This Gold Leaf 1972 Plymouth Road Runner Is Rarer Than Hen's Teeth

Sales dropped rather dramatically to only 13,664 units in 1971, the final year for the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI and 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) Six-Barrel V8s. And it was mainly due to high insurance rates for high-performance cars. However, the Road Runner's worst sales year came in 1972. Only 6,860 customers hit Plymouth showrooms for a Road Runner that year.

Sales bounced back to almost 16,000 units in 1973 before dropping to 9,636 examples in 1974, the nameplates last year in dealerships. All told, the 1972 Road Runner is by far the rarest iteration of its kind. It's not the most desirable, though, since it wasn't offered with the HEMI or the six-barrel version of the 440 RB.

But like most rigs that were built in small numbers, this Mopar spawned a few one-of-one gems. The Gold Leaf Poly example you see here is one of them.

The Road Runner lost not only the 426 HEMI but also 440-6 V8s at the end of the model year. Plymouth also discontinued the 383-cubic-inch mill. However, the midsize gained a four-barrel 440, and a 400-cubic-inch (6.6-liter) lump in addition to the 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) small-block carried over from the previous year.

The 440 was exclusive to the range-topping GTX trim and found only 672 customers. The entry-level 340 was a bit more popular and moved 2,360 units. Finally, the 400-cubic-inch big-block V8 was ordered in 3,828 cars, this one included. However, the original owner of this Road Runner went with a three-speed manual, which makes it one of 1,433 examples with this drivetrain layout.

But more than 1,400 units is a long way off from a one-of-one status, right? Well, this Plymouth is unique thanks to a combination of factors. For starters, it's an export car. And even though there's no statistic on how many vehicles went abroad, Mopar experts agree the number is usually very low.

But there's also the options combo, starting with the Gold Leaf Poly, which wasn't very common on this car in 1972. The Road Runner was also equipped with air conditioning, tinted glass, and hood-mounted turn signals.

Granted, a one-of-one status isn't very valuable on a 1972 Road Runner, but this car is cool. More importantly, it's a spotless classic that will turn heads at any car show. And even though it left the assembly line at the beginning of the Malaise Era (for Chrysler vehicles), it's no slouch. The 400 V8 came with 255 net horsepower that year, which is enough to send the coupe down the quarter-mile in around 15 seconds.