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1969 Plymouth Road Runner A12 440 Six Barrel
The mid-year A12 Road Runner put Plymouth's 440 Six Barrel engine into a deliberately focused package. Three two-barrel carburetors fed the 440, rated at 390 horsepower and 490 lb-ft, while the black lift-off fiberglass hood, exposed fasteners, black steel wheels, and 440 6 BBL callout made the car easy to recognize.
The engine could be paired with an 18-spline A833 four-speed or heavy-duty 727 TorqueFlite. A 9.75-inch Dana 60 with 4.10:1 Sure-Grip gearing, heavy-duty springs and shocks, and 11-inch drum brakes completed the package. Factory parts bulletins document special carburetor, hood, air-scoop, and rear-suspension pieces.
Plymouth offered the A12 as an RM21 coupe and RM23 hardtop. References report 1,412 Road Runner A12s: 615 coupes and 797 hardtops, with 810 four-speeds and 602 automatics when the body and transmission splits are combined. Those totals are registry-attributed rather than a factory ledger recount.
The factory spring-color bulletin documents Bahama Yellow, Rallye Green, Vitamin C Orange, and Performance Red in Road Runner context. It also states that the 440 6 BBL received a black hood. The complete A12 color and interior compatibility matrix remains open, so individual-car tags and paperwork take precedence over a general 1969 Plymouth palette.
An original A12 should reconcile an M-code Road Runner VIN, fender tag, broadcast sheet, body stampings, engine and transmission identifiers, Dana axle, lift-off hood hardware, carburetion, wheels, paint, and trim. An A12-style hood and Six Barrel induction can be added to another Road Runner and do not establish factory identity.