Redesigned in 1964, the Plymouth Belvedere line expanded to include three brand-new versions. And they all had a couple of things in common. They were only available in two-door body styles and were restricted to V8 powerplants. The Satellite arrived first in 1965 as a top-of-the-line model with extra features. It was followed by the GTX in 1967 and the Road Runner in 1968.
Plymouth introduced the GTX atop the Satellite. Loaded with premium features and offered with the 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB and 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI V8s, it became known as “the gentleman’s muscle car.” By 1968, however, many muscle cars had moved away from their roots as relatively cheap vehicles, so Plymouth created the Road Runner.
A more basic alternative to the GTX, the Road Runner came with a four-barrel version of the 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) RB-block V8 as standard, but Plymouth also added the HEMI to the options list. The latter made the Road Runner the most affordable entry into HEMI ownership at the time. In 1969, the nameplate also got the 440 Six Pack as part of the A12 package (which included additional goodies).
A popular muscle car at first, the Road Runner moved almost 79,000 units in 1969. However, the looming oil crisis and the increasingly higher insurance rates saw deliveries drop to fewer than 7,000 examples by 1972. The Road Runner remained in production until 1974, when it was discontinued as a stand-alone model.
Come 2023, the nameplate is among the most desirable Mopars on the classic car market. Not surprisingly, the HEMI version is the most sought-after. And because Plymouth sold only 2,003 units from 1968 to 1971, it’s also rare and expensive. It’s obviously followed by the 440-6 variant leaving the 383-equipped Road Runner as the most common bird.
But I’m not here to talk about factory-stock Road Runners. As much as I love all-original survivors, garage-built sleepers are just as exciting to watch. Especially if they’ve been prepped for drag racing. Like the 1969 rig built by a father and son.
Yup, don’t let the factory stock look fool you. This Road Runner packs a massive punch compared to their regular siblings. Sure, it looks like a beefed-up Mopar thanks to the A12-style hood and scoop, but this thing is much more. That’s because the 440-cubic-inch V8 lurking under the hood had every single component but the block upgraded.
And it now packs a whopping 660 horsepower, almost twice as much as the 440 Six Pack, rated at 390 horsepower. This mill also cranks out notably more than the 425-horsepower HEMI, the company’s most potent mill back in the late 1960s. And here’s another unexpected fact: this Road Runner was built in the United Kingdom.
It all began in 2006 when Chris and his son Adam purchased a stock Road Runner and took it to the drag strip. Not only did they catch the drag-racing bug, but they also noticed how other muscle car drivers were running the quarter-mile much quicker. So they decided to modify the Road Runner. Almost 20 years later, the Mopar covers the quarter-mile in less than 11 seconds while still being streetable. That’s the best combo in my book.
Learn more about this awesome project in the video below, and make sure you don’t miss the drag-strip footage at the 25-minute mark. It was shot at Santa Pod Raceway, Europe’s first permanent 1/4- and 1/8-mile strip.