Media | Articles
It Ain’t Perfect, but This ’71 Plymouth GTX Sold for All the Right Reasons
The B-body platform carried a lot of water for Chrysler Corp. in the late 1960s. The Dodge Charger, Super Bee, and Coronet, as well as the Plymouth Belvedere, Satellite, Road Runner, and GTX all owed their existence to it, with a range of V-8s from 318 to 440 cubic inches available underhood.
By the time the completely redesigned B-body appeared for 1971, however, it’s fair to say the bloom was off the rose. The company’s E-body Cudas and Challengers might have been at height of their powers, but Mopar’s upscale muscle machines were on their last legs. Perhaps no variant took it on the chin as much as the GTX.
The new “fuselage” styling was not for everyone. The cars looked big, maybe too big, with squared off wheel arches front and rear and a polarizing chrome front bumper that completely encircled the grille and framed the quad round headlights. Convertibles had long been part of the B-body fray, but for 1971 they were gone. Available engines in the GTX included a pair of 440s—one breathing through a four-barrel and making 370 horsepower, the other featuring a 3×2 Six-Pack and making 385 hp. The 426 Hemi, with dual fours, made 425 horses. No matter which engine one chose, it was a torque monster; even the base 440 made 480 lb ft.
Just 2942 GTXs were built for 1971, the final year of production, and most were equipped with TorqueFlite automatics. From 1972 until 1974, the GTX name continued only as a badge applied to Road Runners equipped with the optional 440.
The matching-numbers 1971 Plymouth GTX seen here sold this week for $36,750 on Bring a Trailer. Looking very much the part in its Tor Red respray, it still features its original “Super Commando” 440-4 and three-speed automatic, putting power to the rear wheels through a Sure-Grip limited-slip differential. Riding on 15-inch Cragar Keystone wheels shod with Cooper Cobra radials, it included rear window louvers, a deck spoiler, hood pins with a black stripe package across said hood, power steering, front discs, and dual exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers. The interior is your standard black vinyl with front buckets and rear bench, with A/C, woodgrain trim, an aftermarket radio, and a pistol-grip shifter. The odometer shows 88,000 miles, and a cold-start video revealed a big-block eager to fire after a few pumps and then settle into a deep, loping idle.
Marketplace
Buy and sell classics with confidence
The seller is said to have purchased the car just last year, and his reason for selling is simple—and honorable: “The car is for sale to avoid converting a solid matching numbers vehicle into a restomod, which is what I prefer.” As you might imagine, this made many Mopar enthusiasts happy in the comments section.
This GTX is far from perfect, with noted prior damage to the rear, some rust holes in the trunk, a workmanlike undercarriage, and a paint job claimed by the seller to be “7.5 or 8 out of 10, showing well but not perfect.” So many muscle cars have sacrificed their originality for new ideals of reliable power and drivability, so it’s refreshing when someone takes a step back to see the bigger picture, even with a relatively low-spec car with obvious imperfections that rates as a solid #4 (fair) condition driver.
There’s little to be gained financially from completely restoring this GTX. Values have remained relatively flat for some time now, and the best in the world is “only” a $100K car. But that’s not the point. And while some will argue its best days are behind it, they’d get an awful lot of pushback from the Mopar faithful who would, rightfully, counter that its best days are just beginning.
Find more values
Search for prices of other cars, trucks, vans and motorcycles
The “fuselage” look may not be as sexy as what preceded it, but it sacrificed nothing in toughness.
I’ve 2nd owner-d my #’s 70 GTX 440+6 4sp 3:54 trac pak 65Kmi for 25yrs.Indeed the impulse to modernize suspension,Fuel induction & trans is strong,I would want to buy it again as is,oppose to those changes !$
I’ve looked for a well equipped 71-72 GTX for years, hard car to find.
Danny Plotkin
I always have preferred the Plymouth version of this bodystyle over the Dodge, particularly this versus the Charger.
The previous versions were great designs. Tough follow up. But. This is a lot of car for the money. That sound, the callout, and AC. You’re gonna be using that car like that a lot more than one with a heavy clutch and no AC.
I think they look fine. Not the prettiest mopar but still fun regardless.
I did not like these cars when new. Now i think they are great.
A big big round of applause for the owner selling this unmolested version instead of converting it into the restomod he desires. We’ve all seen too many nice clean examples of a fairly pick-a-rare car that have gone under the knife when a more common and numerous example would have been more than acceptable. A valid consideration more people should make.
It is a feat to find this car in this condition period. Most were trashed/rusted/beaten to a pulp. Glad he resisted the urge to alter it.
Nearly perfect from my perspective. Just lose the Keystone Klassics and all will be well. Nice fuselage B-body.
I actually loved the look of these, even more than the prior gen, which was just a Charger rehash to me. I’d give the rear a lift and throw some wider meats on this one.
The ’71 Mopars were a big disappointment for me and everyone in our street racing community. Heavier seeming and derivative. I called them the new Mopar GTOs because of their resemblance to the GM A bodies ’69-’72. Unfortunate styling just as performance was heading south.
That wraparound bumper is the cat’s fanny the 68-70 were ok but you could still tweak these round ones to do the job!!
I know pictures can be deceiving, but this looks a lot better than a #4 condition. I would think #3 would be more appropriate.
After my car was wrecked (not a Chrysler) back in 2003 I was looking for another. Mine was built to drive every days and I did through about 2010. That means a lot of upgrades, including a more modern engine and trans (which I was able to salvage from the wreck). I passed on a couple similar cars for the same reason — they didn’t need much to be nice restorations. A friend found a car in good shape (no rust, everything there) but still needed paint, interior, and an engine and trans (originals were just worn out). Perfect for what I intended!