This ‘70 Superbird Icon Is Ready for the Road

The seller says this 1970 Plymouth Superbird recently for sale on eBay is ready to cruise. Its 440 Six-Barrel engine and manual transmission—with the iconic Pistol Grip shifter—will make it a blast to drive. The Buy-It-Now price is $230,000.

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Born in the Wind Tunnel

The Superbird and its cousin, the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona, were the result of NASCAR’s late-1960s aero wars between Ford and Chrysler. Each had big-cube engines with plenty of power. Finding more speed meant improving their car’s aerodynamics.

Ford Torinos and Mercury Cyclones were early adopters with fastback rooflines. Chrysler countered with the slick 1969 Dodge 500. Its flush grille and back window plug erased areas of major air turbulence in the Dodge Charger’s body.

Ford fired back with the sleeker Torino Talladega and Mercury Cyclone Spoiler. They forced Mopar engineers back into the wind tunnel. This time they emerged with the most radical-looking race car of the era.

All About Downforce

The Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird are instantly recognizable by their pointed nose cones and tall rear-deck spoilers. These additions generated significant downforce. At first, they pushed the fenders down onto the tires, tearing them up.

Race teams sorted these issues quickly. Charger Daytonas won 22 races in 1969 despite their late-season entry. The Daytona was also the first stock car to run over 200 mph on a NASCAR superspeedway.

The 1970 Superbird continued the wing-car winning streak. Chrysler’s NASCAR teams amassed 38 wins to Ford and Mercury’s 10. Richard Petty earned 18 of those wins in his Superbird.

Yet, for the sake of the show, NASCAR chief Bill France would not allow that kind of domination. New rules restricted the cars, forcing their departure after another successful season in 1971.

In the Limelight

Plymouth made 1,935 Superbirds in 1970, the only year it was produced. The “RM23U” in this car’s VIN identifies it as an authentic Superbird. Its fender tag indicates it left the factory painted Alpine White, equipped with the standard 375-horsepower, single-carburetor 440 V-8, and automatic transmission.

All Superbirds have vinyl roofs and faux air extractor vents on the front fenders. This car was repainted in eye-catching Limelight, a Chrysler High Impact color also called Sublime by Dodge.

The 440 now sports Plymouth’s Six-Barrel induction. The option consisted of three Holley two-barrel carburetors on an aluminum intake. In factory tune, it raised output to 390 horsepower. A Hemi four-speed manual transmission replaced the automatic. An electric fan keeps the big-block motor cool.

Excellent Example

The photos in the eBay listing show the car to be in excellent condition, inside and out. Panel fit around the nose cone looks to be within factory tolerances. The black bucket seat interior is spare save for the towering shift lever with its wood-grained Pistol Grip handle. The Superbird rolls on correct Rallye wheels and reproduction Goodyear Polyglas tires.

Superbirds with Hemi engines and matching-numbers drivetrains command close to seven-figure prices. This one, at $230,000, would be perfect for the wing-car enthusiast who wants to drive it—and not just preserve it.