Introduced for the 1968 model year as Plymouth's most affordable muscle car, the Road Runner had its best-selling year in 1969. That's when the company shipped 81,105 units. By 1971, when the golden muscle car era ended for Chrysler products, the Road Runner had moved nearly 176,000 examples.
Most of these cars were equipped with the ubiquitous 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) V8. The 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) Six-Barrel and the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI were ordered in just a few thousand units due to high insurance rates. The HEMI is arguably the scarcest, with 2,003 units delivered over four model years.
They're not exactly unobtainable, but HEMI Road Runners are quite scarce if you're looking for highly original, numbers-matching examples. If you also want an unrestored and well-maintained rig on top of that, be prepared to search for years and pay big bucks. But I'm not here to discuss unicorns. There are still plenty of restored HEMI Road Runners out there, and they're decidedly cool. This HEMI Orange 1969 example is one of them.
Featured by YouTube's "Nick's Garage," a channel packed with Canada-based muscle cars, this Road Runner is one of those classic Mopars you could see winning awards at car shows. A recent restoration, the hardtop looks flawless inside and out and flaunts the blacked-out hood treatment, making the 1969 Road Runner stand out even more.
Is it a true-blue HEMI rig? Well, I can tell you it doesn't pack a numbers-matching 426. Moreover, the HEMI lurking under that big hood scoop is actually a bit more potent than its factory-stock counterparts. This HEMI Road Runner also has a touching story because it features an engine Nick put together about seven years ago when he started his channel.
He called it "The Keeper" because it was supposed to stay in his collection, but he eventually agreed to sell it in 2019. The lump has since found its way into the orange 1969 Road Runner, which was recently delivered to his shop for a bit of work. Reunited with his beloved HEMI, Nick took the Road Runner for a spin that included high revs and a few burnouts. All performed with the engine hood off (don't try this at home, kids!).
I was telling how this HEMI is a bit more potent. Well, Nick says it pumps out 500 horsepower and about 500 pound-feet (678 Nm) of twist. That's a significant 75 horses more than a stock HEMI, while torque is up by 10 pound-feet (14 Nm). And needless to say, the engine sounds very aggressive when the pedal hits the metal.
If this Road Runner were an authentic HEMI rig, then it would be one of 777 units sold in 1969. The hardtop layout would make it one of 421, while the four-speed gearbox would reduce that to only 234 examples. But I'm not here to discuss numbers. Hit the play button below to hear this HEMI Orange Mopar road.
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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