1970 Plymouth Roadrunner Hemi Convertible – 3 examples
When it first appeared in 1968, the Roadrunner proved to be a very influential and essential muscle car. It introduced a new trend of inexpensive and fun cars. It was also a strong seller, affecting the whole segment. The idea behind the Roadrunner was simple. Present a low-priced but powerful model and attract people on a limited budget who had a strong need for performance. The most appealing thing about the Roadrunner was the fact that Plymouth used the cartoon character of a roadrunner from the popular Willie E. Coyote cartoon (via BJ).
Chrysler paid $60,000 for the rights to use the name and design. Nearly everyone thought the company was crazy for doing so. The sales results proved everybody wrong, and the Roadrunner was the first muscle car with crazy graphics and the car that started the trend. The Roadrunner was always a popular muscle car, but most Plymouth’s customers looked for standard examples with 383 or 440 V8 engines, closed body, and no options. However, some wanted to maximize their Roadrunners, and the 1970 Hemi Convertible is a perfect example. However, they only made three such cars that year, one with the manual and the other two with automatic transmissions.