Plymouth Road Runner History
A back-to-basics budget muscle car (1968–1980) named under license from Warner Bros., with a 'beep-beep' horn and a big standard V8.
Photo: “Road Runner (5091917248).jpg” by JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
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Launched for 1968, the Road Runner was Plymouth's answer to soaring muscle-car prices: a stripped-down, low-cost B-body with a bench seat, minimal trim, and a standard 383 big-block V8. Plymouth paid Warner Bros.-Seven Arts $50,000 to license the Looney Tunes Road Runner name and likeness — and another $10,000 to engineer the car's distinctive 'beep, beep' horn.
Top engines included the 426 Hemi (425 hp, 1968–1971) and the 440 'Six Barrel' (triple two-barrel carbs, 390 hp). The aerodynamic, winged 1970 Superbird was a NASCAR-homologation Road Runner spin-off.
The first generation (1968–1970) is the icon; a 'fuselage'-styled second generation followed (1971–1974). As emissions and insurance pressures gutted the muscle era, the name survived as a trim package — on the 1975 B-body, then on the compact Volaré through 1980.
Generations
First generation · B-body
Photo: “Road Runner (5091917248).jpg” by JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
The defining budget muscle car — bench seat, standard 383, optional 426 Hemi and 440 Six Barrel; spawned the 1970 Superbird.
1968 Photo: “Road Runner (5091917248).jpg” by JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Second generation · Fuselage B-body
Restyled 'fuselage' B-body; performance steadily declined under emissions and insurance pressure.
1971 Photo: “Plymouth Roadrunner - Flickr - dave 7.jpg” by dave_7 from Canada / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Trim-package era · B-body, then Volaré
The Road Runner became a trim package — on the 1975 B-body, then on the compact Volaré through 1980.
1975 Photo: “1975 Plymouth Roadrunner (6073290700).jpg” by dave_7 from Lethbridge, Canada / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
1980 Photo: “1980 Plymouth Volare Roadrunner (28791738140).jpg” by Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Body styles
- Coupe
- Hardtop
- Convertible
Notable special editions & performance variants
Superbird
NASCAR-homologation Road Runner with a pointed aero nose cone and a tall rear wing; 1,935 built for the US market in its single year — built to lure Richard Petty back to Plymouth.
Hemi Road Runner
Road Runner equipped with the 425-hp 426 Hemi V8 — the top-performance configuration.
440 Six Barrel
440-cu-in V8 with three two-barrel carburetors rated at 390 hp; a cheaper near-Hemi performance option.
Related models
Collect the nameplate
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