A12 – Sales Code To Tire-Shredding Performance

They’ve been a part of the Mopar_® muscle car culture since they rolled off Chrysler’s Lynch Road Assembly line in the spring of 1969. The 440 Six Pack Super Bee and 440 Six Barrel Road Runner changed the way Detroit’s high-performance cars were created, engineered and even marketed. Often called ‘Lift-Off Hood’ cars, it’s the hardcore centric Mopar folks that refer to them by the internal sales code, ‘A12’. These cars raised the bar among the competition and even within the offices of Dodge and Plymouth executives. Very few could predict way back then the staying power this pair of specially equipped Chrysler intermediate muscle cars would have five decades later.

With the success of the Plymouth Road Runner and the Dodge Super Bee gaining more traction among the performance car buyers, Chrysler’s engineers and marketing folks wanted to keep the sales momentum going well into the 1969 model year. Chrysler’s marketing and agency folks began doing research on new Ford and GM performance engine packages and how to stay ahead of them. With only two engine options on the Road Runner and Super Bee for 1968 and early 1969, there had to be another offering. The standard 383 high-performance rated at 335 horsepower was okay, but not enough to handle Ford’s 428 Cobra Jet or Pontiac’s Ram Air IV 400. The King Kong finicky 426 Street HEMI^® engine, rated at 425 horsepower, was an expensive option on the Road Runner and Super Bee that many buyers simply couldn’t afford.

Mopar got serious and creative and began to create the ‘A12 Package’ on the Road Runner and Super Bee. First, Chrysler reached into their war chest and grabbed the 375-horsepower 440 Super Commando and 440 Magnum normally reserved for the Plymouth GTX and Charger/Coronet R/T. Second, Chrysler contacted Edelbrock to develop an aluminum intake manifold that would accept three Holley two-barrel carburetors. This would be one of many ‘firsts’ that consumers would see in a production street car from Chrysler. Along with an improved induction system that included a special air cleaner that sealed to the hood. There were other engine enhancements, such as improved valve springs, lifters, valves, rocker arms, a dual point distributor and other items. Heavy-duty cooling was also included on the A12 package.

The end result on the 440 Six Pack/Six Barrel was 390 horsepower @ 4,700 rpm, and 490 lb.-ft @ 3,600 rpm. This was a sweet spot for buyers looking for more power than a ho-hum 383, but less money, less maintenance and lower insurance fees than the 426 Street HEMI engine. The 440 Six Pack/Six Barrel had great street manners, but when unleased, could inflict damage on any would-be assailant on the street or strip.

The biggest and most recognizable part of the ‘A12 Package’ was the matte black fiberglass hood held on by four NASCAR-style hood pins. The hood was molded with a menacing scoop that had the look to suck the air out of an indoor stadium. To give these cars an even more serious ‘street racer’ look (and to reduce overall cost of the A12 package), 15” x 6” black painted steel wheels with Goodyear G70-15 Wide Tread Polyglas Red-Streaks were used. The first batch of A12 cars built was only offered in four colors: HEMI Orange, Bright Red, Bright Green and Bright Yellow. While the Super Bee could be had with or without a Dodge trademarked white or black ‘Bumble Bee Stripe,’ the Road Runner offered a full-length upper body pin stripe. When the second batch of A12 cars got scheduled at Lynch Road in late spring of 1969, the product planning folks added additional colors. A four-speed transmission came standard, but buyers could also order a 727 TorqueFlite Automatic. Only one rear axle was available, a 4.10 ratio-equipped Dana 60. With a suggested MSRP of approximately $462.80 for the A12 package, it was a bargain.

When the package was ready to be released, the Chrysler PR department went wide open throttle and reached out to many of the hardcore car enthusiast magazines of the time. One of the most memorable tests came in the June 1969 issue of Super Stock & Drag Illustrated. With Chrysler’s Super Stock champ Ronnie Sox at the wheel, he clicked off three runs and went 12.98 @ 111.52 mph, 12.92 @ 111.66 mph and 12.91 @ 111.80 mph, all at Cecil County Drag-O-Way in Rising Sun, Maryland. These passes were made on street tires, air cleaner in place, and through the stock exhaust system. It was unreal at the time, and the magazine editors knew the hate mail would be coming in. Regardless, Chrysler was ready to have the NHRA Tech Guys tear the engine down to make sure it was a stock production piece and not a ‘ringer.’ Chrysler also made sure to get some amateur drivers behind the wheel. This included writer Ro McGonegal, and he clicked off mid to low 13-second times. Again, the world took notice, and soon the A12 Road Runners and Super Bees developed a badass reputation.

Over the decades, the A12 Road Runners and Super Bees have survived despite being abused on the avenues and drag strips. Their overall low production numbers, compared to other performance cars of the era, make them rarer. But their legacy continues to live on, and if those Chrysler Engineers and if Product Planners who originally developed the A12 Package could see these cars today, they’d be smiling ear-to-ear while covered in clouds of tire smoke!

Here are more pics including advertising and marketing pieces of the iconic Super Bee and Road Runner A12 Package Cars.