In 1971/1972 did Richard Petty actually drive a Road Runner or was it a Satellite?

[Dibbons]

Did Richard Petty use a Road Runner hood in 1971/1972? If not, I guess he was driving a Satellite, was he not?

 

[72Fourspeed]

Photos I have show a Sattelite hood.

 

[Budnicks]

I believe he called it a Road Runner,
it very well could have been a Satty,
it's highly modified for NASCAR use anyway,
not much more other than skin/body of either...

not sure if it had any RR emblems I don't remember, any of either

 

[WileE]

While it may be semantics, irregardless of the style of hood, it was & always referred to as a Road Runner. Watching him race in 1971, they never referred to it as a Satellite.

 

[tallhair]

It was a Plymouth

 

[mopar 3 B]

NASCAR said it was a RR. I have pictures of his 71 car that looks like different hoods and color combinations were used. Team usually had more than one car.

 

[Budnicks]

Here's one with the RR/GTX style hood behind his shop all Petty Corporate Blue :headbang:

most I've seen had the flat style hood, with only engine call outs,
probably aero issues I'd think...

 

[odcics2]

Here's one with the RR/GTX style hood behind his shop all Petty Corporate Blue :headbang:

most I've seen had the flat style hood, with only engine call outs,
probably aero issues I'd think...

That's the Road Runner mule car next to the old Woodward Garage Superbird.
Testing found that the RR hood slowed the car down, so Petty ran versions of a Satellite hood.
So, there were no "RR" emblems or stickers on the Petty Plymouth. Everyone called it a Road Runner, when clearly it was not, being the only RR part was the hood! lol!!
Good marketing ploy, by Chrysler and Nascar!
There's a pic of the WWG SuperBird on the WWG thread on dodgecharger.com, showing it being tested with a 727 transmission at the Huntsville Airport.
IIRC, Sam Posey was driving.

 

[Budnicks]

That's the Road Runner mule car next to the old Woodward Garage Superbird.
Testing found that the RR hood slowed the car down, so Petty ran versions of a Satellite hood.
So, there were no "RR" emblems or stickers on the Petty Plymouth. Everyone called it a Road Runner, when clearly it was not, being the only RR part was the hood! lol!!
Good marketing ploy, by Chrysler and Nascar!
There's a pic of the WWG SuperBird on the WWG thread on dodgecharger.com, showing it being tested with a 727 transmission at the Huntsville Airport.
IIRC, Sam Posey was driving.

yeah Thanks
kind of what I thought...

good info to have

 

[odcics2]

1972 Daytona 500.
Front really droops, front tires to bumper!!

 

[odcics2]

 

[YY1]

I would not say "clearly" it was not.
It certainly could have been a Road Runner with a flat hood bolted on.

However, in all likelihood it was simply a modified "body in white".
I doubt there was a VIN.

 

[odcics2]

It was a Plymouth 2 dr B body in white. No vin.
Flat hood from a Satellite.
No Road Runner hood.

On a body in white, only the hood would be different between a Sat. or RR in 1972.

Would that be correct or am I missing something, not being a Plymouth expert.

Keep in mind that when Petty switched to a Charger they never called it a Charger Rallye, although it had a raised hood.

At the races I attended it was always called The STP Dodge!

 

[mopar 3 B]

It was a Plymouth 2 dr B body in white. No vin.
Flat hood from a Satellite.
No Road Runner hood.

On a body in white, only the hood would be different between a Sat. or RR in 1972.

Would that be correct or am I missing something, not being a Plymouth expert.

Keep in mind that when Petty switched to a Charger they never called it a Charger Rallye, although it had a raised hood.

At the races I attended it was always called The STP Dodge!

Grill and possible the dash. Sat used a different grill and the dash could be std or ralley. But yes Richards cars were furnished by Chrysler with an off road use vin. But about anyone could buy a rolling chassis from Chrysler. That's just what was shipped to was something that could be rolled on and off the shipper.
Even RR bodies had differences depending on how ordered. But you had to crawl underneath to find them.

 

[torredcuda]

I would assume it was just a body in white with no vin designation.I think he always ran a flat hood but they called it a road runner to promote the sales of them.

 

[mopar 3 B]

This could all be answered by a simple phone call to North Carolina or the visit the museum in Charlottesville.

 

[odcics2]

Or the fact that they got bodies in white, no vins, not rolling chassis, just a body shell with flat hood, 2 doors and a trunk lid.
There are pics on the net showing them being delivered to P. E.