- Numbers matching 425-HP, 426-cid Hemi V-8 engine
- Correct four-speed transmission
- Authentic restoration and excellent presentation
- Original "dog-dish" steel wheels with redline tires
- Equipped with power steering and front disc brakes
- Accompanied by its original broadcast sheet
LOT 253
Selling on Saturday
1969 Plymouth ‘Hemi’ Road Runner
With the muscle car wars in full swing, the 1968 season saw a new entry that captured more than its share of attention. Cartoon fans immediately recognized the unique "beep-beep" sound as coming from that lovable cartoon character, the Road Runner. That season, Plymouth performance showed what they were made of and the response was strong. To start with, Chrysler wanted the Road Runner to be done on the cheap, using the base model in Plymouth's medium-size B-bodied Satellite series, the two-door coupe. Next, it had to be fast and in its basic form, the 335-horsepower, 383-cubic-inch "Wedge" V-8 was plenty potent for most folks. But to leave the competition in the dust, customers could choose the big 440-cubic-inch Magnum V-8 with 375 horsepower or pull out all the stops with the legendary 426-cubic-inch, Hemi V-8 fitted with a dual four-barrel intake and rated officially at 425 horsepower. Customers responded in its first year with 44,599 Road Runners sold, 29,240 coupes; with the late introduction of the hardtop, another 15,359 "beep-beep mobiles" were added to the mix. For 1969, a few styling changes were made for the front grille and the tail and side marker lights, as well as a larger selection of options including the convertible as a third body choice and creature comfort items such as front bucket seats. For those wanting the ultimate in speed and performance, the base coupe was still en vogue, especially when fitted to the mighty Hemi V-8. While the Hemi Road Runner was a formidable opponent for street racing, many of these cars were campaigned on quarter-mile tracks across the country, which led to their scarcity today. When these muscle cars were new, people did what they were supposed to do with them, run them, enjoy them, occasionally break them (then get new parts to do it all over again), and create motoring history.
When new, this factory Hemi-equipped Road Runner saw time in front of many Christmas Trees waiting for lights to turn green and then it was pedal to the metal for a quarter mile at a time. When it was retired, by some stroke of luck, the original 426-cubic-inch Hemi V-8 had managed to survive and remains under its hood today. Treated to a full restoration that was completed in 2020, it is finished in its original "B5" Bright Blue on the outside and fitted with the proper black vinyl full-width bench seats up front and to the rear. Meticulous care was taken during the restoration making sure everything was just as the factory had prepared it, with an eye to authenticity that makes a true muscle car fan's heart beat a little faster. Under the hood and on top of that numbers matching Hemi is a matched set of proper date coded Carter AFB four-barrel carburetors with the engine backed up by the A833 four-speed manual transmission. Power is then transmitted to the Dana 60 rear axle fitted with 4.10:1 gears. Riding on Firestone Redline tires, they are mounted on a set of color matched steel wheels adorned with the "dog-dish" hubcaps, which shows that this car is meant for one reason - to go fast. Helping authenticate this ride is the original broadcast sheet, and its provenance has been verified by the most trusted source for Mopar performance vehicles, David Wise. Interior appointments include a push-button AM radio, original gauges and, preserving this car's heritage, the original padded dashboard was given new life by Just Dashes in California. Another act of preservation was the restoration of the original grille and headlight surrounds by the acknowledged leader for these critical parts with anodized aluminum finishes, Bill Petrow of Special T's Unlimited. Just 194 Road Runner coupes were fitted with the legendary Hemi V-8 during the 1969 model year. Finding one today, especially a numbers-matching four-speed with its broadcast sheet, is truly a rare opportunity to acquire a piece of performance history.
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