John L. Smith, (Jack Smith) or as the “Father of the Road Runner,” has passed

[Mopar Nut]

https://www.allpar.com/news/2017/09/passed-father-of-road-runner-38461

[68X426]

Sorry to hear this, I hope he had a very full an happy life.

I've met folks who knew him and all said he was a great guy. RIP.

[Ghoste]

I got to listen to his talk at the Nats a few years ago and it was great.  An interesting man and a good storyteller too.  Spoke to him privately then too and he was very approachable.  My favorite story he told that day was about Miss Road Runner.  He said that once the car took off and he became the go to guy, everything to do with it had to go through him.  There was a receptionist at a Plymouth ad agency (as I recall, could have been a vendor but I'm sure it was ad agency) that he nicknamed Miss Road Runner.  He had no idea what her actual name was but he saw her as the typical young American girl next door.  He had a photo of her in his office and whenever someone from marketing had a new gimmick they wanted to add to the Road Runner, he says he wold point to the photo and tell them that the average Road Runner buyer was a young single male who was mostly interested in picking up girls, convince me (Jack) that your idea will help the buyer get that girl.

[aerolith]

TOP BLOKE, as we say in England!

God bless Jack, a true legend of the Mopar World.
I never had a Runner but a 69 R/T Charger worked just as well, when 'lookin 4a lass'...

Aerolite