Plymouth Roadrunner
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 vehicles. And it was also a strong seller that affected the whole segment. The entire idea behind the Roadrunner was simple. Present a low-priced but powerful model and attract people with a limited budget but a strong need for performance (via Muscle Cars Illustrated).
The most appealing thing about the Roadrunner was that Plymouth used the roadrunner from the popular Wile E. Coyote cartoon. There is a real bird called Roadrunner, but Plymouth used the cartoon. Chrysler paid $60,000 for the rights to use the name and design. Everyone thought the company was crazy for doing so. The sales results prove everybody wrong.