Die cast model collection car item# 39397 ERTL - 1971 Plymouth Road Runner

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In 1968, Plymouth decided that muscle cars had strayed too far from their original purpose: cheap (and very fast) thrills. The Plymouth paid $50,000 to Warner Brothers to affix a cartoon bird image onto its new vehicle, which was based on a stripped Belvedere pillared coupe body, and the Road Runner was born. The Road Runner was light and featured few amenities. This not only drove the price of the vehicle into territory that most could afford, but it gave an advantage over heavier vehicles. Most of the options available favored speed and acceleration Along with the image, the horn went 'beep-beep'. 1971 saw the beginning of the end of the era of muscle cars. In just its fourth year, the Road Runner saw its performance engines fall victim to tightening government regulations on emissions and fuel economy. The standard 383cid power plant dropped 35 hp while the 440 engines both lost 5 hp. The 426 Hemi stayed fast at 425 hp. This would be the last year for the Hemi as it too would fall victim to the increased standards. Both the 2 Door Pillared Coupe and the Convertible body styles were dropped, leaving only the 2 Door Hardtop as the sole offering.