The way the 1970 Plymouth Superbird came into existence is an improbable story about NASCAR dominance, and an example of just how much Chrysler wanted to win. Here is a Plymouth Superbird, a wild and crazy Mopar muscle car with a provenance to match its rarity.
In the midst of the muscle car wars the place where many of the skirmishes were fought was on NASCAR racetracks. Putting it gently, Ford and Chevrolet were handing Chrysler its lunch by the end of the 1960’s. It wasn’t even close. It got so bad that “the King” Richard Petty himself abdicated his Plymouth throne to move over to Ford in 1969. That may have been the final straw for Chrysler. The order came from on high that they would do anything to win in NASCAR.
They even pulled a rocket scientist from their federal rocket program with the U.S. government during the space age to help design an aerodynamic car that would dominate NASCAR tracks. By the end of 1969 they came out with the Dodge Daytona Charger, a winged car that looked a little crazy back in the day. But it won most of the late season races in NASCAR that year. They knew they were onto something.
Plymouth was then able to lure Richard Petty back into the fold because they came out with their Winged Car version, the 1970 Plymouth Superbird. But for 1970 NASCAR rules required that Plymouth build over 1,500 winged Superbirds for sale to the public. Less than half of the 1,920 Superbirds built at the factory actually were sold as new cars that year. The rest took up room on the dealer’s lot. The winged wonder was just too over the top for new car buyers to warm up to. Chrysler did not care. All that mattered is that they win in NASCAR. And they did.
That sets us up for one of the great stories of today’s collector car market. Muscle car collectors will now pay up to $300,000 for one of these winged warriors in today’s market. This week, Specialty Sales Classics In Pleasanton, California has a rare and impressive 1970 Plymouth Superbird in their showroom. The amazing Tor-red Superbird has the factory Super Commando 440 big block motor fed by a Six Pack. It comes with a black vinyl roof and interior. They say they have the original broadcast sheet on file plus a folder of full of documentation proving its authenticity. With sensational body lines and world-class performance, Specialty Sales Classics says it is easily one of the premier examples available on the open market today. (Click this link to read an extensive history on this rare 1970 Plymouth Superbird.)
What is interesting about this big block Superbird is its ownership history. The current owner of this 1970 Plymouth Superbird Hardtop purchased it in Florida back in 1974 from the original owner. From there, he drove this amazing classic muscle car cross country to his home in California. It has remained there the past 45 years with almost a complete lifetime of documentation showing proper care and maintenance. There is simply no guesswork on this amazing survivor.
Specialty Sales Classics tells us it is one of the most impressive examples they’ve ever driven, including Superbirds that were professionally restored from the ground up. “You simply will not find a more impressive survivor on the open market,” they stated.
They have prepared an interesting walk-around video for our readers to view. Here is a chance to inspect the condition, and to hear it run. Click the video window below:
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