71 offered the best of the muscle car era. Today it is debated whether or not the Road Runner was better than the Chevy Chevelle. Our guess is that those involved in the argument used to drive one of them.