Dodge Plymouth RoadRunner History

The Plymouth Road Runner and Dodge Super Bee

Fast and furious start

The 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner (and its companion, the Dodge Super Bee — from here on, we’ll talk about the Road Runner incarnation, since it was more common and first out the door) were fairly unique. Based on the heavy luxury cars in the B-body line (Belvedere / Satellite), the Roadrunner was lighter than the smaller 'Cuda. To make it both light and cheap, the Roadrunner had few amenities - forget about carpet, for example. Creature comforts gave way to sheer performance and cost considerations. [Read “Father of the Road Runner” Jack Smith’s story of the birth of the Road Runner.]

Joe Meehan wrote: One year before the name was announced, I had gone with my mother to the newspaper office in downtown Tucson to take our puzzle entry in. An older lady came around to the driver’s side of the car and asked if we could give her a ride. During the drive, the lady mentioned that her son had won a contest to name a new Plymouth with the name "Roadrunner." We showed the appropriate appreciation of her son, but laughed on the way home about a company naming a car after a cartoon character. Then, a year later, Plymouth announced the Road Runner. If this had happened closer to the time of the announcement we could have written it off as a coincidence. I have often wondered about the lady’s son and the contest.

The Roadrunner was not fragile. Unlike some sports cars (such as the Corvette), it was built for serious street work, which might be why so many have survived. The Roadrunner was reportedly a favorite of moonshiners, faster than almost any police car and tough enough to take practically any bump, with good ground clearance to boot. The only thing it didn't have was aerodynamics; that was the province of the Dodge Charger 500, Charger Daytona, and Plymouth Superbird.
The idea behind the Road Runner had been running around Highland Park for a while, but management had turned it down. Reportedly, it was eventually produced “despite” management opposition, like the Duster — and like the Duster, Dodge immediately clamored for and got its own version when sales figures turned up.
Yes, the Road Runner was based on the cartoon, and came complete with a horn that went beep beep! and an ad campaign featuring Wiley Coyote. Depending on the model and year, the steering wheel had a little Road Runner, and the air cleaner had a cartoon with the logo "Coyote Duster." The Superbird put a huge, helmeted Roadrunner onto its massive rear spoiler. The Dodge Super Bee had a cartoon character which did not require royalties for Warner Bros: a cartoon bee with a helmet, fat tires, headers, and a stinger. The Super Bee was based on the Coronet, with heavier duty shocks and suspension components, bigger brakes, and a different hood, with one inch more wheelbase than the Roadrunner.

In 1968, the base engine was a 383, with heads, intake, cam, and exhaust manifolds from the 440 Super Commando; those made it the fastest 383 ever, with 335 (gross) horsepower. A four-speed manual was standard (three speeds were par for the course in those days). The Road Runner was free of glitz and chrome, mostly to reduce weight.
Though it was a hefty price in 1968 and 1969, $714 extra would buy the ultimate street engine, one unmatched by any other (except the Viper-10): the 426 Hemi. That pretty much guaranteed the ability to win at streetlight races.
In 1969, Ford responded with the Cobra (a Fairlane with a 428), but the Road Runner kept going to win Motor Trend's Car of the Year award; the 440 6-barrel really helped, providing acceleration nearly equal to the Hemi (at least, up to highway speeds) with a much lower price tag.
Read more about Joe’s 11.8-second daily-driver Road Runner 440 with three two-barrel carbs and his races against a 300C SRT-8 and various GMs.

The 440 cubic inch, triple-carburetor (two barrels each) Road Runner took the concept to its natural conclusion, even eliminating hubcaps. The Super Bee, on the other hand, added the Ramcharger air scoop on the hood; unlike many scoops, this one was functional and standard with the deep-gulping Hemi. On the Dodge, the 3 2-barrel carb setup was named the Six Pack, and it put out 390 hp (gross). Keep in mind as you read this that horsepower meant more in those days when it came at lower rpms. Wheels were moderately large for the time, 15 x 6; air conditioning and cruise were not part of the package.

 In 1970, the Road Runner added the Air Grabber hood, which was remote controlled from the passenger compartment. Press a button, and you have a scoop. Press again, and you have a normal hood.

Dale Mathews wrote: “The blue 70 Road Runner was original white car [shown above] and is the 1970 Pilot car, a Hemi, the first 1970 Road Runner made, and believed to be the car in the press release photo for the 1970 Road Runner as well as the car used in Rapid Transit advertisements in 1970. The wagon is a 1961 plymouth bought from original 87 year old owner in 2000, and is powered now by a 413 long ram.”

Plymouth Road Runner performance starts to drop a little

1971 brought the first major changes, including what Plymouth called “an all new body;” John E. Herlitz’s groundbreaking styling featured swoopy lines, and large, looping bumper/grill assemblies. The Road Runner's wheelbase went down from 116 to 115 inches, and the engines were changed to meet emissions standards; the 383 went from 335 to 300 hp, and the 440+6 went from 390 to 385. The Hemi squeaked through with its original 425 hp (sources vary on net horsepower; many have noted that Chrysler appears to have deliberately under-rated the Hemi. Note our copies of the dyno sheets which show over 460 hp!). The Super Bee well and truly changed in 1971, its final year, moving to the Charger platform.

Advantages of the 1971 redesign include a three-inch wider rear track for better handling, flush door handles and ventless side glass for better aerodynamics (higher top speeds and lower noise), and options such as sun roofs, “tuff” steering wheels, functional air-grabber scoops - a highly desirable option now, especially since they could be opened or closed at the press of a button - and more features.

Pete Hagenbuch wrote: I drove a 1972 Road Runner 340. For driving pleasure that was my favorite muscle car. With anti-sway bars [roll bars] front and rear, the car was as light on its feet as most sports cars. My commute was a joyful dash in that car.

John Belbas pointed out that the 1968 Road Runner had the 383 or Hemi; the 1969 and 1970 Road Runner had the 383, Hemi, or 440 triple-twin-barrel.  In 1972, the Hemi and 440 six-barrel dropped out of the picture, but the 383 was bored out to become the 255-net-hp 400, and the 340 was added to the lineup, with nearly as much power as the heavy 400 (240 hp) but lighter weight, helping the Road Runner's cornering. The 340 was later replaced by the 360, which had less power than the original 340; the 440 dropped out of the Roadrunner in 1974 (and was dropped completely by Chrysler in 1978).

Also in 1972, electronic ignition, a Chrysler invention, became standard, cutting tuneup costs and increasing consistently usable power. The Plymouth Road Runner was still well-endowed with power, but the in 1973, the shape of things to come appeared: the mild-mannered but indestructible 318, with 170 hp, was the standard base engine, make standard Road Runners more cosmetic packages than moonshine delivery vehicles.
Finally, in 1973, the Plymouth GTX — which started as the only 440 powered Belvedere — was dropped, and the GTX name, associated with a high-end, feature-laden muscle car, was fastened to the Road Runner, known as the budget-performance muscle car. The 280 horsepower four-barrel 440 (net rating) was only available as part of the GTX option package, which essentially consisted of that engine, various suspension and brake upgrades, and three glued-on emblems.

The 1974 Road Runner was, as one might expect, a virtual clone of the Plymouth Satellite coupe, at least on the outside. Under the hood lurked a big block engine, still; and a Hurst edition was still available. Dan Diehl, for example, owns a 1974 Plymouth Road Runner Hurst edition, with a four-speed transmission connected to the 400 cubic inch B engine. The car was luxurious for a Road Runner, coming with air conditioning, a rear defroster, FM stereo, interior hood release, and hood pins.

For 1974, the 440 V8 engine was also available in the Plymouth Road Runner. “plybirdman” wrote that there were 388 such cars made in 1974.

One Furyous year

In 1975, the Roadrunner changed bodies to the Fury, which had just moved from the C to the B platform (the Gran Fury stayed with the big C body); by 1977, the Fury was only about the size of the 1991 Lincoln Town Car. It only stayed with the Fury for a year.

Volare Road Runner

In 1976, Plymouth, trying to keep the name alive, stuck it onto the new Volare, which was designed to replace the reliable, sturdy, light, economical, and very popular Valiant. On the lighter side, the Volare had an improved suspension and somewhat more comfortable seats; and it tended not to drop water onto the driver's feet. On the other hand, the first year was an assembly disaster. The Road Runner had bigger engines than the Valiant; instead of starting at the 225 Slant Six and ending at the 318, it started with the 318 and ended with the 360 (both with two barrel carbs). The 318 was now 150 hp, the 360 was 170 hp. Most of this came in at the low end, so it was a lot of power for the weight; but hardly the equal of the 1968 version.
The Road Runner option seemed to be mostly a trim package. In 1977, the 360, equipped with the first on-board engine computer ever - the Lean Burn system - managed to get a 4 barrel electronic feedback carb.
In 1979, a four barrel 318 was set up as an option; since many people had improved the power of their 318, reportedly without gas mileage losses, by adding a progressively opening 4-barrel, this was a good idea, but way too late. Production was only a little over 1,000 vehicles.
1980 was the last year for both the Volare and Road Runner; they shared all the same engines except the 318 four-barrel, which was Road Runner-only. The name was never revived for any of its natural targets - the Omni GLH and GLHS, for example.
There is still a chance for the Road Runner to make a triumphant return (Chrysler engineers and staff, are you listening?). Take the Hemi Charger, replace the slushbox with a five-speed... and strip out the sound insulation...remember to use lighter windows...
John B. Cressy wrote:

I ordered a Volare Roadrunner in 1976, one of the first. I had to put a deposit down because of the following two options. First, no power steering. Second was the NY91 option, a GM smog pump and no catalytic converter, so it ran on regular gas, not unleaded. This option was free for the asking. The only problem was getting a replacement exhaust. Most cars with this option were 112 in. wheelbase police cars and taxi cabs. Mine was the 108 in. 2-door and you could get an exhaust but, you had to find the extra 4 inches in some sort of adapter. It was a 318 automatic with Sure Grip. I bet they didn't sell a lot of them this way, without the catalytic converter. Wish I still had it.

Instrumentation

(Courtesy lio45) In 1968 and 1969, Road Runners had the same 120mph speedometer as the basic Belvedere. The Sport Satellite and GTX were the ones who had the 150mph speedometer.
The rallye dash with round gauges (used by the Charger and Super Bee since 1968) only appeared in 1970 on the Runner. (For once, it was Plymouth who borrowed something from Dodge!) 1968 and 1969 Runners all had the standard B-body Plymouth dash, with a rectangular speedo with the needle going from left to right. (GTX of 1968 and 1969 had a very similar dash. No Plymouths had the rallye dash before 1970).

Plymouth’s ad copy, 1968

Until now, there were two distinct type of stock cars. There was street stock. And, indeed, it was just that. Despite the acquisition of big-displacement engines and ferocious nicknames, it was basically just a boulevard car. The emphasis was on luxury: expensive interiors, lavish adornments, and lots of brightwork.
Then there was the other type — the Grand National stocker. You couldn't buy it, and even if you could, your name would have to be Petty or something to get it started on a cold morning. Nevertheless, it was infinitely attractive — the low silhouette; the super-wide tires; the stovepipe exhausts; the absence of chrome; the Spartan cockpit — sort of brutally good-looking.
Obviously there was a need for a car that combined some of the creature comforts of the street stock with the integrity of the Grand National type. So we created the Missing Link. It's called the Road Runner, and you'd better believe it's one hairy-idling, stiffly-sprung, squat-sitting, wide-tired, de-chromed automobile.
Unlike most stocks, Road Runner doesn't sport an interior of hand-rubbed, fake Ukembeki wood. It doesn't even have Buck Rogers signature-model seats. Like a real stocker, it's all business inside: a couple of gauges, a bit Hurst gear lever and clutch, brake and accelerator pedals. The exterior is similarly functional.
The standard engine is an exclusive high-output version of Plymouth's 383 cubic inch V8. Optional, and very fitting, is the big 426 Hemi.
The body is a two-door coupe with a hardtop roofline, and it's rigid as only a stocker can be. The suspension is completely heavy-duty, front and rear. The only real concession to the boulevard is the addition of a horn, and even that has character, it goes "beep-beep!" just like the bird in the cartoons.
Oh, yes - and the doors work. On Grand National cars they're welded shut.

1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird drag coefficient better than many 1990s/C21 cars (.28) capable of speeds over 150 mph, stock! (max. 180 or so) considered ugly; a poor seller standard 440 and optional 426 Hemi currently selling in six-seven figures