The Caravan of Speed
"The Caravan of Speed" — Plymouth's Rapid Transit System Traveling Roadshow
“Everybody offers a car. Only Plymouth offers a system.” - PLYMOUTH 1970 AD CAMPAIGN
With his unique imaginative ability to tell a story in watercolor, Michael brings to life the excitement and exhilaration of seeing, hearing, test driving, and ultimately buying some of the hottest muscle cars that Plymouth's innovative and highly successful Rapid Transit System roadshow brought to dealerships in the early '70s.
In 1970, following quickly on the heels of the launch of Dodge's Scat Pack, Plymouth implemented The Rapid Transit System, a performance plan that included Plymouth's street cars, as well as the company's NASCAR, NHRA, and Trans Am racing endeavors. The idea was that all these cars were part of the same 'system' and that parts and know-how were now accessible to Plymouth owners wanting to get the most performance out of their muscle cars that their wallets would allow. And, it wasn't just an ad campaign ... dealerships were encouraged to create Rapid Transit System Centers, where they stocked cars in the most vivid colors, housing the biggest engines, and featuring the most aggressive wheel, tire, and rear-end gear ratios available. But Plymouth's most innovative promotional effort? The Rapid Transit Caravan.
The Caravan was a collection of new cars—a 'Cuda, Duster, and Road Runners—that were modified inside and out with eye-catching paint and body mods designed by Hot Wheels' Harry Bradley and finished by Roman's Chariot Shop, Byron Grenfell, and Styline Custom, under Bob Larivee's supervision. Adding to the excitement, it included vibrant banners, performance parts displays, big block engines, Superclinics hosted by race car drivers, and even real funny cars.
In this painting, Michael gives us a perfect day when during an era of exciting and innovative automotive marketing, Plymouth's Rapid Transit Caravan has drawn a crowd at the dealership. You can feel the energy as, with big smiles on their faces, the enthusiastic soon-to-be-new-car-owners ooh and ahh over Plymouths impressive offerings. Along with the Duster and both Road Runners that sparked his interest at MCACN (The Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals), Michael chose to include the stunning 'Cuda from the original Caravan, Don Pruhomme's 'Cuda funny car, and several stock versions of the cars being promoted. Bringing together the RTS cars of 1970 and '71, Michael created the ultimate "Caravan of Speed".
SPECIAL RELEASE COLLECTOR EDITION: A limited number of the reproductions (200 Limited Edition Prints) have been imprinted in the lower margin with Michael's "Caravan of Speed" Remarque, where he has painted the 'real' cars (GTX, 'Cuda, Road Runner, Duster, Sport Fury GT), replacing the black silhouettes of 'Plymouth Rapid Transit System' logo. Only the first 10 Gallery Edition Canvas orders will have the Prive Remarque printed on the right edge.
- LIMITED EDITION PRINT: 31"x24" (limited to 800) Printed on 10pt satin finish, acid free, museum quality stock - shipped rolled in tube.
- GALLARY EDITION CANVAS: 51" x 36" (limited to 50) Heavy weight acid fre, archival quality canvas - shipped stretched on frame and ready to hang.
