When Metallica bassist Jason Newsted went looking for a classic muscle car in the summer of 1993, he had a very particular set of criteria in mind. The result is this 1969 Plymouth Road Runner convertible, a black-on-black drop-top that Newsted bought in Northern California using royalty money from the band's self-titled 1991 record, better known as The Black Album. More than three decades later, the car is heading to auction on Bring a Trailer with a current bid of $20,000 and five days remaining.
The Black Album connection runs deeper than the funding. The car had been refurbished shortly before Newsted bought it, and during that roughly 1993 freshening it was repainted in 12 coats of black and clear. That detail reportedly sealed the deal for Newsted, since Metallica's latest album at the time wore black cover art and contained 12 tracks. Newsted owned the Road Runner for 32 years, and he signed and dated the passenger-side sun visor.
A signed copy of Metallica's self-titled album accompanies the car, along with spare parts and paperwork from the 1993 acquisition. The Plymouth is now offered in Florida on dealer consignment with a clean California title held in Newsted's revocable trust.
The car was a fitting choice for a rock musician. Plymouth built 2,128 Road Runner convertibles for 1969, and just 1,111 of those paired the 383ci V8 with the TorqueFlite automatic, as this one does. It left the Saint Louis assembly plant finished in Black Velvet (paint code X9) with a black vinyl interior and a black top, a build date of January 8, 1969.
Exterior details include an "Air Grabber" hood with driver-operated red-grilled intake openings, Road Runner graphics, dual chrome racing mirrors, a fender-mounted antenna, front vent windows, rectangular side-marker lights, reverse lights, chrome bumpers, and dual exhaust outlets exiting beneath the rear bumper. The power-operated black convertible top has a zippered rear window and is paired with a black parade boot. The seller notes that cracks in the paint are visible in the listing's photo gallery.
The car rolls on chrome-finished Cragar S/S 15-inch wheels wrapped in 245/60 Maxima Radial GTS tires. Braking comes from power-assisted front and rear drums, with the brake master cylinder and three brake hoses replaced in May 2026. The steering is power assisted as well.
Inside, the front bucket seats and rear bench wear black vinyl, and woodgrain trim accents the center console. Other features include front headrests, courtesy lights, a Chrysler Solid State AM radio, a heater, black carpeting, and Road Runner-graphic embroidered floor mats. The factory air-conditioning system is no longer fitted. The three-spoke steering wheel has a horn ring, a leather wrap, and a Road Runner "Beep! Beep!" center cap. Instrumentation includes a horizontal 150-mph speedometer, a clock, and auxiliary gauges for the alternator, fuel level, and coolant temperature, while an Equus oil-pressure gauge has been added ahead of the shifter. The five-digit odometer shows 38,000 miles, roughly 2,000 of which were added under Newsted's ownership; true mileage is unknown.
Under the hood, the 383ci Road Runner V8 was factory rated at 335 horsepower and 425 lb-ft of torque through its four-barrel carburetor. Recent service includes a carburetor rebuild and new fuel pump and fuel filter in 2022, a replacement thermostat and housing in May 2026, and an oil change in spring 2026. Power reaches the rear wheels through a TorqueFlite A727 three-speed automatic transmission.
For Mopar enthusiasts, the trim tag confirms the convertible's specification, including the V3X black top, N96 fresh-air hood, P37 power top, A62 Rallye instrument cluster, C16 woodgrain center console, C55 front bucket seats, the E63 383ci four-barrel V8, and the D32 three-speed automatic. The H9G engine code denotes the 335-horsepower 383 built for the 1969 model year at Saint Louis.
The combination of low production numbers, genuine celebrity provenance, and three-plus decades of single ownership makes this Black Velvet Road Runner an unusually well-documented piece of muscle-car and rock history. Bidding is live now on Bring a Trailer.
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