Initially launched as a full-size car, the Plymouth Belvedere got smaller and joined the midsize market in 1962. Redesigned for the 1965 model year, the Belvedere spawned some of the most iconic Mopars from the golden muscle car era.
The Satellite was the first to arrive. Initially restricted to two-door body styles, the Satellite topped the Belvedere line until 1967. That's when the nameplate expanded to include a four-door sedan and a station wagon while losing its range-topping status to the GTX.
The latter took things up a notch in the premium department. It featured a fancier interior and was available only with Chrysler's high-performance big-block V8 engines. The lineup included the 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB and the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI. A six-barrel version of the 440 was added in 1970.
Finally, Plymouth introduced the Road Runner in 1968. It was similar to the GTX in terms of body styles and powerplants, but it lacked premium features. It was the company's dedicated entry-level muscle car and sold like hotcakes compared to the GTX, which moved only 55,516 units from 1967 to 1971.
The 1968 example you see here was sold during the nameplate's most popular model year. Plymouth shipped nearly 18,000 units. However, this metallic green GTX is not as common as this number suggests because it's one of only 461 examples equipped with the 426-cubic-inch HEMI V8. Yup, that's only 2.5% of the total production run.
But that's not all. The number above includes cars produced with both hardtop and convertible body styles. In short, we're looking at one of only 421 HEMI hardtops. If we also factor in the four-speed manual gearbox, that number drops to 217 units.
What we don't know is whether this GTX was originally sold in the United States or Canada. Why is that important? Well, HEMI GTX rigs shipped to Canada are very rare. Only 15 were sold North of the border, including 11 hardtops and four convertibles. Why do I suspect this car may be Canadian? Our host, Nick Panaritis of "Nick's Garage," is located in Quebec.
But even if it's not one of those super-rare Canadian gems, this HEMI GTX is still a sight to behold because it's a fully-fledged survivor. With only 53,000 miles (85,295 km) on the odometer, this Mopar packs a numbers-matching drivetrain and still wears its original Forest Green Poly. It has quite a few battle scars, but it's in amazing condition for a paint job that was applied more than 50 years ago.
The GTX arrived at Nick's shop for electrical repairs and left the garage doing burnouts like in the good old days. Check it out in the video below. The HEMI GTX fun starts at the 15:40-minute mark.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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