In 1968, some of the original muscle car offerings were moving away from their roots as relatively cheap offerings with big horsepower engines in favor of more features and increased cost. Plymouth developed the lower-priced base-model Road Runner, to counter its upscale GTX model.
Plymouth paid $50,000 to Warner Bros.-Seven Arts to use the Road Runner name and likeness from their Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner cartoons (as well as a “beep, beep” horn, which the automaker paid $10,000 to develop). The car became an instant hit.
Today, the Road Runner is one of the most recognized muscle cars of the late-1960s and 70s. With that being said, there have been a lot of different Road Runner builds over the years, ranging from complete restorations to resto-mods. This example lands right in the middle of the spectrum.
Built by Ironhorse Classics in Wylie, Texas, this beautiful custom 1969 Plymouth Road Runner went across the auction block at Mecum Dallas this past Friday.
Named “Hostile” by Ironhorse Classics, this car is built as a pro-touring version of the iconic Road Runner (A12). For those who don’t know, A12 cars were powered by the high-performance 7.2-liter (440 cubic-inch) V8 that was fed by three Holley 2-bbl carburetors. The package also included a Dana 60 rear with 4.10 gears with Sure-Grip and a 26-inch radiator for maximum cooling.
Hostile features a proper date-coded 440 6-bbl engine, that has been fitted with Holley EFI units styled after the classic 6-bbl setup. The motor has been stroked and bored 0.060 over and is capable of upwards of 550 horsepower. It is mated to a Tremec 5-speed manual transmission, so this car isn’t for those weekend cruises, it was made to be driven hard.
Underneath, there is a Hotchkis suspension, QA1 tubular control arms, and a QA1 K-member, ensuring that this classic Mopar muscle car can handle as well as go down the 1/4-mile.
Those who are true Mopar aficionados can probably spot the 1969 Plymouth Road Runner front and rear ends, with 1970 Road Runner front fenders and rear quarter panels. All of these are painted in the handsome PPG Viper Race Yellow with a Gold Pearl finish.
Inside, the interior is a creation of multiple hides of soft Black leather. There is a custom center armrest between the bucket seats that looks amazing and premium stitching everywhere, including the headliner. Even a modern stereo system, helps bring this car into the 2000s.
The car ended up fetching $250,000 before any fees are added when it crossed the block. Nevertheless, this sharp-looking pro-tourer looks to be heading to a good new home. You can watch the bidding in the video at the top of the page.
