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The Plymouth Superbird was introduced in 1970 and shared many similarities in design to the Dodge Daytona. The Superbird was based on the Plymouth Road Runner except for the airfoil and nose. The Road Runner was based on the Belvedere but given Warner Brother cartoon figures and a horn that made a 'Beep Beep' sound. To inspire sales and to compete with the other muscle cars of the day, these vehicles were given large and powerful engines.
The spoiler on the Superbird was higher and more angled than the Daytonas. Part of the reason for mounting the wing so high was to allow better access to the trunk. Under 90 mph, the wing was basically useless.
Rules changed on the NASCAR circuit for 1970, making it hard to homologate a vehicle for racing. The rules for the year prior stated that 500 examples had to be produced before being allowed to race on the stock car circuit. For 1970 the rules stated that at least one example had to be built for each dealership.
There were three engine choices available. The Super Commando 440 V8 with a single four barrel carburetor was the most popular of the engine options. With 375 horsepower and 480 foot-pounds of torque, the Superbird could accelerate from zero-to-sixty in just under six-seconds.
With the 440 cubic-inch V8 with Six Pack, the quarter-mile was achieved in 14 and a-half seconds at 103 mph. The most expensive and most powerful engine available to the Superbird was the 426 Hemi. The 425 horsepower engine carried the Superbird from zero-to-sixty in just 4.8 seconds and reduced the quarter-mile time by almost a second.
During its production run lasting only one year, 1920 examples were produced. The vehicles outfitted with the Hemi engine are the rarest, with only 93 examples produced. 1,162 examples were outfitted with the 440 and single four-barrel carburetor. 665 examples were built with the 440 Six Pack.
Part of the reason for the low production figures was the controversial oversized wing and angular nose. Also, the cartoon characters and 'beep-beep' horn were 'love-or-hate'. The performance was undisputed and the top speed was unbeatable. Throughout the early part of the 1970's, Plymouth continued the production of the Road Runner. Though, due to increasing emission and government regulations, the horsepower era of the 1960's was coming to a close. Insurance premiums were costing more and many felt that these high powered machines were unsafe for the road. This would bring about a whole new trend of fuel-efficient luxury machines replacing the bare-bones, high performance, muscle cars.
When the nose on this 'Bird was stuffed, it was repaired by Richard Petty....and then autographed. This impressive muscle car is a Concours 1st place winner.
The spoiler on the Superbird was higher and more angled than the Daytonas. Part of the reason for mounting the wing so high was to allow better access to the trunk. Under 90 mph, the wing was basically useless.
Rules changed on the NASCAR circuit for 1970, making it hard to homologate a vehicle for racing. The rules for the year prior stated that 500 examples had to be produced before being allowed to race on the stock car circuit. For 1970 the rules stated that at least one example had to be built for each dealership.
There were three engine choices available. The Super Commando 440 V8 with a single four barrel carburetor was the most popular of the engine options. With 375 horsepower and 480 foot-pounds of torque, the Superbird could accelerate from zero-to-sixty in just under six-seconds.
With the 440 cubic-inch V8 with Six Pack, the quarter-mile was achieved in 14 and a-half seconds at 103 mph. The most expensive and most powerful engine available to the Superbird was the 426 Hemi. The 425 horsepower engine carried the Superbird from zero-to-sixty in just 4.8 seconds and reduced the quarter-mile time by almost a second.
During its production run lasting only one year, 1920 examples were produced. The vehicles outfitted with the Hemi engine are the rarest, with only 93 examples produced. 1,162 examples were outfitted with the 440 and single four-barrel carburetor. 665 examples were built with the 440 Six Pack.
Part of the reason for the low production figures was the controversial oversized wing and angular nose. Also, the cartoon characters and 'beep-beep' horn were 'love-or-hate'. The performance was undisputed and the top speed was unbeatable. Throughout the early part of the 1970's, Plymouth continued the production of the Road Runner. Though, due to increasing emission and government regulations, the horsepower era of the 1960's was coming to a close. Insurance premiums were costing more and many felt that these high powered machines were unsafe for the road. This would bring about a whole new trend of fuel-efficient luxury machines replacing the bare-bones, high performance, muscle cars.
When the nose on this 'Bird was stuffed, it was repaired by Richard Petty....and then autographed. This impressive muscle car is a Concours 1st place winner.
| | View more photos Coupe Chassis Num: RM23U0A177565 |
The season opening race was the Daytona 500, which was won by a Plymouth Road Runner Superbird driven by Pete Hamilton for Petty Enterprises.
The Plymouth Road Runner and Dodge Charger were built on the same Chrysler platform. Even though this was the case, there were many differences between the two. The bodywork was different and the Superbird's nose was one inch longer than the Charger's. The wing had a raised entry angle that swept back farther and inclined towards the body's centerline.
This 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird was offered for sale at the 2007 RM Auctions in Amelia Island, Florida where it was estimated to sell between $200,000 - $250,000. The car is powered by a 440 cubic-inch V8 engine that is capable of producing 375 horsepower. There is a three-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel power-assisted drum brakes. The aerodynamic body rests comfortably on the 116-inch wheelbase.
The cars first owner was a 16-year old boy from North Carolina. He was too young to purchase the car so his mother signed for it. The boy claims he raised the money to purchase the car, $4,298, from his paper route. On January 4th of 1971 the enthusiastic driver was given a ticket for 'Failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision.' The accident caused damage to the front of the vehicle. The Chrysler-Plymouth dealership did not have replacement parts, so he got them from Petty Enterprises. The street nose was replaced with a NASCAR racing nose. The differences are slight, but visible. The NASCAR unit has two sets of spoiler mounting holes and a subtly different shape.
Since new, the car has traveled just over 5000 miles. It has been treated to a restoration which has brought the vehicle to like-new condition. The original spare tire and both jacks can be found in the trunk.
At auction, the car was left unsold.
| Coupe Chassis Num: RM23U0A175667 |
For the following season, Plymouth wanted to imitate the successes of its sibling company with their Road Runner Superbird. By now, rules required a higher number of vehicles to be constructed to satisfy the homologation requirements. Satisfying this rule only allowed them to qualify them for racing on NASCAR's two high speed ovals, Daytona and Talladega.
The season-opener was the Daytona 500 which was won by Pete Hamilton driving a Petty Enterprises Plymouth Road Runner Superbird. The Superbird was built atop the same mid-sized Chrysler platform as the Dodge Charger, but the two cars were uniquely different, evident in the bodywork. The Superbird had a nose that was 1-inch longer than the Changer's and had a raised entry angle.
The rear wing on the production based cars did little other than turn heads. It was given this height so that is could allow enough room for the trunk lid to open without interference with the wing. For the NASCAR entries, the angle of the wing and the height were carefully tested for each track to provide optimal performance at speeds.
Most of the road-going Superbirds were equipped with plenty of luxury and convenience options, as well as performance equipment. The list includes the 375 horsepower 440 Magnum V8, Torqueflite automatic transmission, performance axle, power steering, power disc brakes, black vinyl roof, and hood hold down pins.
This 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird is finished in Lime Light Green High Impact color which was original to the car. It was special ordered without the rear transverse tape stripe. It came from the factory with bucket seats, console, tinted windshield, undercoating, outside mirrors, AM radio, rim blow steering wheel and Rallye road wheels.
The engine in this car has the period-correct Edelbrock three two-barrel carburetor intake manifolds that were used on the production 440 Magnum Six Barrel engines. The dashboard and the inside of the light wing were signed by Richard Petty.
In 2007 this Road Runner Superbird was brought to the Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club in Carmel, California where it was auctioned at the Bonhams auction, An Important Sale of Collectors' Motorcars and Automobilia. Bidding reached a high of $98,000 (plus premium and taxes) which was enough to satisfy the reserve and the lot was sold.
1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird |
|
| Year | 1970 |
| Make | Plymouth |
| Model | Road Runner Superbird |
| Body Style | Coupe |
| Engine Location | Front |
| Drive Type | Rear Wheel |
| Price | $4,300.00 |
| Weight | 3785 lbs | 1716.9 kg |
| Combined MPG | 0.00 |
| Chassis / Engine Numbers Shown | |
| Chassis Number | RM23U0A175667 |
| Chassis Number | RM23U0A177565 |
| Performance | |
| 0-60 mph | 5.9 seconds. |
| 1/4 Mile | 14.26 ONDS @ 103.7 seconds. |
| Engine [Optional Engines] | |
| Engine Configuration | V |
| Cylinders | 8 |
| Aspiration/Induction | Normal |
| Displacement | 426.00 CU IN. | 6982.1 cc. | 7 L. |
| Valves | 16 valves. 2 valves per cylinder. |
| Valvetrain | OHV |
| Horsepower | 425.00 HP (312.8 KW) @ 5000.00 RPM |
| Torque | 490.00 Ft-Lbs (664.4 NM) @ 4000.00 RPM |
| HP to Weight Ratio | 8.9 LB / HP (Vehicles with similar ratio) |
| HP / Liter | 60.7 BHP / Liter |
| Vehicles with similar horsepower and weight | |
| Transmission Information | |
| Gears | 3 |
| Transmission | Automatic |
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Automobile information, history, and statistics from concept to production. | © 1998-2008 Conceptcarz.com
Automobile information, history, and statistics from concept to production. | © 1998-2008 Conceptcarz.com