A Look Back at the ’69 Road Runner A12
The Plymouth Road Runner was one of Chysler’s answers to the ever-popular Pontiac GTO. Affordable, stylish and with a cartoon character stuck to the door, it was directed right at the growing number of young Baby Boomers on the road at the time. There were several engine, transmission and performance upgrades available for the midsize Plymouth, right on the order sheet, including the entry-level 383, all the way up to the 6-bbl. 440 cubic-inch powerplant.
However if you wanted to take things a step further, you could opt for the A12 package that included a matte black, fiberglass lift-off hood, 15-inch black steelie wheels and the aforementioned 440 with three 2-bbl carburetors. With a total of 1,432 copies produced in 1969, it removed all of the comfort and convenience options for a lower cost and lighter weight, while at the same time, improved acceleration on the dragstrip. A 4-speed manual was usually preferred, but a TorqueFlite was available, if you were looking for consistency at the track. A Dana 60 rearend houses 4.10 gears, in this particular Code 97 Rally Green example.
The 440-6 “Six Pack” A12 relied on three Holley carbs that sat on top of an Edlebrock aluminum intake manifold, paired with high-flowing heads stuffed with polished large valves, a high-lift camshaft and a set of pistons that provided a 10.5:1 compression. In an era that predated strict EPA regulations, the exhaust consisted of low-restriction headers, zero catalytic converters and high-flow mufflers that fed out through dual pipes.
Rated from Chrysler at 390 hp/390 lb-ft, many experts argue that the car was conservatively rated, including the NHRA, who measured a total output of 410 hp at the crankshaft. Performance was typically in the mid-13 second range in the quarter-mile, although some cars with a little tweaking and some sticky rubber managed an elapsed time in the 12-second zone.
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of AutoCentric Media, the parent company to Timeless Muscle Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the magazine’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next round modifications for his own cars.
