Cherry were able to create a stripped-down, budget-oriented mid-size muscle car that came standard with a 4-speed shifter.
Expecting sales of 2,000 units, the 1968 Road Runner demolished expectations with more than 44,000 traversing the assembly line into the hands of eager owners. The unexpected sales sent Dodge, General Motors, and Ford scrambling to the drawing boards to create something on par with the Road Runner.
With the gas pedal pressed firmly to the floor, the 1969 Road Runner confirmed everything that its younger sibling had done, and then some. Carrying the sales momentum of 1968 and entering its second year on the new body style, Plymouth kept most of the exterior components the same with the biggest changes being a new grille, taillights, and side markers.
Plymouth unveiled a new convertible in 1969 to join the coupe and hardtop, giving buyers everything they could ask for when choosing where to spend their muscle car bucks. Although sales were relatively low for the convertible, the original formula for the model proved to be what owners truly wanted in their cars. The mid-year offering of the 440-6 powerplant placed an engine option firmly between the 383 and Hemi offerings.
What the 1969 Road Runner accomplished that its predecessors hadn’t was an initial package that was soft on the pocketbook, but could be optioned to rival some of the luxury cars of the day. You could order a new Road Runner for less than $3,000, or you could option one out to nearly $5,000. The price point could be whatever you wanted it to be.
Sales Competition
Competition was strong as the Chevelle SS, 442, GS400, and the GTO returned with their sophomore campaigns on the new A-Body design. The Road Runner finished second overall in sales to the Chevelle SS, and surely could have beaten Chevy, had it not been for the GTX and Sport Satellite cannibalizing sales. Not to mention Dodge’s successful redesign of the Charger was now entering its second year after a huge 1968 sales year. The array of Charger offerings ran the gauntlet from the 225-ci V-6 through the 426 Hemi in R/T trim. The Coronet R/T and Superbee models continued to chip away at sales of the Road Runner, with the Bee offering nearly identical options, sans a convertible.
The Road Runner sped along carrying sales momentum from 1968. Mid-year 1969 offered the injection of new colors such as Bahama Yellow.
With all this going on, Ford was trying to get in on the action. Out of the Fairlane/Torino body style came the Ford Cobra in sedan and fastback attire. The base engine was 428-ci rated at 335 hp, ironically the same horsepower as the Road Runner’s 383.
Fewer than 15,000 Cobras sold in 1969. Considering Plymouth only expected to sell 2,000 Road Runners in 1968, this number should be seen as very strong. However, with Road Runner outselling Cobra nearly 6:1, Ford watched from the sidelines as General Motors and Mopar battled in the mid-size muscle car market.
The Road Runner returned (of course) for 1970 with new exterior sheet metal and interior accommodations. A broad range of high-impact colors joined the lineup creating an unbelievable assortment of offerings. General Motors lifted its engine displacement ban and Hemi-equipped Road Runners now had their hands full with 454-powered Chevelles, 455-ci Pontiacs, Buicks, and Oldsmobiles. The year 1970 is seen as the zenith of the muscle car era.
Superbird
For homologation purposes, Superbird entered the Plymouth lineup in NASCAR, joining its older aero brother the Dodge Daytona. Based on the Road Runner, the Superbird received a nose cone and rear wing on both production and race variants. The Superbird featured a large Road Runner logo adorning both wings on the car with “Road Runner Superbird” script creating a circle around it. With driver Pete Hamilton at the helm Plymouth brought home the 1970 Daytona 500 trophy in a Petty Enterprises Superbird, though corporate rival Dodge went on to win the championship.
The 1970 Plymouth Superbird was considered the most flamboyant Road Runner of them all when the dust finally settled on the model’s tenure in 1980. (Steve Netkow Photo)
This year saw a new iteration of the Plymouth B-Body with a wider, lower visual approach often referenced as the “Coke bottle” design. The Hemi was shoehorned between the fenders a final time and sales slid for the third year in a row as the sun began to set on the muscle car.
THE GTX
The Plymouth GTX, the upscale brother of the Road Runner, was born and died a bona fide muscle car. When it first debuted as an option on the Belvedere it added a touch of luxury to performance. Throughout its run as a package or stand-alone model, the GTX sported big-block power, with displacement never below 426. No other model or package with a five-year-plus run from that era can make that claim.
The Plymouth GTX maintained its muscle car pedigree throughout its entire life. This Sunfire Yellow vehicle is a great example of what power and luxury look like together. (Geoff Stunkard Photo)
The Road Runner began taking on a greater role in Plymouth’s lineup with the GTX as a performance option. The GTX began its life as a package on the Belvedere, and now returned to “package” status as the top option on the Road Runner.
The 400 debuted as a bored-out 383 and was standard in the Road Runner with either a 340 or 440 as optional equipment. A handful of 440-6 cars leaked out before the program was shut down due to emissions requirements. The 1972s were the last Road Runners to come standard with a big-block.
The standard engine dropped to a 318-ci with the 400 and 440 as options. The 340 returned in 1973, but was dismissed in favor of the new 360 for 1974. The GTX package remained intact and was acknowledged on the hood and on the deck lid. Both the Satellite and GTX models/options were gone after 1974, with the GTX having only the 440, 440-6, and 426, the only engine options.
For 1975 the Road Runner was moved to the Plymouth Fury line, which had been moved back to the B-Body platform. The base engine was the 318 with the 360 and 400 still on the roster.
This one-year