Painted in EW1 Alpine White, this Road Runner might initially seem unassuming. However, it is, in fact, a genuine Hemi car.
Even more remarkable, it is a pilot car—hand-assembled before regular production began for the 1970 model year in 1969.
The current owner acquired this Mopar in the late 1990s. After searching extensively for an authentic Hemi, he finally found the Road Runner in his hometown through a friend.
At the time, the car was in dire condition, missing its drivetrain and interior. Additionally, the floors and trunk pan were consumed by rust, leaving it essentially abandoned.
Despite the vehicle’s condition, its VIN and fender tags remained intact when he discovered it. These crucial identifiers confirmed it was a real Hemi.
However, the biggest revelation came when he examined the rusted fender tag: it was stamped with “pilot,” verifying its status as a pre-production model.
This rare detail was all the motivation the owner needed to purchase the car and commit to restoring it to its original factory specifications.
He meticulously sourced a period-correct bench-seat interior and even managed to locate a correct date-coded, no-VIN Hemi engine.
Fortunately, the car’s original dashboard was still intact—a unique feature since the pilot model was outfitted with a 1969 dash utilizing Satellite parts.
Fast forward 25 years, and this Road Runner stands as a museum-quality classic. It boasts flawless Alpine White paint, a stunning black interior, and the highly sought-after Hemi four-speed drivetrain combination.
The 1970 Road Runner is already a rare Mopar, especially when equipped with a Hemi. Out of the 36,861 units produced that year, only 152 were fitted with the legendary 426-cubic-inch V8 engine.
Among these, just 44 were post cars (coupes) with four-speed manual transmissions. Yet, this particular Road Runner goes beyond those numbers.
As a non-regular production model, it is essentially a one-of-a-kind vehicle—on par with the exclusivity of the 1970 Road Runner Hemi Convertible four-speed, of which only one was ever sold. You won’t find another one like it.
If you missed this year’s Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals show, you can still catch this extraordinary Mopar in the video below.
Courtesy of YouTube’s “Corner Classic Car Hunter,” the footage features not only the car but also an interview with its owner.
He recounts the journey of finding the car, the challenges he faced during its purchase, and the obstacles he overcame to restore it as close to original as possible.