1969 1/2 “M code” Plymouth Road Runner

(2007 to 2012)

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So, let’s take a minute and talk about what the ‘69 1/2 Mopar, M code, B-body Superbee and Road Runner were. A mid-year production package equipped with the first 440/6 bbl engine combination sold by Chrysler. It was coupled with a light weight fiberglass lift off hood with a huge functional air scoop, plain black rims (special H code) with Goodyear G70-15 redline tires, chrome lugs and no hubcaps (you don’t need them to go fast). Mechanicals included a Dana 60 4.10 ratio rear axle with Hemi leaf springs and the Holley six barrel set up on an Edelbrock aluminum manifold with special engine internals. These cars were built to do one thing and do it well…1/4 mile at a time. Typical road tests in magazines of the time had the car doing a mid 13 second 1/4 mile in stock form, very low 13’s with better rear tires. Driving one of these cars is exhilarating, a 6 bbl car cruises on 2 bbl’s around town, but stepping on the gas opens the other 4 bbl’s and away you go! With any carburetor set up the 440 is a pretty noticeable upgrade to the standard 383 due to a lot more torque, but the six pack carbs really put the car in to a different class altogether.

There are a number of ways to identify a real ‘69 1/2 package car but two of the quickest are the letter “M” identifying the engine in the VIN and the A12 option package identifier on the fender tag and build sheet. Chrysler built 1,412 Road Runners and 1,907 Superbees in two special A12 production runs in the spring of 1969.

I bought this Road Runner in 2008 as it was just completing restoration in Detroit. An incredible car, besides the Charger 500 it is easily the best classic car I have owned. Ran great, no detail was too small, awesome performance. Originally a barn find in Virginia with several other ex-race A12 cars together.

This Road Runner was covered in the May 2009 issue of Mopar Collector Guide along with a feature on Special Service Tools and the Sun Tachs we were doing at work for the hobby. There is a pic below of me with publisher Rob Wolf.

More Mopar trivia…These cars often came with a vinyl top as it was discovered early in the production run that A12 cars meant no convenient place to put the lift off hood while you were tinkering with or showing off the motor, the vinyl top provided a convenient perch assuming it wasn’t a windy day and thus vinyl tops dominated the rest of the production run.

In the pictures you can sometimes see a white Road Runner promo disc on the front wheel. These were metal discs bolted to a special nut on the front hub that were shipped to dealers to be used to dress up the car when sitting in a dealer showroom versus just the plain black rims. When you drove the car, the disc stayed stationary instead of rotating since it was bolted to the center hub.