440 cubes of happiness
This was the third and last generation of the Plymouth Satellite name plate which had, over the years, included sedans and wagons along with the coupe series.
As was usual for American makers at the time, there was a big range of powertrain options, though the six-cylinder engines had by now been dropped. Nevertheless there five V8s liosted from 273ci (4.5lt) up to 426ci (7.0lt.).
The monster 440 Magnum (7.2lt) wasn’t listed as a regular option after 1967, though it seems you could nevertheless order one in 1972. For Mopar nuts, the dream find is one of the super-rare Plymouth Road Runner GTX 440+6 units.
American car builders at the time were dealing with the ramifications of a new clean air act and there were some strange things going on with their line-ups.
It’s possible the 440 in this car was a retrofit – which is not a point worth losing sleep over.
Transmission choices for the Satellite range included two manuals (three or four-speed) and a three-speed manual.
This Victoria-based example is running the 440 with a fou-barrel carburettor in place, plus an auto.
It’s got what looks like fresh interior trim and apparently has a bunch of new running gear, including tyres and bushes. There’s also a dual stainless steel exhaust, which should render any sound system in the cabin largely superfluous.
Our favoutire feature is the colour scheme, which just screams seventies: bright orange with a black vinyl roof. There’s not much chance of losing it in the local carpark. It’s priced at $42,000.