Given the NASCAR history and the collectible value of an aero car such as the 1970 Plymouth Superbird, it’s difficult to see this Mopar as anything but a legend nowadays. However, back in the day, not that many buyers were in love with the extreme styling, which is one of the explanations for the limited number of Superbirds and Charger Daytonas. Fortunately, this example, which was apparently traded in to a used car dealer just two years after rolling off the production line, is now enjoying the attention it deserves.
More than five decades ago, Plymouth came up with the Superbird. Based on the Road Runner, the aero car was born as a brother to the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona, whose racing version became the first NASCAR racer to top 200 mph (322 km/h). And there was another reason for the introduction of the Superbird, as Plymouth was looking to bring NASCAR icon Richard Petty back on board.
However, with the ever-changing NASCAR rules taking out these aerodynamic monsters and the said street car appeal limitations, the Superbird was only built for the 1970 model year (the Charger Daytona had a similar fate, albeit involving the 1969MY).
Thus, only 1,920 Superbirds were produced and while prices vary wildly these days, a good-condition example, which this one should become (more on this below), can easily fetch over $200,000. However, a recent record sale for an all-original example featuring the range-topping NASCAR-inspired HEMI V8 saw the price going as high as $990,000.
This Superbird had a tough life
The Superbird was recently acquired by classic and muscle car collector Steve Volla, who is sharing the troubled history of the Mopar machine with us on Instagram.
As mentioned above, the vehicle was traded in to a used car dealer in Irving, Texas around 1972. Then it went to an owner who kept it until 2001, when it was taken to North Dakota and locked inside a barn.
In those twenty years the Superbird spent gathering dust, stories about the car naturally started spreading. One thing led to another and somebody told Volla about the car and the man decided to take this home.
The enthusiast plans to give the Plymouth some serious TLC—while the vehicle “needs work”, there’s nothing in the images above that would lead one to believe the car has serious issues.
Under the hood, we have the 440 four-barrel (single-carb) delivering 375 hp—this sits below the said 426 HEMI and the 440 six-barrel featuring a trio of double-barrel carbs.
The V8 is mated to a three-speed automatic, which, as the man explains in a comment on one of the Instagram posts showcasing the Mopar, he intends to keep.
The B5 Blue exterior and white interior make for an enticing combo, so while it might take some time to get this Superbird back in proper shape, the Plymouth will be amazing once the work is completed.
Be careful when bidding on these muscle cars
Returning to the classic muscle car market mentioned above, we’ll remind you of how car collector Tyler Hoover (aka Hoovies Garage on social media) got a hold of the cheapest Plymouth Superbird in America last year for $130,000.
The enthusiast’s MO often includes getting the most affordable example of a coveted machine and trying to bring it to a decent state. Alas, when grabbing this ’70 Superbird off the Bring a Trailer auction platform, he got scammed.
And while the platform did return its $5,000 fee, the tons of issues the car has, which range from the non-functional “Beep-Beep” horn to critical problems like the unsafe suspension setup, have already required tends of thousands of dollars to fix. In fact, you can see Hoover telling the story in the VINWiki clip at the bottom of the article.
