1971 Plymouth Road Runner

An all-new body design appeared for the Plymouth Road Runner/GTX in 1971, now based on the Satellite platform in two-door hardtop only. The chassis featured a wider rear track and shorter wheelbase along with big-car fuselage looks catering to a more rounded fender and quarter panel shape. The front end was dominated by a chrome loop bumper and a performance hood treatment with side facing scoops with engine size callouts.

Offered here is a 1971 Plymouth Road Runner finished in factory code correct GY9- Tawny Gold Metallic over H2Y9- Ember Gold Vinyl Bench interior. Under the hood lies its factory issued, numbers matching 383ci V8 mated to the column-shifted A727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic transmission. Options include Heavy-Duty power front disc brakes, HD suspension, power steering, automatic cruise control, Solid State AM radio with Stereo Tape player with microphone recorder; Décor Package to include Deluxe steering wheel, Custom Style vinyl trim, wheel lip moldings, hood scoop sport stripes, & rear bumper tape treatment; strobe roof stripe, roof rail moldings, and dual exhaust!

This well survived example comes with a documented ownership history that begins with the original Lake Worth, Florida owner, Robert L. Rooke, who purchased this Road Runner from Heywood Mercer Chrysler-Plymouth Inc. on February 16th, 1971. At the time of his purchase, he was 80 years old and maintained ownership until his death at 103 years of age! It would stay with the family estate for more than another decade before it would finally sell to a New York collector in the mid 2000's as an all-original, unrestored car. Always preserved properly and garage kept, it survived incredibly well!

The second owner took necessary steps to bring the Road Runner back to worthy, drivable condition once again, beginning with a full engine rebuild to factory specifications and fresh gaskets when the odometer read approximately 90,000 miles. It would be enjoyed for about 10k miles, then he would go on to sell it in October 2007 to his friend, Marvin Petty, a close relative of the famed King of NASCAR, Richard Petty. Marvin would contribute to the car cosmetically by re-chroming the rear bumper, replacing the absent wheel lip moldings, and finally refinishing the paint surrounding the engine bay and underneath the hood, along with new hood insulation. It would trade hands again to a collector in Texas, before finally landing back in New Smyrna, Florida with MOPAR collector and enthusiast, Joseph Patti from April 2010 until its arrival at the St. Louis Car Museum in October 2020.

With the paint and interior still original to the car, we elected to utilize our onsite upholstery department in March 2021 to finally give the interior a fresh look with new upholstery, foam cushions, door panels, rear panels, dash pad, and various trim pieces. Little did we anticipate the delays we would encounter for the materials from Legendary Auto Interiors LTD. With supply chain issues and delays, we ultimately received all of our made-to-order components by August 2021. Everything was done to OEM specification right down to the proper Ember Gold and Medium Gold finishes on the dash face and padded dash cover. The carpet and headliner remain factory original.

With the odometer now reading 112,088 miles, with approximately 22k on the rebuilt engine, we did perform a service inspection with the following completed more recently in December 2021/January 2022- cleaned and tuned the replacement Edelbrock 1406 600cfm carburetor with new accelerator pump, replaced the distributor vacuum advance canister; new engine oil/filter, PCV valve, air filter, radiator cap, along with new front ball joints and bushings. With the engine bay presentation looking quite magnificent, and a new interior, we are very proud to celebrate our contributions to this worthy Road Runner! The exterior paint continues to show well, but obviously will show some areas that are getting thin from years of polishing and waxing, and likely as few small areas that have been corrected already over the years. It just goes to show the quality of care this special Plymouth has received by all past owners. It will come with two older show boards with much of the original material and ownership history attached. Please feel free to call with additional questions or to schedule your chance to review the car in person. As always, thanks for looking!

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