1969 Plymouth Road Runner A12

Description

Yep, you saw the asking price correctly, this is a fully restored A12 Roadrunner for under $50,000. The Road Runner's formula was simple: bargain-priced performance. But the boys at Plymouth took it one step further with the A12 by giving their lightweight brawler the biggest engines available, removing options, and adding gear like lift-off hoods. The results were the nastiest cars on the block, and machines like this real, genuine RM21 1969 Road Runner A12 were built for combat right off the showroom floor.

The A12 cars that were built for just one purpose-dominate the drag strip. They had factory lift-off hoods, minimal options, and a 440 Six Pack powerplant to light it all up. None, however, were this beautifully built with gorgeous Inferno Red Metallic paint that practically leaps off the sheetmetal and slaps you upside the head and reminds you to pay attention. According to the fender tag, this car as originally F3 Green, but apparently the restorer's wife thought the factory green was so ugly (and she was right), that the decision was made to switch to this beautiful Inferno Red Metallic hue. Clean bodywork shows off the tweaked sheetmetal that makes these cars so special, including the crease that runs the length of the rear quarters and the forward-canted greenhouse that suggests great power and speed. The lift-off hood is satin black, which is code for horsepower, and wears 440 decals just like they did in the '60s. Simple chrome bumpers, plain-Jane taillights, and a minimum of ornamentation make a point just as well as racing stripes and a rear wing ever could.

The black interior is entirely new and restored to show standards using correct materials and patterns. Sure, it's no frills, but in 1969, if you were someone of limited means who still wanted to go out and have fun at the track, this was the only way to travel. It's nice to see a restored car that sticks to the original formula, column shifter, bench seat, and all. Even the original gauges, all of which have been restored, cover just the basics, leaving things like a tachometer to the new owner. Heck, there's not even a radio, which suggests that this car was so single-minded in its build that the added weight was deemed unnecessary. Carpets, door panels, headliner, dash pad, it's all new. The A12s were not famous for frills, they were famous for speed and this car delivers that authentic experience.

There are those who will claim that the A12's 440 Six-Pack was every bit a match for the Hemi, and who are we to argue? The freshly rebuilt 440 found here was installed just a few hundred miles ago and snarls to life through a correct Six-Pack induction system that sounds downright predatory. Fully detailed with Hemi Orange paint, a proper air cleaner with Coyote Duster decal, and finned Mopar valve covers, this engine looks like a physical manifestation of horsepower. That's a big chunk of iron, so power steering was included, although power brakes were not. The freshly built TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic snaps off shifts like rifle shots, and the Dana 60 out back is full of 3.54 gears that make the car surprisingly street-friendly. Ceramic-coated headers dump into a 2.5-inch exhaust system that sounds awesome and makes no bones about its intentions. Most A12s wore basic black steel wheels, but the updated Magnum 500s on this one look spectacular and carry 245/60/15 BFG radials.

If you cherish performance, few muscle cars are more pure in their pursuit of it than the A12 Mopars. This a fully restored car has restoration photos included, and it would make an excellent addition to anyone's Mopar collection. With number's-matching A12's going for $80,000+, this car is a bargain at the asking price! Call today!