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In the seventies, Plymouth paraded the
country with a trailer
full of cars that were designed and customized by some of the
greatest minds of the auto world to date.
This page is a Tribute to those awesome individuals.
The tours objective; to demonstrate high-performance potential
to buyers from coast to coast.
The tours name; Plymouth's Rapid Transit Caravan.
The tours stars; 4 custom plymouths, a Duster 340, a Road Runner,
a 'Cuda 440 and a replica of Don (The SNAKE) Prudhomme's '71
Barracuda funnycar. This Rapid Transit System authority toured
the country under the auspices of Bob Laravee's Promotions Inc.,
displayed at custom car shows, fairs, new car shows, and at some
of the very big Chrysler dealerships as an outdoor exhibit.
Of coarse, the cars were highly modified to attract show car
attention. Designer, Harry Bradley stated, the purpose of touring
the RTS show cars was to make customers aware of the regular
Plymouth Performance Cars.
  
Painted candy greens and hues of pearl, the
Duster 340 had flat black panels
covering most of the hood, with hood pin locks in each front corner.
In flourishing letters across the front was the word DUSTER.
A huge green 340 reversed out of the black on the hood.
Front-end work included a rolled pan, custom-made grille and "thin-line bumper"
Four Lucas headlights provided the illumination, with redesigned parking lights below the
bumper.
It was lowered 3", and chrome moldings ran along the rocker panels to make it appear
even lower.
The roof line featured a small spoiler running above the rear window.
Other body changes were the addition of 2 quick-fill fuel inlets, one on either side of
the car.
Within the confines of the rolled rear pan were custom taillights and rectangular dual
exhaust tips.
Power plant was the 340-4brl small block attached to a 4-speed trans and 3.91 rear axle.
Byron Grenfell handled the body modifications while Butch Brinza did the painting.
    
On the Road Runner an extension is molded to
the front-end lengthening it by 6 inches.
A hand-formed, steel mesh grille fit above the built-in roll pan.
The unique hood slopes down in two panels from the front to the cowl, where air
passes through a grille in each panel into ram-air induction scoops.
Exhaust from the 383cid big block flows through 4 pipes in the rear, under the rolled pan.
The trunk lid slopes down 4 inches from the rear window to the bumper area,
leaving the sides of the trunk lid standing at original height.
The taillight assemblies were like a street light, from the center to the outside of the
car,
lights run from green to yellow to red, indicating status of motion.
The G60 X 15 tires sported special rims that have the name
Road Runner emblazoned on black inset centers.
The candy-over-pearl orange paint has bold white-pearl bars
and accents on the tops of the outside rearview mirrors.
Illuminated 3-D Road Runner cartoon heads were used for
front & rear side markers, also in the center of the grille.
The custom designer was Harry Bradley, with body and paint by Chuck Miller.
  
The 'Cuda's wild front-end treatment extended in length,
with the inset oval grille molded to the body on the sides.
Square, concealed Cibie rally-style headlights were set into the new grille,
with parking lights below the partial spoiler on the front rolled pan.
Hood stayed original shaker type with hood pins.
Paint, pipes and mud deflectors are only extras on the sides.
Wheels are Cragars with monster 14" wide rears on Goodyear race tires.
Steel braces reinforce the rear window.
Altered tail section has custom taillights, wheelie bars, and a recessed parachute.
Like the Duster and Road Runner, the 'Cuda's door handles and rear-deck
locks was removed and replaced by solenoid openers.
Harry Bradley rendered the 'Cuda's wild exterior design.
Chuck Miller applied the red, pink, orange, yellow, and white under merano pearl.
  
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