I hope some of you will enjoy this story.... It's a true one. I apoligize for the length.
My summer, fall and winter of 1968 and into the spring of 1969 was spent keeping my head below the sandbags in South Viet Nam. I was able to convince my brother to send a car magazine now and then and dreamed about the Hemi GTX that was destined to be mine upon return to the world, (that means home to a GI). Well, I survived all the bad moons and returned home to Lincoln Park, (a downriver sub of Detroit) in March of 1969 where I was glad to be reunited with my trusty 1966 triple black Plymouth Satellite 383 4speed. My brother was in charge of it during my absence and had let his girl friend drive it who then rear ended another car. It was fixed when I got home except the front bumper, which was gone. Oh, well.
After a couple days of "hi... how are ya's" I headed to Downriver Chrysler/Plymouth in nearby Southgate Michigan. My dad had bought several Chryslers and Imperials there and I had always kept my eye on the car lot as many interesting machines would turn up on the lot.
I was excited at the thought of ordering the Hemi GTX and got hooked up with
ed Rushlow, a salesman who was more than happy to talk about it. I was working my way down the option list and the GTX was taking shape on the order pad. We were discussing tire size options when he located a memo in his in box on his desk. It was a one page sheet, new product bulletin and it outlined the A12 option on the Road Runner. He showed it to me and the list of equipment was impressive! Basicly a hemi car but with a 440 and three two bbl carbs. AND a NASCAR style lift off fiberglass hood with a scoop....... Whats THAT all about...? He didn't know either.
Just for curiosity we spec'ed one out and he quoted me a price. It came in around $1500.00 less then the Hemi GTX we had on paper!!! HUMMMmmmmmmmm..... now I had something to think about. A 440 with three 2BBLs in a Road Runner sounded like one bad *** car to me.
Asside from being my primary car I had visions of some racing at Detroit dragway and some street racing on Telegraph rd. and Woodward ave. (Although I think it was illegal to do that). I was familure with the high maintance the Hemi engine required to stay running well and so the multi carb 440 was sounding pretty good.
I left the order in limbo, told the salesman I had to think about it, and left. There was another Chrysler/Plymouth dealer, (Buckingham CP), not far away so I thought...... compare pricing.... I walked in, found a salesman, which is not that hard to do, and asked for a price quote on a Road Runner with a 440 3 2BBL engine. He looked at me like I was a Chevy guy and said..."you can't get a 440 in a Road Runner" It's a 383 or Hemi. He had not heard about the A12 package.
I was convinced, that got me fired up and I returned to the first dealership, found Ed and said, "sign me up"!
I ordered a 69 Road Runner coupe with the A12, automatic, all tinted glass in T5 bronze fire metallic with black interior.
There was a new fm radio station in Detroit at the time that played only rock music.... WABX..... the "Air Aces". I got to thinking and called the salesman later that evening and added a am/fm radio.
Then it began.... the wait. This was to be my first new car, ever! And I had no idea what I had ordered. There were no A12's at the dealership, no one I knew had seen, or even heard of one. The salesman didn't even have a picture. Nothing was ever said about the cars being built on only two dates and my car was scheduled for 4/26.... this was early March! It was agonizing...!
I did receive a call from the salesman at the second dealership I visited, (He had taken my contact info), sometime in late March. He had one on the showroom floor. I headed straight over there and WOW!!!!! It was awesome. My first incounter. It was a Ralley Green hardtop with a 4 speed and black vinyl top. It looked menicing with the black hood and huge scoop, redlines and no hub caps. He offered it to me and it was tempting but I decided to wait for the one I had ordered.
I got the call sometime in early May..... my Runner was here! I will never forget walking into the service area and seeing it just as it had been unloaded off the truck. It was to be prepped and I could get it the next day.
I got off work and went by the house. My dad and brother went with me to the dealership and as soon as we turned into the drive.... there it was, parked directly in front of the entrance to the showroom. BUT wait...... It has a set of Dodge dog dish hubcaps on it.... whats up with that....? Apparently the prep guys didn't know about the hubcap delete thing. They thought the factory had forgotten to put the caps in the car and so got a set of Dodge caps from the parts dept and put them on. I may have taken delivery of the only A12 to come with hub caps.... LOL.
The saga continues from there with many great and memoral times crusing the streets, Woodward ave, drive-ins, girls. It was a magic time and I wished I had been more aware of that then. It was a machine in a time that will never be duplicated.
Enjoy your A12's guys.... If ya have em...smoke em...!
