It didn’t take long after the Plymouth Road Runner’s introduction as a 1968 model for the motoring world to start taking things altogether more seriously. The fun, cheap little hot rods with the Beep Beep! horn barely left a tire mark on the showroom floor before they were out the door, bang shifting up the boulevard. By 1971, however, insurance rates had gone up, compression started going down (in some cases), and muscle cars for the fun of it became something you didn’t talk about in polite company. Because of this, only 14,218 Road Runners were built in 1971, and 1,681 of them even had a small block for the first time. Fortunately, that small block was the screaming 340, and that’s what powers this Road Runner. Located on eBay in Citrus Heights, California, this Road Runner has a $40,000 (or best offer) asking price.
The 340 was almost certainly added to the Road Runner’s engine lineup as an “insurance special,” but I can’t imagine that anyone was fooled into thinking that the little small block was anything but a genuine muscle car powerplant. Everyone in the industry knew that its 275-horsepower rating was whimsical at best, and it wasn’t uncommon to find a 340 taking out big-block cars, at least when they were bolted into lighter Dusters and ‘Cudas. The B-body’s weight might have blunted its force just a little, but it was still a thrilling engine. The 1971 models had Carter’s phenolic-bodied Thermoquad, and with its huge secondaries, the 340 got all the fuel and air it needed. Speaking of air, this (claimed) 65,000-mile car had it from the factory. It “has [been] serviced and works.” The Thermoquad itself has also been rebuilt.
The interior seems to verify the mileage claim. Aside from “one crack” in the dash, it looks flawless. The Road Runner was intended to be a low-cost performance car, so the bench seat and column-shifted Torqueflite should come as no surprise; even if the Road Runner seemed a little more upmarket in 1971 than it did upon its introduction in 1968, it was no GTX. The seller points out that the interior is “black with dark gray inserts”; it’s a little tough to tell from this picture, so it’s a good thing that they mentioned it.
With its Tawny Gold paint, tan “strobe stripe,” and whitewall tires, this Road Runner looks like a gentleman’s muscle car. With an “original build sheet and purchase order,” it also seems like a well-documented example of a car that has gained in collector esteem over the years. The days of people wanting a 1968-70 Road Runner or nothing are over, and it’s nice to see these loop-bumpered ’71s getting their due. If you’re a fan, this is a nice one to consider.
At first glimpse, my first word was Oooooh!! This is one sharp Road Runner, and the only way that it’d be better (In my dream garage) would have been ordered with buckets and console! The next owner is going to be very happy with this one! GLWTA!! :-)
This looks like a Roadrunner featured on Dennis Collin’s YouTube channel a little over a year ago, it was same color with a 340, AC, bench seat with 65,000 miles. There is some backstory mentioned.
Steve R
And, the seller’s name is “dusterdennis” which I’m sure is a coincidence.
I think it is a coincidence, Dennis Collin’s is located in Dallas Texas, the seller is in Citrus Heights, which is a suburb of Sacramento.
Steve R
This a sweet ride & dare I say I would be tempted to daily drive this & enjoy what it is!
Throw in a 3.91 anti-spin rearend, remove the decals and have a sweet sleeper 👍🏁
I remember reading somewhere that the 71 340 cars were the first ones to use the electronic ignition for chryslers, everything else still used points until 1972. I may be wrong on this but I think I am right
I’m not sure if that’s correct or not, Timothy, but the ad says that the car was upgraded to electronic ignition.
I always thought the original sixties Road Runner to be more proportioned and I liked the squared off style. But these are starting to grow on me loop bumper and all. Forty thousand though? I’ll keep looking.
This is a very nice clean Road Runner here!
That’s just the way I liked my B-bodies shod back in the day – Magnums and whitewalls!
Where are those magnificent tailpipe tips?
California car – Cali cars were required to have turned down exhaust tips. A friend bought a used ‘70 ‘cuda 340 back in the day, a California car that came East – it didn’t have the ionic tips exiting the rear valence; it was instead notched for downturns.
The video where Dennis Collin’s bought it said the car was sold new in Virginia and was still wearing Virginia plates.
Steve R
The N41 on the VIN tag indicates dual exhaust. The bright chrome exhaust tips would be code N42 , which is absent. This car was built in St Louis so since it was not a California car, maybe it just wasn’t optioned with the tips on purpose?
Wow this is a sharp runner. The only thing I don’t like is the carburetor. The thermal quad in the middle warp over time. I would go Holley on this. But the price is high for a 340. $29,500.00 is more in line. Otherwise its a great Mopar.
Good luck to the next owner. 🐻 🇺🇸
True what you mention about the phenolic carb body but if it works then still use it. Like the Rochester Quadra jet, the smaller primaries were nice for cruising and the big secondaries did the heavy work when you wanna get on the pedal. Being phenolic, one also had to not only worry about underhood temps that could warp the main body but also who the last guy was that rebuilt it if they don’t have the same torque on the bolts that hold the air horn to the base. My phenolic body hasn’t cased a leak issue but having received very poorly rebuilt units when I discovered my air horn was defective, I found that the lower end big box places didn’t take the care in rebuilding these (Meaning the companies that rebuild cores for the big box auto companies) and how they were handled when cores were returned for rebuild could be an time when they are mishandled, damaged then subsequently not useable for cores, although they will try to sell them. (Yes, in my youth I worked for ADAP, who is now Autozone. Guys used to play basketball, throwing the carburetor cores into the 55 gallon barrels used to collect the carburetor cores!) I’ve returned fresh rebuild carbs due to various oddities like vacuum port tubes falling out of the baseplate and other issues with fitment. Did switch to a Holley Street Demon but if I come across a cheap Thermoquad in good shape, I would not hesitate to put it on my 340.
For me I never liked this style / My friend had a satellite Sebring and it just reminds me of that. Not a fan . nice condition but just not fpr me. does not scream muscle enough….
There’s that automatic column shifter again….ugh!
Did y’all know the 340 was an option, also the engine bay is far larger than an A body so the heat on the 340 wasn’t as bad. I had great success running a duster 340 in Stock with the TQ carb and electronic ignition.
This is a nice car. The best looking car ever made…especially the ’72’s.