Get Hotcars Premium. Start your free trial today

Many enthusiasts remember Plymouth for their boldest colors, but what about the ones used under the hood?

Plymouth is now defunct, which for most enthusiasts is a damn shame. The brand offered excellent affordable variations to its siblings at Dodge also under the Chrysler umbrella. The two may share a color pallet in most places, but largely many remember Plymouth for their boldest colors. These add character to the brand's cars. Adding further character to the brand's models are a few hints of color beneath the hood. The first and second generation Road Runners ran from 1968 to 1974. The cut-price model made muscle car ownership possible for those who couldn't otherwise afford it. Most models have a 335 horsepower 383 V8 engine. Some Road Runners have the larger 426 and 440 engines that featured on the brand's more desirable offerings.

The Road Runner makes a nod to its TV star namesake.

Featuring on Steve Magnante's YouTube channel is a bright orange 1969 Plymouth Road Runner. The Road Runner is yet another muscle car from under the Chrysler umbrella. Plymouth's GTX sat at the top of the brand's lineup in the late 1960s. Not wanting to miss any sales, Plymouth introduced the cut-price Road Runner.

RELATED:Everything You've Forgotten About The Plymouth Prowler

Magnante takes his audience for a look at what's under the hood. Now, most enthusiasts would get distracted by the 383 V8 engine nestled toward the center of the car. The 1969 model year, the second for the Road Runner, saw some color changes. With a lilac horn for 1969 that in the previous year was black. This would stay the same until 1980 when the Road Runner ceased production. A similar change happened with the engine block. Swapping from blue to orange. The engine bay matches the car's exterior color of orange.

However, the lilac horn most certainly clashes. Almost any color other than black wouldn't look great with many of Plymouth's bold paint schemes. This lilac is a nod to the car's namesake, Road Runner. The horn makes the same “beep beep” sound like the TV show's character. According to Magnante Plymouth paid $10,000 to use the character and its voice.

This particular Road Runner has color motifs continuing in less conventional places. Magnante makes a point of the W21 code that appears under the hood. This means that the brake drums have red paint. Featuring just ahead of the Road Runner logo on the side fender sits a full-color emblem of the Road Runner from Warner Brothers studio's cartoon.

RELATED:How This Plymouth Barracuda Cop Car Went From Neglected Classic To Competitive Racer

Plymouth and Dodge models from the time often have bold paint schemes. Plymouth more than anyone else. The AAR Barracuda has shades of Purple, Green, and Yellow that have an equally bold black stripe running along each flank. According to the Hamtramck Registry, the brand uses shades like Village Green, Coral Turquoise, and Burnt Orange. The Chrysler brand's cars attract plenty of attention, that's the point. Giving the budget muscle car these small flavors of the brand's character, the model is deserving of the Plymouth badge as the more notable Barracuda and Superbird.

Douglas Hamilton is a British gearhead with a degree in Literature. He grew up surrounded by F1, Need For Speed, and classic cars. He has a worrying obsession with Jaguar.