1978 Dodge Li'l Red Express Spent 15 Years in a Backyard, It's an Unrestored Survivor

But it's also known for having spawned a few popular limited-edition models. The list is quite long, but notable examples include the Warlock, Macho Power Wagon, and Adventurer. But none of them is as famous as the Li'l Red Express.

Introduced in 1978 with an attention-grabbing red livery with gold accents, custom wheels, and stacked exhaust pipes, it kickstarted a new era of factory-built performance trucks.

Like many limited-edition Dodge trucks from the era, the Li'l Red Express didn't spend much time in dealerships. Dodge discontinued the hauler after only two years, unleashing a little more than 7,000 examples on U.S. roads. By 2022, these trucks are rare and sought-after, with well-maintained examples fetching close to $40,000 at public auctions.

But because they're not quite as valuable as vehicles from the golden muscle car era, many of these trucks are spending their retirement years in backyards. This 1978 example is one of those trucks.

Retired in 2007, the Li'l Red Express spent no fewer than 15 years off the road. It's a sad fate for a glorious classic, but this one got lucky and was saved before it was consumed by the elements. And that's not the only good news.

As the guy who discovered and documented it in the video below found out, this truck is an all-original, unrestored survivor. Yup, including the original upholstery and paint, as well as the numbers-matching V8. And with only 59,000 miles (94,951 km) on the odometer, we could say it's a relatively low-mileage example too. What's more, the footage shows the truck running and driving under new ownership. A fabulous yard find that will hopefully get more time on public roads soon.

Oh, and if you're not familiar with the Li'l Red Express, it wasn't an "all show, no go" truck. The hot-rodded looks were backed by a unique version of Dodge's 360-cubic-inch (5.9-liter) V8 engine. A police-spec mill with performance upgrades, it was good for 225 horsepower and 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) of torque from the factory.

Yes, it wasn't quite as powerful as the 300+ horsepower trucks that Detroit made during the golden muscle car era, but it was notably powerful for the late 1970s. Actually, because trucks were exempt from the emission standards that plagued performance cars during the Malaise era, the Li'l Red Express was America's fastest factory vehicle at the time of its introduction.

I know 225 horsepower doesn't sound like a lot, but we need to keep in mind that the most potent 1978 Ford Mustang came with only 139 horsepower on tap. Likewise, the V8-powered Chevrolet Camaro did not deliver more than 185 horses. The Corvette was the only car that came close at 220 horsepower, but it was also notably more expensive.

Was this truck quicker than the Corvette from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph)? No, it wasn't. The Chevy got there a tenth-second quicker. However, Car and Driver, which ran a series of performance tests in 1978, ruled that the Li'l Red Express was the fastest American-built production vehicle from 0 to 100 mph (161 kph) with a 19.9-second sprint.

But that's enough history for today. Hit the play button below to see this unrestored gem come back to life after 15 years.