1969 Plymouth Road Runner. Wes Eisenschenk

The Final Verdict

CHAPTER 3: MARKETING AND PROMOTIONAL TOOLS

Marketing Strategy

       Magazine Reviews

       Dealerships

       Partnering with Plymouth

       Promotional Campaigns

       Racing Road Runners

       CHAPTER 4: HARDWARE ABOUNDS

       Engines

       Rear Axles

       Brakes and Suspension

       Exterior

       Standard Equipment

       Option Packages

       Interior

       Wheel Covers, Wheels and Tires

       Trunk

       Cosmetic and Structural Changes

       CHAPTER 5: ROAD RUNNER LEGACY

       Road Runner Club

       Day 2 Mods

       Bottoming Out

       Rebirth

       Road Runner Values

       Survivor Cars and Original Owners

       Race Cars

       The Future

       APPENDIX

       VIN Decoding

       Broadcast Sheet

       Fender Tag(s)

       Vehicle Order Number Decoding

       Window Sticker Decoding

       Standard and Optional Equipment

       ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      Without question, books of this nature are impossible to author without significant contributions from those in the hobby.

      Thanks go out to Lon Seigworth, Roy Diehl, Robert Fuller, Bill Lukonis, Barry Bagus, Lisa Jenrette, Ike Ricchio, Ron Hanzal, Ralph Barbagallo, Richard Miller, Mike Malone, Frank Dulles, Tom Duray, Grady Helseth, Rick Parker, Mark Weisseg, Brandon Beale, Geoff Stunkard, Dirk Schluter, Diego Rosenberg, Alan Earman, Glen Cook, Eric Douthitt, Robert Bernstein, Steven Logan, Craig King, Dave Smith, Wesley Areford, Bob Boudreau, David Gazaway Jr, Verne Frantz, Frank Badelson, Aleta Lazarich, Darlene Deschambeault, Robert Bray, Kathy Johnson Kramer, Scotty Lachenauer, Barbara Cherry, Mark Cherry, Joe Holtzclaw, David B Travel Adolphus, RK Motors Charlotte, Richard Blank, Charles Carpenter, Rick Parker, Johnny Martin, Tom West, and Heidi Jenkins.

      Doug Hammer has been a vital source of information regarding special paint colors, VONs, and engine codes. His willingness to share his knowledge is very much appreciated.

      Dan Pausch has offered his technical assistance on this book. At times his Inbox was full of queries from me and he’s answered them all. Thanks a bunch, Dan!

      John Manship’s survivor car has been a continued source for research and information. His memorabilia collection is seen throughout this book.

      Michael Belcarz, who’s owned a Road Runner or two, has been a wealth of information regarding the early promotional convertibles and has contributed some great photos for this book.

      And last; well, first, thanks to Jack Smith. Jack and Gordon Cherry are the two men who brought the Road Runner to reality through hard work and an unwavering persistence to never give up. Jack, at 93, has been a continued wealth of information throughout this project. Our conversations typically go well past an hour when we chat and without these two there would never have been a Road Runner, let alone a book on the 1969 models.

      Publisher’s Note: In reporting history, the images required to tell the tale will vary greatly in quality, especially by modern photographic standards. While some images in this volume are not up to those digital standards, we have included them, as we feel they are an important element in telling the story.

       CHAPTER 1

       INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

       The 1968 Road Runner exploded out of the gate eclipsing sales forecasts and putting Plymouth in catch-up mode the majority of the year. (Dodge, Plymouth and the AMC design are registered trademarks of FCA US LLC)

      In 1967 it wasn’t as if Plymouth automobile models were getting their butts kicked at the stoplight. With engine option packages on the Belvedere and GTX reaching 426 and 440 displacements, there was certainly enough under the hood to get the job done. Where Plymouth was getting its butt kicked was at the dealership. Pontiac’s GTO and Chevrolet’s SS396-optioned Chevelle were outselling big-block performance Plymouths at a rate of 4:1. Nominal sales sent Plymouth designers back to the drawing board, and what derived from these meetings and concepts changed the landscape of the entire muscle car movement.

1968

      The success of the 1968 Road Runner was just as shocking to the folks at Plymouth as it was to those at General Motors and Ford. The car’s roots began with the 1962 Plymouth B-Body. The Savoy, Fury, and Belvedere shared the same platform while offering different stages of performance and luxury. The Belvedere line was re-skinned multiple times over the next few years, and by the beginning of the 1967 model year the B-Body platform had three marques with Belvedere, Satellite, and GTX. Carrying over into the 1968 model year, Plymouth knew it needed something to jumpstart the mid-size sales, and the designers found that with the new Road Runner model.

      By taking a page from Pontiac and the 1964 GTO, Plymouth’s product planning analysts