The Automotive Artwork of Danny L Whitfield / Autovision Art Studio. Copyright 1992 All Rights Reserved. 12957 Desert Olive Drive Oro valley Arizona 85737 Phone: 520-297-9104 Emailinfo@dannywhitfield.com
In 1968, Plymouth decided that muscle cars had gotten too far from their original purpose: cheap (and very fast) thrills. The company paid $50,000 to Warner Brothers to affix a certain cartoon bird onto its new vehicle, which was based on a stripped Belvedere pillared coupe body, and the Road Runner was born. The main attration was a base price of $2896. For those who wanted a little bit extra, there was one engine option; for $714 Plymouth would slide in a 426 Hemi. A hardtop coupe and functional hood vents were added mid year during 1968. A horn that went "beep-beep" complimented the road runner decals that were standard on all Road Runners. Plymouth originally estimated that it would sell 2,500 vehicles in 1968; it actually sold 45,000 copies. The 1968 Road Runner is perhaps the second most significant muscle car to the 1964 Pontiac GTO as it shifted the market back to its bang for the buck roots.