RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM

The Upscale Muscle Car: 1970 Plymouth GTX

Considered a “gentleman’s muscle car,” the upscale Plymouth GTX two-door hardtop was restyled in 1970, offering cleaner side body panels along with revised front and rear fascias. The grille had a unique telephone-receiver look to it, the taillight treatment was changed, and the car was no longer available as a convertible.

Plymouth’s Rapid Transit System

The GTX was a member of Plymouth’s Rapid Transit System performance car marketing program, and to add the visual excitement those times demanded, these cars were available with high-impact paint colors, including In Violet (purple), Limelight (green), Vitamin C (orange), Tor-red, Lemon Twist (yellow), and Moulin Rouge (pink).

Supercar Clinics and Promotion

Special Supercar clinics were conducted at Chrysler-Plymouth dealerships across America by Sox & Martin and Don Grotheer for Plymouth to promote the GTX and other Rapid Transit vehicles, such as the Road Runner, the Duster 340, the Sport Fury GT, the ’Cuda, and the SuperBird.

Standard Features and Engine Options

The GTX was known as the RS23 model within the dealership showrooms, and it came standard with extra-heavy-duty shocks and suspension, driveshaft and U-joints, rear axle, 6-inch-wide wheels, battery and brakes, as well as bucket seats and a Power Bulge hood.
There were only three engines available: the standard Super Commando 375hp, 440cid V-8; the optional 390hp, 440cid six-barrel V-8; and of course the optional 425hp, 426cid Street Hemi. Transmission choices were either a high-upshift, competition-type Torqueflite automatic or a heavy-duty four-speed manual transmission. The rear-axle ratio is 3.55:1.

The Appeal of the GTX in 1970

“No Brag, Just Fact” was how the GTX was presented in the factory brochures, and there was little question that if you could afford one, owning a GTX was a way to show that you appreciated great performance wrapped in the finer things of life. With a base price of $3,535, the GTX was some $600 more than the lesser-equipped Road Runner, which was no doubt why the stripped Road Runners sold in much higher numbers. More than 40,000 Road Runners were produced in 1970, while fewer than 8,000 GTX examples were produced.

A Factory FC7 Car with Desirable Options

This particular GTX is a factory FC7 car, which, translated, means it was painted In Violet metallic from the factory. Other desirable options included the E87 6V 440+6 three two-barrel engine with the vacuum-operated N96 functional Air Grabber hood scoop. This car also has white side stripes and a black hood stripe—both factory options—along with a center console. An automatic was the chosen transmission, with the optional 15-inch wheels with F60-15 Goodyear Polyglas rubber. Other options included power disc brakes, power steering, and AM radio. The car was sold new at the Andis Motors dealership in Greenfield, Indiana, with a retail price of $4,193.70.

Current Ownership and Restoration

Today, this Plymouth is owned by Mopar collector Bill Sefton, who enjoys the car immensely, as he takes it on cruises in and around his native home in Scottsdale, Arizona. The beautiful restoration took place in New York by the previous owner, Ron Sannini. He deciphered the original option codes, as the car had the original broadcast sheet, which documents the factory equipment along with the fender tag. These information sheets typically were inserted in the seat springs under the rear seat. Not all cars came with broadcast sheets, which are also referred to as build sheets, and some came with the wrong build sheet for the car. When you find a vintage Mopar with this paperwork, it adds value to the car and is an excellent way to verify options and to ensure that the car is properly restored.

The Rarity and Desirability of the 1970 GTX

A fully documented Mopar muscle car is a highly desirable machine to own these days, especially one that was painted with a high-impact color. This car is rare, as only 328 ’70 GTX models came through with the 440 six-barrel engine and Torqueflite transmission. While this example is super-detailed and in top museum condition, Sefton isn’t afraid to take it out on the open road and let it loose so those three Holley carburetors will open up all the way—just as one would expect from a Rapid Transit vehicle.