Of all the mid-size muscle cars to hit the scene in the 1960s, the two most memorable may have been the Pontiac GTO (1964) and Plymouth Road Runner (1968). Based on the B-bodied Belvedere, the Road Runner was the youth-oriented, budget-minded alternative to the upscale GTX that Plymouth rolled out the year before. This ’68 coupe looks to be in very good condition with no mention of it being a restoration. Located in Clearwater, Florida, this sharp hot rod is available here on eBay where no apparent reverse is in play with the latest bid of $24,200.
The Road Runner was a marketing machine. Along with its cool name, the graphics and advertising were tied to the Warner Bros. cartoons featuring the Road Runner and Coyote. We understand that connection set Chrysler back $50,000, which in hindsight was worth every penny. For another $10,000, they were able to get the famous “meep meep” horn sound developed to put a period on the exclamation point.
This car was popular right out the gate, though the peak in demand would come in 1969. A 383 cubic inch V8 with a 4-speed manual transmission was standard in the ’68 Road Runner coupe (pillared but with clear glass in the doors). 28,138 of the hot Plymouths built that year met this qualification. The seller refers to this car as a “true” Road Runner but doesn’t say if the power train or 8 3/4-inch rear end are original to the car.
The list of work recently done to this car is extensive and includes a new clutch, universal joints, rear axle and oil pan seals/gaskets, dual exhaust, and Magnum 500 wheels and tires. The Mopar wears B5 blue paint with nary a hint of rust or other problems in the body or interior. The advertised mileage is 10,000 but the seller says that’s not accurate without mentioning what the real number may be. Regardless, this looks like one sweet Mopar.
In the late 70s, I worked at a manufacturing concern with a guy named Bill, had this exact car. It was clearly grandpas bare bones Satellite with a 383 and a 4 speed. It wasn’t a particularly fast car, but remains one of the few you could hold the gas to the floor, and just pump the clutch and yank that “Freightliner” shift lever 3 times with no apparent damage. Unless you are familiar with these cars, don’t expect much. They were made to do ONE thing, go fast in a straight line. They handled poorly, had drum brakes, and a reason why they are so rare today. Most were wrapped around telephone poles. Just shows to go ya’, they can take the crappiest car, dolly it up with the most famous cartoon character of all time, and VOILA! Instant sales, until insurance put the kabosh on that. It was a hell of a toboggan ride while it lasted. Well worth the $50grand Chrysler paid Warner Bros. for the name, plus an extra $10grand just to develop the meep meep horn.
I recall very clearly these cars….saw them regularly…..brand new….they were dogs in street racing, not fast….I witnessed them beaten repeatedly by different makes and models especially GTO’s…..that being said, they were reliable, and could take a beating….the engine did have excellent durability as well……
While I usually agree with your posts ; this one I have to disagree with , to a point. – These were far from the “crappiest cars” and they handled fine, for the times. You could also get disc brakes on these , though it was still kind of a novelty for most people back then .These were basically 2 door police package cars; and had beefier suspension than a regular B body. The GTO would handle no better, and really, not much was much of a handling car back then with the exception of sports cars. – You’re right ; these were meant to be straight line cars , and hopefully you were smart enough to know the cars limits, and your limits too. While some were undoubtedly wrecked as other muscle cars were, many survived. We were driving these type of cars in the late 70s and early 80s in Ct., so I’d bet more were around in the drier states. A 383 4sp Runner was plenty fast , maybe Bills was pretty tired by the time he got it ?.
well the 383 in the Satellite was not the same as the bird heck i blow the doors off miney a hot rod i timed it at 0-60 in 5 sec’s and smoke the tires a city block no problem lol
In the late 70s a kid high school kid down the road gave me a ride in his “brand new” Road Runner. This thing had rot holes in the floor boards and it was bad enough I worried about the structural integrity. He took me for quite a ride, threw me back in the seat. Here is a 17 year old with a ratty over powered car on 4 old looking recaps and I was at his mercy. I tried to tactfully convince him that maybe he needed something more sound and that would handle better, but he just laughed like he didn’t have a care in the world. I was worried about his future, but that little bloke became a physician, and a damned good one too.
You have heard my stories about my 1968-1971 high school parking lot looking like a Mecum auction staging area and I know you are sick of hearing it, but some of these cars were like riding on a 55-gallon drum of nitro. The Road Runners didn’t “handle” as much as they “wallowed” through curves. Somehow most of us survived and a good time was had by most, but not all of us. What a time it was.
I’m not sick of hearing it,,,although many will say, that figures.
If you were driving a ’60s or ’70s car hard and it was “wallowing” you weren’t doing it right.
The correct technique was not to maximize the meager handling abilities, but to exceed them. Just set a trajectory, let those tires break loose and let it slide …
My oldest sister traded in her 1966 Impala convertible for a 1968 Road Runner. Not sure of the engine displacement but it had get up and go. She rolled it Christmas week, two weeks after my mother rolled her 1967 Checker Marathon.
Mom replaced hers with a 1962 Buick Invicta convertible then a new 1970 Checker Marathon. Sis replaced hers with a 1970 AMC Rebel (red, white & blue with the Go package). I don’t know very much about her RR or the Rebel, but, as a teenager who just got my license in 1970, it was definitely a very good time in my life.
This RR brought back lots of great memories. Sisters RR was the same blue, looked identical except hers did not have the chrome band on the trunk. I’ve seen most RRs with it. Was it an option?
Good question. I read, that chrome strip was part of the “decor” group. For $79.50, it included arm rests, that panel, fancy door panels, chrome exhaust tips, and some other chrome.
BTW, is rolling cars in your family? :)
Only for the 1968 year, Howard.
Mom slid on some black ice on a twisty mountain road. Hit the mountain and drove about 20/30 feet up the side of it, then rolled the Checker back down to the road. She climbed out of the rear window.
Sis was coming from a holiday party. Need I say more? I think she hit a patch of ice also, slid into a ditch after hitting a small bridge, also climbed out of the rear window. Both were uninjured surprisingly.
There was not one square inch of the Roadrunner that was not dented. Grill, hood, fenders ,doors, trunk, rear quarters, roof, even the bumpers were obliterated. No glass was left unbroken. Not sure but I think she was doing over 70 mph when she flipped. Mom only flipped once sliding down the mountain side. Sis flipped 3 or 4 times.
Yes Angel, the trunk band was a very desirable option, named the deluxe exterior package….without it, the trunk looked bare naked, lol!…..
Personally, Joe, I think it looked better without the band. With it, it looked more like a GTX. Without it (as my sisters car had) it looked more like the stripped down Roadrunner muscle car it was supposed to be. Dog dish hubcaps and all.
So, your mom rolls a checker marathon and her next car was a convertible?
Brave woman!
😆😆😆😆 yeah, I kinda thought the same thing.
For 1968, the correct color code would have been QQ1, B5 came in 1969 to replace it. QQ1 had more silver in it, B5, not as much. Both were a bright blue, that to most people were the same color.
B Bodies, when set up correctly, would handle pretty good. Better when fitted with a proper size radial tire. In my opinion, they all rode well. The Cordoba, very well. But, the schtick in the sixties was straight line performance and I remember seeing them wrapped around trees and billboards all with motionless occupants. When I acquired my 68 GTX, I did get it converted to disc brakes and put some good sized Wing Foots on it. Those were marvelous tires. I even gave up my all chrome Magnum 500s to get the wider 69 wheel for proper fitment of the wider tires.
383s performed great. For the money I’d say it was the best bang for the buck.
Auto’s and manuals moved out well.
In Love!
I did an alignment on a 440 RR/GTX, it was fast and I really panicked as I was running out of pavement before a big curve. It was like driving a boat, swished and swayed but eventually slowed down. I found out later the car was bone stock and probably one of the muscle car buys back in the day.
JBD- It was “wallowing” Glad you survived.
Looks like a good ‘survivor car’. 54 years old….
Restored one once, rubber mats , heater and radio delete, and pop out quarter windows! Not roll downs! It felt fast to me! Burned rubber at will in any gear, any speed too.
In the early 70’s a guy my dad knew came in the yard. His green runner had a flat on the front and his spare needed air. He came from the city park where a keg had been set up all day. A buck a glass you could refill all day for those that remember. No one was home but me. We got in the runner to go look for dad. You can imagine how it handled. Danny said don’t worry, it will smooth out. And it did plane out as we got up speed. Fortunately we met dad coming home before we got far. Boy, was dad and mom mad. A lot of these got destroyed in the 70’s. Graduated in 77. Wished I would have 10 years earlier and I could have been old enough to buy one new. “Names have been changed to protect the innocent ” for those that remember that moniker.
A good friend had one just like this except it was an automatic. He ran it hard and it didn’t seem very slow to us. His car didn’t have power steering which this car needed. It also seemed to lack interior insulation because without A/C it was very hot in the summer if you weren’t moving.
My friend’s car had the flat black space on the hood. Mopar people will know what I mean.
My friend and I used to street race and he always beat me with my 67 Chevelle with a 327- 275 hp automatic which was no match for his road runner. It caused me to order a 70 Chevelle LS5 with 4 speed to counter him and I never got to race him because he sold it before it came in.
Russ: I wonder if the “no apparent reverse” will keep the price down on this one.
Gotcha – LOL!
My Gawd, what a memory flashback this car gave me! In ’68 I was a HS freshman pumping gas at a Standard station ($0.31.9 for regular!). The mechanic there was a braggadocio redneck who had this exact car, color and all. Some fellas showed up with a 396 Chevelle offering to race. This my first taste of late-night street racing so you can imagine my excitement. However when the starter gal dropped her scarf, my buddy was still nervously dinking with the gear shift. The Chevelle (with an automatic) beat the pants off the Road Runner. Not so much bragging after that. Ahhh, memories!
$30,100 now, in the ad it says 4 speed and automatic.
Which is why so many got wrapped around trees and t-phone poles.
I bought a new 1968 4-speed 383 eng Red . 29hundred but my car was a dog loved the car but my wive beat me in a 55 chevy i had with a 409. sold the 68 and bought a 1969 chevy caprice. much better car.
Well yeah, a luxury car compared to a bare bones mid size car , it had better be better !
The suspensions on these were like police cars and seemed to be heavy duty everything except maybe the brakes. On the interstates highways at high speeds at 80 and above they seemed to ride pretty well. My friend’s car, which didn’t have power steering, was very hard to steer and not pleasant to drive around town at low speeds. The steering only felt normal at the higher speeds.