Best of Show Automotive
7700 Tyler BoulevardMentor Museum of Speed, Mentor, OH, 44060, US
Phone : 440-350-1480
Email : joseph.carroll@bestofshowautomotive.com Ronnie Sox Tested 1969 1/2 Plymouth Roadrunner A12 #1!

First. Not many cars get to have that title, but you're staring at one: This is the FIRST car in the FIRST 100 A12 cars ever built! It has the first vehicle order AND the lowest VIN number of ANY A12 car—take that in for a minute. There's more information to follow, so read on.

Sent out on February 21, 1969, the Vehicle Master Order detailing how to order the cars went out to dealers. The order was for vehicle order numbers 329-949001-949100. The "329" is the first of two build dates the cars would be coded with (the other is 426) as the target delivery requirement was listed as "Month of March." The second, considerably larger batch received the "426" date code. Chrysler occasionally did this for batch built specialty cars such as the A12's and Superbirds. So let's repeat: as verified by the A12 Registry, this is the FIRST A12 off of the assembly line

Is that not enough? What if we told you THIS is THE car driven by Ronnie Sox in the "professional vs. journalist" article from Super Stock Magazine? This is THE car which had its original six pack setup stolen from SSM staffer Ro McGonegal's apartment complex, and another needed procurement from Chrysler just to do the road test! Ted Struse (owner/driver of Project Six Pack and another fellow staffer) still has the receipt for the replacement parts handed to him by Chrysler's ace tech John Bauman! The car was run again for Hot Rod and other publications before its racing career started.

After its press days, it found itself in the possession of hall of fame racer Ed Miller in New York. Not only was he a factory backed racer who had such cars as a Hemi 'Cuda he managed to set sixteen national records in 10 years, and he wasn't always a full-time driver! He's been building race engines at his shop, Ed Miller Racing Enterprises, for over 30 years...obviously Chrysler picked a good one! Ted Struse credits that road test with this car as THE reason he plunked down the cash and ordered Project Six Pack, and the cars raced alongside each other more than a couple times. Ed even loaned Ted the original distributor for this car for use in PSP after the red 'runner went down in eliminations and Ted still has it! We'll be reuniting it with the car soon—think about the chances of that!

Lastly, we have absolutely verified that this is indeed the car that Ronnie Sox tested for Super Stock. How do we know? It's real simple. Al Kirschenbaum managed this car for Plymouth while it did the press tour, and serviced it out of Rockville Center Dodge. Al did this for Chrysler for a number of years on many high performance Plymouths. And Al was the sort of guy who saved everything. Guess what he saved from this car? How about a copy of the original Window Sticker? You got it. According to Cliff Gromer, a friend of Al's, Al has verified that this is indeed the car that he managed to Plymouth and it is indeed A12 #1. Even better, Al pointed out that this A12 came with both the Décor Package and the Light Group Package! We need to add a few pieces of jewelry to the car now, but she will be correct, and even more unique.

Documented by a partial Chrysler Corporation Broadcast Sheet, and verified by the ORIGINAL fender tag and VIN tag, this incredible A12 breaks down as follows:
TOP LINE 6 :
08135 = 2 DIGIT GATE # 3 DIGIT BASE #
238674 = 6 DIGIT LINE SEQUENCE #
9 = YEAR 1969
A = LYNCH RD. ASSEMBLY PLANT
239xxx = SERIAL #
LINE 5:
925 = ENGINE CODE – 440 SIX BARREL W/4 SPEED
999 = SPECIAL REAR AXLE (4.10 DANA 60)
603 = TRANSMISSION CODE – HEMI 4 SPEED
LINE 4:
26 = 26" RADIATOR
LINE 3:
7X = BLACK PAINTED DOUBLE PINSTRIPE
LINE 2:
R4 = BODY PAINT CODE (CHARGER RED)
R4 = ROOF / VINYL ROOF COLOR (SAME CODE INDICATES MONOTONE PAINT)
M2X =BENCH SEAT INTERIOR, BASE, BLACK
X9 =UPPER DOOR FRAME PAINT
(BOTTOM) LINE 1 :
RM21 = ROAD RUNNER TWO DOOR COUPE
E63 = ENGINE (CARS WERE CODED AS 383-4BBL)
D21 = 4 SPEED MANUAL
329 = SCHEDULED PRODUCTION DATE (APR 26)
949001 = VEHICLE ORDER (#1)

Notice that A12 is not on this tag, although the VIN is still RM21M—the first six cars don't have it on there!

Let's start under the hood…pull the four pins to reveal the incredibly well detailed, date code correct 440 6 Pack engine. There's a correct 054 radiator up front, hooked up to the motor by reproduction radiator and heater hoses with correct Corbin clamps, all from Frank Badalson (i.e., they're the best you can buy.) Date coded correct spark plug wires connect to the original A12-specific dual point distributor and ride in reproduction wire looms. The original air cleaner assembly hosts a correct reproduction air cleaner element and hides the rebuilt and detailed and date cose original 4 speed carburetors, complete with the proper choke and fast idle solenoid assemblies. A new ballast resistor and wiper motor take up residence on the firewall next to the new master cylinder and engine wiring harness. The battery is right, with new cables, the correct PCV valve and hose are in place, a correct date coded belt, a date coded coil…the list goes on!

New, flawless paint outside is the first thing you notice. Code R4 Charger Red looks awesome on the car—the pictures simply don't do it justice. The body is exceptionally straight, the gaps are excellent and the doors close perfectly. All sheet metal on this Roadrunner is original to the car, except the passenger side quarter, which was banged up at some point in the car's life. An NOS Chrysler quarter-panel, which cost an eye-popping $5,000.00, was used in its place.

Open the doors to reveal zinc plated latches and strikers, and excellent paint in the jambs. Up front you'll find a freshly re-chromed bumper underneath a perfect restored grille before moving up to that mammoth black hood. The riveted hood pin bezels are correct (only steel hoods got screws) as are the short lanyards. What little bright work on the car (these weren't meant to dazzle you with chrome!) is in superb shape with an excellent shine. The rear bumper is also re-chromed and sits below a perfect taillight set.

Four correct gloss black steel "H" wheels are wrapped with brand new F70x15 Goodyear redlines (Goodyear doesn't make G70's yet, but we'd rather run the right brand.) The glass is all new, with the quarter windows being NOS pieces. The driver side mirror is NOS, too—check out the cool "Made in Canada" sticker on the head! ZERO corners were cut on this car!

Since this Roadrunner received a full rotisserie restoration, the entire car was refinished in R4 red, including the undercarriage. Freshly and concours-correctly rebuilt brakes front and rear bring the car to a halt with new lines and hoses. A new Don's Custom Exhaust system complete with reproduction Hemi mufflers and correct clamps keep things as stealthy as possible for a car with a flat black hood! A new fuel tank and sender and new lines supply fuel forward. Proper inspection marks and stamps round out an extremely well detailed chassis. Open up to the trunk to find the spare, proper jack and a new trunk mat. All is fresh, all is show ready!

Inside you'll find a mix of mint original parts with high quality reproductions. Restored dash bezels and a new gauge lens add sparkle, as do the new armrest bases and inside door handles. All soft trim from the headliner to the door panels to the carpet is in perfect shape, as is the original Hurst shifter. The restored original gauges read brightly and accurately, the upper door frames were repainted and accent the new door panels, and the seats are perfect for short bursts of speed or a decent cruise—hop in!

This is one of the ultimate blue chip Mopars … the FIRST A12 ever produced, tested by Ronnie Sox for Super Stock Magazine, restored to the highest standard. How cool is that? Don't pass on this one … it is a rare, historically significant car, and a cornerstone of any significant Mopar collection.

FACTS & FIGURES Year:1969 Mileage:79 VIN: Transmission Type:Manual Type of Vehicle Title:Clear Number of Cylinders:8 Primary Color:Red Interior Color:Black About this auction & Best of Show Automotive

Convinced that collector car values are plummeting? Don't be fooled! While the value of mediocre cars has been steadily sliding with the economy over the past two years, the value of incredible cars has stayed level and, is rising. In times of economic uncertainty, capital flows to the highest quality assets which contain the least amount of risk and the classic car market is no exception. The lesson is simple: buy the very best you can find!

Please note that all sales are binding and final. Our cars are sold "as-is" with no warranty expressed or implied. Please carefully read the terms & conditions of the sale before bidding. Winning this auction does not entitle you to come inspect the car and decide if you want to buy it, but obligates you to complete the purchase! A $1000.00 deposit via PayPal is due within 24 hours of the auction close ... NO EXCEPTIONS.

We do not release our reserve prices, as this would be unfair to the other bidders, so please don't ask!

Note that our cars are on display in our showroom in Mentor, Ohio, in national print advertisements, listed for sale on our website, and listed for sale in multiple, nationally known, online dealer showrooms at all times. Since our cars are for sale in a number of other mediums, we reserve the right to cancel the auction at any time.

Best of Show Automotive sells approximately 40 cars each and every month to collectors worldwide. Each and every one of these cars is listed on Ebay, but only one sale, on average per month, actually occurs on Ebay. Accordingly, if you see a car you like, don't wait! Call us! When you see it disappear, it means that it sold to someone who saw it somewhere else. Lastly, note that we do not change our pricing on any car based on Ebay auction activity. Ebay is a wholesale marketing platform, which we use primarily for marketing purposes.

If you have ZERO feedback on Ebay, please call or email us to request our authority to bid on our vehicles. And, for you con-men and women out there, while you may think it's cute to create a user account and click the Buy It Now on a high dollar car you can't afford, note that we will track you down and we will recoup our costs for fraudulent bidding activity.

This car can be inspected at our 60,000 square foot office complex and showroom facility, operated as the Mentor Museum of Speed, located at 7700 Tyler Boulevard, in Mentor, Ohio, six days per week. Museum hours are 10 am to 5 pm daily, Monday through Friday, and 10 am to 4 pm Saturdays. You may stop in at any time during museum hours to view our collection. If you would like to make a sales appointment (and avoid paying the ten buck admission fee), we would be happy to schedule a personal appointment with you. To do so, contact Joseph Carroll below. For those of you who need to fly in, we can provide transportation to and from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. We can also provide accommodations within walking distance of our facility.

We can transport your new vehicle to you in one of our enclosed car haulers. Cost depends on mileage and location. Our Transportation Manager, Ron Meek, stands ready to help you with your transport needs. For a quote, call Ron at: (440)350-1480. Ron's direct email address is: class="wmatterbold">For those international buyers, note that we've shipped cars to collectors and classic car fans world-wide for years. You can feel confident in our representations, and post-sale service. Our Transportation Manager, Ron Meek, stands ready to help your transport & shipping needs.

A common question we receive is: "do you accept trades"? We do accept trades, but will only consider #1 or #2 condition vehicles. If you would like us to review a trade, please send detailed pictures of the entire car, including the underside. Also send a detailed description which includes all specifications, facts, figures, history and documentation present with the car. Lastly, give us a clear idea of what you are seeking in trade value. Email information on your trade directly to Joseph Carroll. Joe's email address is: class="wmatterbold">Best of Show Automotive, LLC has a valid Ohio Used Car Dealer's License. Our showroom, located at 7700 Tyler Boulevard, in Mentor, Ohio, is open to the public from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturdays, with viewing by appointment only Monday through Friday. We 100-140 incredible cars on display, and there's always something new. Feel free to stop in and meet our staff, and, more importantly, see the Greatest Showroom on Earth! Each and every one of our 25 member staff is an absolute car nut and we do this because we love cars!

In addition to our main showroom in Mentor, Ohio, we own two secondary facilities, including a restoration mechanical/assembly facility and a restoration body/paint shop. We perform complete restorations for classic car fans around the globe. Best of Show car have won numerous national weekends and our cars won their classes at both the 2009 Mopar Nationals and 2009 Pontiac Nationals. We own all of our facilities and have a significant investment in our business. We stand behind our work and value long-term relationships with our customers! For information on your restoration project, our Restoration Manager, Tim Wilhelm, can be reached at: (440)354-3279. Tim's direct email address is: class="wmatterbold">Do you want your car customized? New wheels? Air conditioning? We have a full service shop staffed with veterans who have been there and done that …we can give you what you want! For a quote on customizing or add-on products, contact our Inventory Manager, Doug Croxford, at: (440)350-1480. Doug's direct email address is: class="wmatterbold">Check out our feedback from other customers who have purchased cars from us in the past. Here's what some of customers have to say: We pride ourselves on describing our cars accurately, and, our cars really do look better in person than in the pictures! Bid with confidence!

For general information, call us at: (440)350-1480. You can send an email directly to our President, Joseph Carroll, at: Joseph M. Carroll
President/Sales/Purchasing

5782 Heisley Road
Mentor, OH, 44060

Best of Show Automotive, LLC
Phone : (440)350-1480 Fax : (440)350-1638 Mobile : (440)313-8091 /> www.bestofshowautomotive.com Greg Chismar
Transportation Manager

7700 Tyler Boulevard
Mentor, OH, 44060

Best of Show Automotive, LLC
Phone : 440-350-1480 Fax : 440-350-1336 Mobile : 440-840-4081 /> www.bestofshowautomotive.com Tim Wilhelm
Restoration Manager

5782 Heisley Rd.
Mentor, OH, 44060

Best of Show Automotive, LLC
Phone : 440-354-3279 tim.wilhelm@bestofshowautomotive.com
www.bestofshowautomotive.com G. K. Kerr
Vice President of Sales

7700 Tyler Boulevard
Mentor, OH, 44060

Best of Show Automotive, LLC
Phone : 440-350-1480 Fax : 440-350-1336 Mobile : 440-413-5149 george.kerr@bestofshowautomotive.com
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