The Plymouth Road Runner is without a doubt one of the most legendary American muscle cars. Built between 1968 and 1980, the Plymouth Road Runner offered younger muscle car enthusiasts an affordable yet powerful option for them to get their hands on. In the late 1960s, muscle cars started to become out of reach for many buyers as their prices increased. American muscle cars were now available with far better features, but Plymouth decided to launch a base trim muscle car version, inspired by the Plymouth Belvedere GTX. The Plymouth Road Runner received a 383 V8 that could produce 335hp, while the optional 426 Hemi pumped out a massive 425hp.
The Plymouth Road Runner met with great success right after its launch. Plymouth had originally planned to build only 20,000 units in 1968, but ended up selling 45,000 Road Runners. In its first year, the Plymouth Road Runner was third in sales for muscle cars in America, just behind the Pontiac GTO and the Chevy Chevelle SS.
Over the years, this Mopar would go on to become one of the most loved muscle cars in the country, and it even cemented its legacy in pop culture by starring in movies such as Bad Georgia Road and Moonshine County Express. Even today, you will find the Plymouth Road Runner starring in several music videos and TV shows. Over time, the Plymouth Road Runner gained popularity, and today, if you manage to find one in good condition, you might have to shell out a large wad of cash, and the Road Runner’s value is only going up every day. For many enthusiasts, buying their first classic muscle car is a dream, and finding one in mint condition, well, it’s a distant one. But, for Charles Cooper of South Bay, California, that distant dream became a reality.
Charles managed to scoop up a 1968 Plymouth Road Runner that has been fully restored and looks like an absolute beauty. We spent a beautiful sunny day with him in California to check out this legendary Mopar, which he has aptly named, ‘The Green Goblin’.
Searching Out For Mopars: This Plymouth Road Runner Demands Attention
Finding your first muscle car, which you could drive on the road almost immediately after dropping the cash for it, would seem to be a long and difficult task for many. But for Charles, it was destiny. The very first production models of the Plymouth Road Runner were only available as two-door coupes, and that is exactly what Charles Cooper managed to get his hands on. What’s even more interesting is that he didn’t have to go very far from home to search for this one, because he told us that he found it on Facebook Marketplace, and the seller was in California as well. Charles tells us, “I was actually looking for a Dodge Charger from that generation because I was really into the B-body Mopars, but they were super high on price, and then I came across this one on Facebook Marketplace, and I just loved the color and the car, and it was ready to go.”
The beautiful and fully restored 1968 Plymouth Road Runner you see in the pictures here is exactly how Charles got it. Almost everything about this vehicle is original, including the engine, transmission, and all the interior components. On the road, this Roadrunner looks amazing, and everywhere we went, people would stop us and ask about the car. That is of course one of the perks of owning this legendary machine. Charles also likes the fact that he gets to go to different car shows and put his car on display, and meet with like-minded car enthusiasts.
This bright green Road Runner first caught my attention at a classic car show in San Pedro. I stood next to it, admiring the great finishing job of this 1968 Mopar model, for nearly 30 minutes. Charles wasn’t around then, but luckily, he kept a sign on the dash with his Instagram handle – @68greengoblin. Looking at the car, it makes sense to call it the Green Goblin. The car is green of course, but it looks strong and imposing, with plenty of attitude. It certainly demands all the attention it can get.
Living With A Muscle Car Legend
Finding the perfect muscle car, or any classic car for that matter, is one thing, keeping it and maintaining it is a whole other ballgame. Charles managed to find this epic Road Runner by chance, and he paid a lot for it - $40,000 to be exact. If you are going to shell out the big bucks for a beauty like this, you need to prepare yourself to maintain it, especially when you are going to be driving it. The Plymouth Road Runner is no daily driver, but Charles does love the occasional weekend cruise around town or heading to car shows in his new prized possession.
“The car was pretty much stock when I got it, and there were no restomods on it. I haven’t done anything to modify the car, either. The car has only got 23,000 miles on it, so it’s been in great condition. I want to keep it as it is. I don’t want to touch it because it's stock and in great shape. I might change the exhaust out one day, but that’s about it.”, Charles lets us know what he plans to do with the car.
Charles didn’t have to do any restoration work because the previous owner already did a phenomenal job. The engine and transmission were rebuilt, and the entire interior setup was redone to look brand new. There were no overhead expenses after Charles bought the car in October 2021, and since then the value of this 1968 Plymouth Road Runner has already gone up to around $60,000. So, getting your hands on a car like this is a great investment, and you get to drive around in a significant historic vehicle.
This Rebuilt Plymouth Road Runner Engine Is Wow!
As Charles unstraps the hood and opens it up, I could see that everything was pretty much exactly as the original Road Runner. This is a 53-year-old car, and it looked brand new. It was almost as if I went back in time to another era where everything was much simpler. There was so much open space under the hood, and right smack in the middle was that beautiful 383 V8 Mopar engine.
The 383 cu in, or 6.5-liter V8 4-barrel carburetor engine, is from the revered B-series engines developed by Chrysler in 1959. The Plymouth application of the engine was called the ‘Golden Commando’ and it became the standard Mopar engine until the end of the 60s. As we started up the engine, you could hear the beautiful sound coming from the big-block V8. The big bore design allowed for bigger air intake valves and a shorter stroke to help the engine rev and breathe freely.
This Plymouth Road Runner sounded awesome at idle, and with 335hp at the helm ready to be summoned, it has a pretty good acceleration blast as well. As the speeds increase, you begin to hear the might V8 grumbling. Driving around in this car felt great and worlds apart from the modern-day cars we drive today. This Green Goblin Road Runner also came with the optional 3-speed automatic transmission, the 4-speed manual was standard. The interiors are simple, which is what Plymouth intended. They wanted to make a no-nonsense muscle car that was simple yet mean looking and powerful – it’s a bare-bones classic masterpiece, and that is what makes the Road Runner extra special.
This Road Runner was in near-perfect condition. The engine was rebuilt and felt pretty refined for an old American muscle car. The ride quality is relatively smooth and felt more like it was bouncing on air – something that most cars from that era drove like.
Owning A Piece Of Muscle Car History In a New Era
As the world makes the quick and hasty move to electric vehicles, true car enthusiasts will always look back at these classics as pieces of art. Charles is a true gear head and was fortunate to find this beautiful Plymouth. When asked about the future of muscle cars such as Dodge’s new eMuscle plans, Charles says, “There’s nothing wrong with moving into the future. People will simply have to adapt. I have no problem with it. We have no choice really but to accept what's coming, and I think some of them do look cool.”
Charles is not your regular muscle car collector. He is only 39 years young, and this is his first ever purchase of a high-value American classic muscle car. The demand for Mopars is only increasing as we move into the electric car era, and soon these beautiful historic models will become relics of the past. But owning one today will bring car enthusiasts far greater joy than buying a new vehicle. Not only is this Green Goblin Road Runner a head turner, but it is also a great conversation starter. Wherever Charles goes in his Road Runner, people will always show interest in it. That’s what Charles loves most about owning this vehicle – meeting like-minded gear heads and talking about cars. So, if you happen to see a bright green beautiful Road Runner cruising the streets of South Los Angeles, it might be Charles, and he will be more than happy to give you a closer look at his epic Plymouth Road Runner.