Amid the hubbub around the hot new Plymouth Road Runner in 1968, the Chrysler division’s other muscle car got almost overlooked. That was the GTX, a premium B-body performance car that was in production from 1967 to 1971. This ’68 GTX is either a beautifully restored example or a low mileage (20,000) original that has been well-cared for over the past 57 years. Located in Anaheim, California, bidding here on eBay has reached $40,000 will no pesky reserve to be overcome.
Unlike the budget-minded Road Runner (based on the Belvedere), the GTX was fashioned after the upper-scale Satellite. It had a 440 V8 instead of a 383 as standard equipment. How was the GTX overshadowed in 1968 (and all its other model years)? In ’68, just under 19,000 GTXs were built (its best year) compared to 44,600 Road Runners, on their way to a record 82,000 copies the following year.
This Mopar beauty comes with its original broadcast sheet and Govier Report, so we assume the muscle car is numbers matching. We’re told the 375 hp 440 runs great (no pics) and it’s paired with a 4-speed manual transmission (most GTXs were sold with automatics). The appearance of this Plymouth is subdued given the use of painted steel wheels. The dark blue paint looks impressive as does the lighter blue interior. Have they both been redone? Dunno.
We assume the car has power steering and brakes, but the latter are 4-wheel drums, not the best for stopping a hot car like this. But they have recently been reworked. Restored or original, this vehicle looks superb, making you wonder why the seller doesn’t taut its virtues more, thus helping to lift the closing price.
Yes. But Russ. Does it have the Coveted, Ultra rare Slant 6 and 3 speed on the column like this ’68 Charger has that was posted a couple of weeks ago? https://barnfinds.com/worth-250k-1968-dodge-charger/
Just kidding. Truth be told, if I was a young man shopping on a dealers lot and saw this GTX parked next tk a Road Runner, especially the 440 and a 4 speed? I’d have the saleman hold me upside down and shake me till enough money fell out of my pockets to buy this beauty. This is just so nice, aside from price, I dont understand why the GTX didn’t sell better? Really nice find and write up Russ!!! This is just gorgeous.
.. I’d have the saleman hold me upside down and shake me till enough money fell out of my pockets to buy this beauty.” That’s hilarious and exactly how most Mopar feel I’ll bet.
Just a guess but you have to wonder if the RR sold so well in large part to its marketing with the bonus of having the cheaper entry price.
Thanks Nevada, glad I could put a smile on somebody’s face today!!! Believe it or not, its an old saying I used to use years ago and forgot all about till I saw this GTX. AND IT’S TRUE!!! ( Hmmm, yep, I can live in a cardboard box for a year).
I also agree with you with the marketing. Road runner was less expensive and they really did push it in advertising. But still. This GTX is just very classy.
Doesn’t get much cooler 😎 than a 4sp, 440 GTX 🏁
Another part of it might have been that Plymouth was always looked at as the entry level Chrysler brand.
So, if you were looking for a more upscale Mopar model, you most likely went across the street and looked at a Charger.
Same thing with the Barracuda versus the Challenger.
Probably because the Road Runner shared the body style and also had powerful v8s available but was a lot cheaper .
And the Road Runner had the road runner horn. Beep, beep.
bone, every engine was available in each model. They were not model selective between the GTX and the Roadrunner. Or the Satellite for that matter.
Funny guy……this one’s been for sale for awhile – not sure why it has the wrong console – should have the wood grain as well…..
Manual brakes on this one (the pedals are the same height). I hope it has power steering.
B E A U T I F U L… One of the cleanest and best looking 1968 GTXs I have ever seen!
Really nice looking Mopar. Still don’t, and will never, understand trying to sell a car with no pictures of one of the most important aspects of a car like this, the engine compartment. And only eight pics total, when the basic eBay motors ad allows what, sixteen, twenty, more, pictures? PSA to sellers; use every space that you are given. You’re paying for it.
Again with the poverty caps. A GTX should have Magnum 500s or full wheel covers or Day 2 Torq-Thrusts. Road Runners had poverty caps, not the GTX. Spoils an otherwise beautiful car for me.
One would think so, however my brother in law purchased a 68 GTX with a Hemi/ 4 speed brand new and had the same tire/ wheel combo shown here direct from the factory.
I agree that Magnum 500’s would be a great choice. He drove it 18k miles in 2.5 years, never changed the wheels.
I’d love to be the next owner of this one!
Your brother’s Hemi GTX would have come with 15×6 inch wheels, not 14 inch, the poverty caps and red lines were standard on quite a few Hemi cars….(B bodies)
The factory assumed that a Hemi-equipped B-body was headed to a dragstrip, or to the clandestine street drags somewhere, where it was likely to be fitted with lighter aftermarket alloy wheels. That assumption is the same reason that Hemi buyers lost the 5 year/50,000 mile warranty that came standard on less powerful Chrysler vehicles, and had to settle for 90 days or 4000 miles/16,000 dragstrip passes of warranty coverage.
Definitely worth a look. Due to the lack of pictures and minimal description, it needs an in person inspection. On a no reserve auction the seller is leaving a significant amount of money, a better ad would probably taken 10 to 15 minutes longer, perfection isn’t necessary, just more than the bare minimum.
Steve R
Could it have been the “meep-meep” when you hit the horn button?¿? I’m in agreement what’s not to like here. With the 3rd. Pedal and the 440 H.P..
I thought I’d seen this one somewhere.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-plymouth-gtx-17/
So is this a real listing or a scam?
I’m not sure.
The car is supposedly in Anaheim, the phone number listed in the eBay ad has an Indiana area code. I called the number listed and the voicemail recording says Ron’s Auto Sales. A Google search lists two dealers of the same name in Indiana. Different phone number listed for each. Spoke with the guy who answered on the second number and he has no knowledge of the car.
Same photos as the almost two year old Bring a Trailer listing.
Mileage listed in the eBay ad is 20836. Mileage shown on the photo in the Bring a Trailer listing is 21240.9.
Limited description in the eBay ad for such a unique car.
VIN / Chassis number listed in the BaT listing is RS23L8A224662, eBay ad shows it as RS23L8A224664.
eBay seller has lots of positive feedback, but all of the comments are virtually the same.
For what it’s worth, the car has been listed on Mecum (after the BaT listing) and at least one other auction site as well. Both ended no sale.
Does the build sheet and report mean it’s numbers matching? I guess I missed something
Phil D, IIRC, I’m pretty sure American car warranties back in the 60’s were all 12 months or 12,000 miles. My dad’s 64 Malibu, 69 Concours Estate and 70 Chevelle were all just that. Not sure when GM switched but it was probably some time in the mid 70’s. I think the next bump was 3yrs, 36000 miles. And now (I’m pretty sure) the standard is 3-5yrs and 36000-50000. I would think the manufacturers were all competitive in that area and if one moved to raise, the others quickly followed.
Chrysler products all came with a 5 year/ 50,000 mile warranty during the ’60s with the exception of the street Hemi, for them it was 12 months or 12,000 miles
In ’67 our next door neighbor was the owner of the Mopar white hat boys dealership.
He told my dad and I that the marketing thinking behind the Roadrunner and the GTX differences was simple.
The Roadrunner was built for high-school kids. The GTX was built for college kids.
Made sense then and makes sense now.
Beautiful GTX. Kinda wish that mine was this age. Someone is going to win a very nice example.
The link that BDurr provides has a lot more information on this car than the eBay ad. It is a BaT ad with a video. At the end of video you can see and hear the engine running from a cold start. I am no expert but it seems to be making a lot of valve train noise. I believe that the engine was factory equipped with hydraulic lifters. Just doesn’t sound right to me. Another thing is that the car received a $70,000 bid at the BaT auction. Russ says that there is no reserve but bidding hasn’t reached 50K yet with only a bit less than two days left. Am I missing something here?
The high bid at this point is $45,500.
Seems odd to me that the seller is using the same pictures almost two years later.
Neat car. I had a friend in my younger, wilder days that had a dark green ’68 street hemi 4 speed, and it was ungodly fast. Loved that car, fast and comfortable (not to mention pretty)
I watched the video and the engine is a bit loud with valve noise. It is a good looking car but the fender tag is pretty shiny for being from 68. Also has a Inland shifter which I always thought it was a early built 68 before the switch to Hurst.
Sold on 1/31/2025 with a high bid of $48,268 with 38 bid among 13 bidders.
Steve R
I believe that is a reasonably realistic price.