Classic recollections: 1971 Plymouth GTX Kirk & Lynn Phillips, Lisle
Sometimes it's easy to forget our beloved muscle machines, while born and bred stateside, are not just enjoyed by folks here in the U.S. These classics are appreciated by horsepower enthusiasts around the globe.
Back in 1971, there was one such aficionado who treated himself to a new Plymouth GTX, exporting it to his home in far away South Africa.
More than 30 years later, when Kirk and Lynn Phillips stumbled upon an Autumn Bronze Metallic car, the Lisle couple had no idea of the far-flung travels this vintage cruiser had taken.
“When we first got married, we drove a '72 Charger — bronze with a white vinyl top — and we were looking for something that reminded us of that first car,” Kirk said. As newlyweds, they enjoyed their brawny Mopar until the arrival of their first child, prompting them to exchange it for something a bit more practical.
However, by 2003 the couple was ready to get back behind the wheel of some vintage 1970s muscle.
“I found the ad for this '71 and fell in love with it, but it was actually Lynn who made the push to quickly buy it, and to keep it as it reminded her of our early years together,” Kirk said.
Their GTX was built in St. Louis specifically for its long trek across the white caps of the North and South Atlantic. To this day it retains special clues of its unique, non-stateside destination.
“The speedometer and odometer are in kilometers and (there's) the door decal, which reads ‘Manufactured for Export.' ”
That first owner opted for a powered sunroof — perfect for letting in the warm African sunshine — and a 440-cubic-inch V-8 paired with an automatic transmission, making for carefree savanna cruising. He also equipped it with front disc brakes, air conditioning, hood pins and dual exhaust.
The GTX remained on the sunbathed continent until 1990 when an interested English buyer purchased the car and had it shipped to Sussex. The Plymouth went on to swap hands a few more times in England over the next decade, lastly going north to Worksop for a spell in '01 before heading back west to the land of its birth.
It wound up in the hands of an enthusiast in Minnesota, who sold the globe-trotting GTX to Phillips.
“We fell in love with the car because of its looks but now have become just as excited to learn even more about its past,” he said.
The couple has even gone so far as to contact two previous British owners, obtaining letters detailing their involvement with the classic, repairs that were made and even pictures of it displayed at car shows in the U.K. Despite tireless effort, Kirk has been unable to connect with the Plymouth's first owner in South Africa, but while he's searching, he and Lynn waste no time in hopping in the white bucket seats and enjoying their vintage vehicle out on the open road.
The Chrysler-crazy couple has driven the car to Columbus, Ohio, for multiple Mopar Nationals events and to Le Claire, Iowa, for the recent American Pickers Festival & Collectible Show, where they showed their GTX to TV celebrity and antique-aficionado Mike Wolfe of the show “American Pickers.”
While this four-wheeled jet-setter may have traveled far and wide, across several continents and between multiple owners, the one thing that remains constant, no matter where it is, is a passion for preserving and appreciating this piece of American motoring history.