Our featured car comes right out of the muscle car era of the late 1960’s…The 1969 Plymouth Road Runner Coupe. When you think about those popular Mopar automobiles of the late 1960’s, the 1969 Plymouth Road Runner is right there at the top. There are stories out there which claim that moonshiners preferred the Plymouth Road Runners since they could easily outrun the police and drive hard without components failing.
The Muscle Car Era
1969 Plymouth Road Runner Coupe
There are a few different opinions as to what years encompassed the muscle car era.
The Antique Automobile Club of America defines the MuscleCarEra as between 1961 and 1974. Some contend that the first real muscle car was the Pontiac GTO when it was brought out in 1964. Some may even point to the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 as being the first muscle car.
The Plymouth Road Runner
The Plymouth Road Runner is a mid-size car with a focus on performance built by Plymouth in the United States between 1968 and 1980. The 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, while considered stripped down, offered high performance with an affordable price. This was the Road Runner’s calling card.
There were three Road Runner models available in 1969. These were the hardtop, pillared coupe, and convertible. It was the Plymouth Road Runner Convertible that was largely responsible for Motor Trends to make it their car of the year for 1969.
1969 Plymouth Road Runner Specifications
There were three performance engine options available. These options included the standard 383 cubic inch V-8 and optional 426 cubic inch V-8 Hemi. During mid-year the new 440 cubic inch A12 Six Pack performance option became available.
