The Plymouth Roadrunner
All Par- If you have not noticed, the Road Runner was named based on the classic cartoon, and it was totally awesome that the horn actually went beep beep! and the ad campaign featured Wiley Coyote. Many had steering wheels with a little Road Runner logo, and air cleaners with the logo “Coyote Duster.” The Superbird put a huge, helmeted Roadrunner onto its massive rear spoiler. The Roadrunner was a favorite of moonshiners. It was faster than police cars and was able to take a pounding on chases. The 1968 offered high-power, was light weight and had a strong engine, all with a budget price of $714 at that time. So they were lighter and cheaper. You’ll see several today due to their build from steel.
The idea behind the Road Runner had been running around Highland Park but was turned down by management. Reportedly, it was pushed through “despite” upper-management opposition, and on a minimal budget. In 1968, the base engine was a specially modified 383 V8, which made it the fastest 383 with 335 horsepower.
At one time Dodge came up with the Dodge Super Bee (the name was a play on the B-Body) after the Roadrunner became successful. It started at just over $3,000. The Plymouth’s emblems were decals, but the Dodge Super Bee had 3D die-cast medallions. In 1968, the Plymouth sold 44,599 Roadrunners; the Roadrunner went on to win Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award.
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