1971 Plymouth Road Runner

The Plymouth Road Runner was developed as an affordable, mid-priced, B-Body car positioned between the Satellite and Belvedere models. Lacking a long list of amenities, it favored speed and acceleration. It was a solid car, a favorite among moonshiners, and was faster than most police vehicles.

The Road Runner came equipped with a 383 cubic-inch V8 engine capable of producing 335 horsepower. A four-speed manual transmission was standard equipment. For about $715, a 426 Hemi could be added, making it the fastest vehicle on the road.

Plymouth paid Warner Brothers $50,000 to use the Road Runner cartoon image. Due to the short production time, the decals were grey. Along with the image, the horn went 'beep-beep'.

In 1968, Plymouth sold 45,000 examples.

In 1969, bucket seats became available. The decals were now in color. A convertible option joined the line-up. An inexpensive engine, when compared to the Hemi, became available. This was a three-two barrel carbureted, 440 cubic-inch V8, dubbed the 440 Six Pack. Nearly 90,000 Road Runners were sold during 1969.

In 1970, an Air Grabber hood was added. Operated by remote control from the passenger compartment, this would open and close a vent in the hood, creating a hood scope. The three-speed manual gearbox became standard while the 4-speed was now offered as optional equipment.

Sales of the Road Runner declined by more than 50 percent in 1970, a prevailing trend throughout the muscle car market. Some of the decline was caused by the company's new 'entry-level' muscle car, the compact Duster 340 which came with a 340 4-barrel V8 engine offering 275 horsepower. With a compact and lightweight A-body platform, the Duster 340 offered better performance than a 383 Road Runner. Its smaller engine allowed it to qualify for lower insurance rates, and with its lower base price, it was an appealing choice for the budget-minded consumer.

1970 was the final year for the Road Runner convertible body style and 834 examples were built, including three with the Hemi (R) code engine (plus a Canada-built example).

First Generation Road Runner (1968 to 1970)
The first generation of the Road Runner (a.k.a. Roadrunner) was based on the Belvedere; the GTX was based on the Sport Satellite. Initially, the Road Runner was solely offered as a 2-door pillared coupe, wearing a B-pillar ('post') between the front and rear windows. Before the end of the year, a two-door 'hardtop' body style joined the lineup.

Dimensions
The Road Runner rested on a 116-inch wheelbase platform with a 202.7-inch length, a 76.4-inch width, and a height of 54.7 inches.

Engines
The Road Runner received an exclusive 383 cubic-inch B-Series V8 engine breathing through a four-barrel Carter Carburetor and delivering 335 horsepower at 5,200 RPM and 425 lbs.-ft of torque at 3,400 RPM. With air conditioning installed, a 330 horsepower version of the engine was installed, devoid of the 'modified' cam from the 440 Super Commando, as it did not create enough vacuum to accommodate air conditioning.

A 426 cubic-inch (7.0 liter) Hemi with 2X4 Carter AFB carburetors offered 425 horsepower at 5,000 RPM and 490 lbs.-ft of torque at 4,000 RPM.

An 'A12' 440 cubic-inch V8 engine became available in 1969. Equipped with 3x2 barrel Holley carburetors, the '440 Six BBL' delivered 390 horsepower at 4,700 RPM and 490 lbs. ft of torque at 3,200 RPM.

Second Generation Road Runner (1971to 1974)
The 1971 Plymouth Road Runner
As the American muscle car market faced a harsh new reality, the Plymouth Road Runner began an all-new chapter in its existence. 1971 was a year of significant change, and one of those for the Chrysler family was the release of the two-door G-series Chrysler B-bodies, including the Charger/Super Bee and GTX/Road Runner.

The dramatic market shift and increased regulations meant the end of high-performance equipment and a frantic search for something that would fill its void. Initially, 'large' and 'luxury' seemed to prevail, but fuel shortages during the early part of the 1970s meant another course correction, with 'compact' and 'lightweight' gaining traction.

The 1971 Road Runner shed its beloved styling that had earned it a faithful following and embarked in a new direction known as the 'fuselage' design. The modern shape was rounder than before, with a steeply raked windshield, deeply inset grille and headlights, and a hidden cowl. The new styling direction was much more aerodynamic than the original Road Runner shape, resulting in better high-speed handling. The interiors were comfortable and inviting and could be ordered with deep-pile carpeting, 6-way power leather seats, and with additional soundproofing.

This was the final year that the 440+6 and 426 Hemi were offered on the Road Runner. The new 340 4-barrel and a detuned 383 'Road Runner' engine were enticing options since they received a standard insurance rating rather than the costly premiums normally associated with muscle cars. The 383 now ran on regular gas, and with 8.7:1 compression, it produced 300 horsepower.

Dimensions
The 1971 Plymouth Road Runner 2-door coupe rested on a 115-inch wheelbase, had an overall length of 212.4 inches, a width of 79.1 inches, and stood 52.9 inches tall.

Engines
The 383 cubic-inch V8 engine had overhead valves, a cast iron block, five main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, a Carter four-barrel carburetor, and 9.5:1 compression. It had a 4.25-inch bore and a 3.375-inch stroke. It was capable of producing 335 horsepower at 4,800 RPM.

The 440 CID 'Six Pack' engine with 335 horsepower was a $262 option. It had overhead valves, a 4.04-inch bore, a 3.31-inch stroke, hydraulic valve lifters, and five main bearings.

The 426 'Street' Hemi with 425 horsepower was an $884 option.

Regardless of engine option, the Road Runner could be ordered with tall axle ratios, wide and close-ratio four-speed transmissions, and the 8 3/4-inch Chrysler and Dana 60 rear ends.

Pricing and Production
The 1971 Plymouth Road Runner two-door hardtop coupe had a base price of $3,150 and a total of 14,218 examples were built. This represented a dramatic decrease over the 43,404 examples built the previous year. The decline continued into 1972, with 7,628 examples built that year before rebounding to 19,056 in 1973.

In 1972, a 340 cubic-inch V8 engine became available. This engine was powerful and light. Less than 7,630 Road Runners were sold during the 1972 model year.

In 1973, a 318 cubic-inch engine was standard, producing 170 horsepower. The 440 and 400 cubic-inch engines were still offered as optional equipment. The vehicle received styling updates.

In 1974, the 360 cubic-inch engine replaced the 340 V8. The 318, two-barrel engine now produced a miserable 150 horsepower.

Third Generation Road Runner (1975)
In 1975, the Road Runner was changed to the Fury body.

Fourth Generation Road Runner / Trim Package (1976 to 1980)
In 1976, the Road Runner was changed to the Volare body. The standard engine was the 318 cubic-inch engine offering 150 horsepower. The 360 cubic-inch engine produced 170 horsepower. The Road Runner package included a three-speed floor shifter, interior trim, and an improved suspension.

In 1977, an onboard engine computer called the Lean Burn system, adorned the interior of the Road Runner. Spoilers, stripes, and Ralley wheels, and window louvers became part of the Road Runner package.

In 1979, production was just over 1000 units.

The 1980 model year was the last one for the Volare and Road Runner.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2010