Named “1971 US Car of the Year” by Road Test magazine, the Plymouth Road Runner continued to lead the way in the low-buck high-performance muscle car niche. For 1971, Plymouth radically restyled the Road Runner, replacing the boxy hard-edged look of previous years with a rounded fuselage shaped body that employed swelled fender flares, a new power-bulge hood, and a flush fitting halo-style front bumper surrounding a deeply set grille and headlights that, combined with a low-slung stance, gave the 71 Road Runner an attractively aggressive appearance. It was a look, however, that was only available in the form of a 2-door hardtop as both the pillared coupe and convertible body styles were dropped from production.
Due to strangulating emissions regulations, the Road Runner’s powerplant lineup also felt a drop, in compression and horsepower ratings. The stock 383-ci V8 fell 35-bhp to 300 while the 440 Six-Barrel sustained minimal loss, dropping from 390-bhp to 385. Even though the 426 Hemi held on to its 425-bhp rating, it too dropped a notch in compression, and after the 1971 model year, the revered engine was dropped from the Road Runner’s option list altogether. The Air Grabber hood returned to the options list for 1971 along with new options, like body-colored bumpers and a cool graphics package that included a slanted strobe stripe that ran from the rear wheel opening, up the C-pillar, over the roof, and back down the C-pillar to the rear wheel opening on the other side.
The 1971 Road Runner might not have been as strong of a performer as its forerunners were, but it was close, and it was arguably more appealing. Still, the effects of stricter federal directives and increased insurance surcharges were being felt, and as a result, Plymouth barely managed to sell 14,000 Road Runners in 1971. Regardless, the Road Runner was still very much a muscle car, and as it was written in the pages of Road Test magazine, “when the performance minded think Plymouth, they think Road Runner.”
If you’re an admirer of the 71 Road Runner, then you’ll want to take a close look at the latest pair of Plymouth’s available from RC2. Part of their classic American Muscle line, these 1/18-scale 71 Road Runners weren’t assembled with the high detail frills and features many of us have come to expect - like realistically hinged opening panels and photographically accurate detail - but they do an acceptable job of capturing the look of the 1:1, and that’s what truly matters most, isn’t it? As an added bonus, these Road Runners are being offered in an attractive choice of colors, In-Violet and Autumn Bronze. While the coloring of the In-Violet pre-production sample I received appears spot on, the tone of the Autumn Bronze Road Runner needs to be darker on the final production run if it’s to be considered accurate.
Overall, the fit and finish is nothing extraordinary, but it’s sufficient given the outdated technology that was used when the mold for these Road Runners was first designed. Both replicas feature attractive chrome plated front and rear bumpers, painted marker lights, a functional door in the Air Grabber hood, and white strobe stripes with genuine Road Runner emblems. An additional Road Runner emblem holding a racing helmet is located on the right edge of the trunk lid. New to these 71 Plymouth’s are the dog dish wheels they ride on. Shod in Goodyear Polyglas GT rubber, the steel wheels are painted to match the body color on each replica, finished off with chrome plated caps molded to look like the originals. They’re a nice alternative to the Rallye wheels we see so often, and as they say, the wheels make the car. That’s very true with these two Road Runners.
Under the hood, both Road Runners sport respectable replicas of the 440 Six-Barrel powerplant, although the callouts on the orange air cleaner lid declare them as 440 Six-Packs, which was the terminology Dodge used for the same engine. The distributor and battery are wired, and even if the wires are as thick as garden hoses, this is still a nice upgrade in detail compared to the older American Muscle releases that didn’t have wires at all. I’m also pleased to report that RC2 is now accurately painting the surrounding engine bay to match the body color, something that was an issue with the earlier 1/18-scale 1971 GTX’s. The signature Road Runner “meep-meep” horn and Air Grabber equipment on the underside of the hood are also nice touches, even though the latter could use a little extra detailing to enhance the realism.
The black and white interiors of these Road Runners don’t provide much in the way of detail, so there’s little to get excited about, but on the bright side, RC2 did a good job of accurately covering the basics. The dash, center console, and optional Tuff steering wheel have each been decorated with wood-colored accents and a Road Runner cartoon emblem is appropriately positioned above the glove box. Additionally, a set of four recessed instrument pods are accurately arranged in the dash and a Pistol-Grip shifter is integrated with the center console. The console, along with the steering wheel center and the package tray behind the top of the rear seat all need to be painted black instead of white, but the models pictured here are pre-production samples. Hopefully these corrections can be made before final production begins.
Aside from the painted gas tank, transmission, and exhaust with its chrome plated exhaust tips, the Road Runner’s undercarriage is a rather plain sight. Keen observers will likely note that the transmission on these models is an automatic, which regrettably doesn’t jive with the Pistol-Grip manual shifter. The detail within the opening trunk of these Road Runners is equally simple. Don’t get me wrong, the opening trunk is a nice feature, but you won’t find much more than a spare tire and an instruction label on the underside of the trunk lid. A trunk mat would’ve been a nice touch.
Getting down to it, I wouldn’t say RC2’s 1/18-scale 1971 Road Runners are anything spectacular, but they’re definitely among the better molds to come out of the American Muscle line and I was quite pleased with the specs and overall execution of these latest two variations, not to mention they’re both limited editions of only 1,254 copies. Of course, like many collectors, I’d love to see the 71 Plymouth’s retooled as part of RC2’s Authentics line, but until then, the American Muscle 1/18-scale 71 Road Runners will make a nice addition to any muscle car or Mopar collection.
Happy Collecting,
DetourDave
RC2 American Muscle Elites
#39489 1971 Plymouth Road Runner Plum Crazy
#39490 1971 Plymouth Road Runner Autumn Bronze
Models pictured below are pre-production samples
Photography & Review by Dave Nicholson
RC2 American Muscle Elites
#39489 1971 Plymouth Road Runner Plum Crazy
#39490 1971 Plymouth Road Runner Autumn Bronze
Models pictured below are pre-production samples
Photography & Review by Dave Nicholson
