The Rag Doll Road Runner

We’ve all heard these stories before; some are true, some are embellished. But the facts you are about to read about a certain ‘Moulin Rouge’ 1970 Plymouth Road Runner are all true. You see, this car has a certain family lineage and DNA that can be traced back to its current caretaker, Gary Allen Kozlowski. It was Gary’s late father, also named Gary, who happened to purchase the ragtop ‘Bird when it was new. Gary’s father was returning to civilization after a couple of tours in Vietnam. The elder Gary had cold, hard cash in his pocket with the goal of purchasing a new muscle car. The Kozlowski family was from Hamtramck, Michigan, home of Chrysler’s sprawling Dodge Main Assembly Plant. It pumped out a wide variety of Mopar_® vehicles from its opening in 1914 to its unfortunate demise in 1981. During the height of the muscle car era, Challengers, ’Cudas, Darts, Demons, Dusters and just about anything else rolled off its assembly line. These were the ‘happy times’ for the corporation, and Dodge Main had multiple shifts working to fill Chrysler’s increasing U.S. market share of new vehicles. But for elder Kozlowski and his son, Gary, this is a story of how he was able to track down his late father’s rare ‘FM3 Moulin Rouge’ 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Convertible after decades of abuse, and even how it ended up in a junkyard outside Detroit.

The story of the Rag Doll Road Runner begins in the jungles of Vietnam. Gary was 23 years old and counting down the days until he’d return home. During his tours, Sgt. Kozlowski saved all of his earnings in an old Folger’s coffee can. His plan was to save enough money to purchase a new muscle car, and it would await his arrival back in the States. Though he was a fan of Chrysler products and proclaimed to be a “Mopar Man,” his first choice was a new 1969 Chevy Corvette painted in Daytona Yellow. Gary wrote letters home to his father and asked him to get pricing on the ’Vette with the optional 350-cubic-inch, 350-horsepower small-block V8. He also spec’d out a four-speed transmission, black interior and other options. When Gary’s father mailed him the price tag for the Stingray at over $5,400, that killed the deal. Gary was disappointed in the price, and he simply could not afford it. Undaunted, Gary once again wrote to his father and asked to get information on the all-new 1970 Plymouth ’Cuda. Gary chose ‘Lemon Twist Yellow’ with the optional black ‘Hockey Stick’ rear quarter panel stripe. The 1970 ’Cuda came standard with a 383 Super Commando V8 that made 335 horsepower under the twin-scooped hood. Gary also went with the four-speed manual transmission that came standard with the new Hurst ‘Pistol-Grip’ shifter. Other options Gary picked out were 14-inch ‘road wheels,’ raised white-letter Goodyear Polyglas tires, a black vinyl roof and factory hood pins. With a price of $3,200, Gary could swing it and sent the cash home. His parents ordered the new ’Cuda, so it’d be waiting for him in front of the family home. After driving the ’Cuda for a few weeks, Gary noticed the poor build quality. Various rattles, numerous transmission repairs and the back glass falling out of the car were the final straw. Gary was done with the ’Cuda and went back to the local dealer and ordered a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Convertible.

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Gary wanted a cool car that was eye-catching but easy on his budget. Once again, the Road Runner’s standard 383 big block was chosen, but this time, Gary went with the 727 TorqueFlite automatic. To appease his need for speed, the optional High-Performance Axle Package with its 3.91 gear ratio and Sure Grip differential was chosen. But what stands out the most is the color and its rarity. Covered in ‘Moulin Rouge’ (Paint Code FM3, a mid-year color option) and with the white convertible top, this Road Runner stood out. Other options Gary picked were the ‘Air Grabber’ hood adorned with the ‘Performance Hood Treatment,’ heavy-duty cooling, and other odds and ends. Knowing he’d add Keystone mags later, Gary didn’t order the optional Rallye or Road rims, and therefore the Road Runner came off the Chrysler’s St. Louis assembly line wearing the standard steel wheels and dog dish hubcaps. Gary would go out on Joseph Campau, the main road that ran through Hamtramck, and mess around with other would-be contenders in their muscle cars.

Unfortunately, this now becomes a tale we’ve heard time and time again. Due to lifestyle changes and family needs, many owners of these high-performance machines had to sell them for more sensible modes of transportation. This spelled this particular Road Runner’s fate. By the end of 1971, Gary had terrorized the streets around Detroit and Hamtramck and received many tickets. Also, Gary was now engaged and was ready to settle down. A more sensible mode of transportation was needed, and that came in the form of a 1971 Buick GS Convertible. Like many of us who owned cool cars only to let them slip through our hands, the same can be said of Gary’s situation. Since there was a bond and love of cars between Gary and his father, the stories of the Moulin Rouge Road Runner were shared with the younger Gary when he was just five years old. It was these accounts of street racing, burnouts and other things that intrigued the younger Gary. The die was cast, and he made it his mission to one day find his father’s Road Runner.  

“Back on April 15, 2015, I heard the car was still around and created a website while posting on the ‘Moulin Rouge and Panther Pink Mopars’ Facebook Page to see if anyone in the Mopar and Muscle Car community had any info on the Road Runner,” said Gary. “I got a call from Dave Belcarz, a local Mopar enthusiast who knows a great deal about these cars, and he said the car was sitting up in Cadillac, Michigan. Dave gave me the owner’s phone number and decided to check out the Road Runner back in August of 2015. When I pulled into the driveway of where the car sitting and could see the front of the Road Runner peering out of an open barn door.” Again, overtaken by emotions, Gary approached the barn. He could feel a sense of magic. The more he looked over the car, the more he could feel the presence of his father’s spirit. “I looked at the car, and sure enough, it was my late father’s Road Runner Convertible. There were certain clues on the modifications he made back in the day, such as pink painted wheel wells and homemade white ‘Dust Trail’ side stripe.” The 35-year search was finally over, Gary had finally located his father’s car. Now he had to make the deal and get the Road Runner back to his home. “I purchased the Road Runner on December 18, 2015, and I was more nervous on that day than my own wedding!

Unfortunately, Gary’s father passed away in 2002, and he never got to see his old Road Runner that he loved very much. “Maybe it’s just as well,” commented Gary. “If he had seen it in the condition the Road Runner was in, he probably would’ve cried.” Like many muscle cars, Gary’s Road Runner went through the wringer after his father sold it. Abusive owners had their way with it, and the Road Runner was even stolen at one time as the thieves absconded with its 383 engine. The car would end up in a salvage yard before being rescued by an owner who would eventually sell it. “Even though the car’s a basket case, I’ve owned it now for a decade, and I feel reconnected to my late father,” noted Gary. “The condition of the car requires extensive restoration, and it’ll be a massive undertaking. But it’s part of my late father’s legacy, and I’ll never part with it.”

Gary found a creative way to keep the Road Runner relevant within the Mopar hobby. First, he’s affectionately called it “Rag Doll” in reference to a hit song by the Four Seasons. “Both my dad and I loved Rock ‘N Roll oldies, and if you listen to the lyrics of “Rag Doll,” they sort of describe the Road Runner. I also got with Greenlight Collectables to make a 1/64 scale diecast car of the ‘Rag Doll’ Road Runner Convertible, and we sold quite a few during the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals while we had the actual car on display for fans to see,” noted Gary.

The future of the Road Runner’s rebirth might be on hold, but at least it’s back in Gary’s hands to forever remember his father. The Road Runner also serves as a reminder to us all of the impact this wonderful hobby that connects us with those no longer with us.