Massive Neon Plymouth Road Runner Sign Soars Onto BringATrailer

A massive reproduction Plymouth Road Runner neon sign has hit BringATrailer.com this week, and it’s sure to catch the eye of Mopar fans everywhere. Standing an impressive 10 feet tall, this custom-built piece celebrates one of the most legendary names in American muscle car history. It pays homage to the genius behind the original Road Runner campaign that helped define late-1960s performance culture.

Produced in 2025, the hand-painted sign showcases the instantly recognizable Road Runner cartoon holding a white racing helmet — a nod to Plymouth’s original advertising campaign developed by Chrysler’s Jack Smith. It features bright orange, yellow, blue, purple, and white neon tubing that brings the classic bird to life in vivid color. The entire unit is wired for standard 120-volt household use with a U.S.-style wall plug and an inline switch. Measuring approximately 10 feet tall, 78 inches wide, and 9 inches deep, the sign comes mounted on a black-finished galvanized steel frame with pre-drilled brackets for easy wall or display mounting.

The Road Runner story itself is one of Chrysler’s boldest and most successful marketing moves. In the late 1960s, as Detroit’s horsepower wars raged, Plymouth’s Product Planning Manager, Jack Smith, sought a way to capture the hearts of younger buyers. After collaborating with Gordon Cherry and securing a deal with Warner Bros. for $50,000 to use the cartoon character — plus another $10,000 for the now-famous “Beep Beep” horn — Plymouth created a brand that perfectly blended humor, attitude, and affordability. The 1968 Road Runner debuted at just over $3,000, offering big-block power and a stripped-down design that proved muscle could be both fast and fun.

The gamble paid off. Plymouth sold around 40,000 Road Runners that first year alone, sparking a new era for the brand and cementing the Road Runner as one of the most beloved performance icons of its time. This neon sign channels that same spirit — bright, bold, and unapologetically fun.

Now offered at no reserve in Brighton, Michigan, the sign includes a wooden shipping pallet and will be sold to the highest bidder at auction close on Sunday, October 26, at 1:27 p.m. EDT. For any Mopar enthusiast, this towering tribute is more than just a lighted display — it’s a nostalgic salute to one of America’s greatest automotive success stories.