When I first saw this car, I didn't understand what it was and turned my back on it. But there's no reason to underestimate a Superbird!
The ugly Duckling
When I saw this car for the first time I thought: What is this? Has anyone had fun in the garage? I turned my back and took pictures of the other cars - those serious the classics, and left the ugly duckling alone.
So many gorgeous hardtops Plymouth has made! Why ruin such a beautiful car by putting a beak on the front and a wing that looks like a towel rack?
I didn't understand what this was.
It's about NASCAR and stock car racing where teams compete with "regular" cars, although it is clear that it was not the base models that competed. These were cars that were specially built to win NASCAR. But according to the rules, competitive models also had to be produced and offered to the general public. Once the car manufacturers' racing teams had come up with a possible car, they had to produce the same car in a certain number for distribution in their own dealer network. When Plymouth entered the Superbird in NASCAR in 1970, the rules stated that the manufacturer had to make at least one car for every other dealer in its network. Therefore, 1.935 Superbirds were made and distributed to the dealers.
The Superbird wasn't built to fulfill customers' wishes – it was built to win NASCAR.
It was a victory!
Plymouth's star driver, Richard petty, had had several victories in the past with the Roadrunner, but it did not have the speed resources necessary. The solution was a beak at the front and a solid wing at the back. The Chrysler group had made the same move earlier with the Dodge Charger and saw that it worked. However, the aerodynamic effects had to be tested and carefully tuned to achieve the desired results. In retrospect, several attempts have been made, but no one has been able to ascertain whether the Superbird cars perform better than the host model Roadrunner. Probably not. The explanation may be that the aerodynamic effects were adapted to racing cars that were lowered for track driving - not the cars you drove on the road.
What happened to the cars at the dealers?
The cars were only produced for 1970 for two possible reasons. One is that NASCAR changed the rules for 1971 with regard to engine classes, so that the Superbird could no longer participate. Another reason is that many of the cars received a lukewarm reception in the sales premises. Many had reacted in the same way as me. Unsold cars were converted into Roadrunners. But not everyone turned their backs on the Superbird. The cars quickly gained many fans.
Replica kit
One of them was Ted Janak who started making parts to convert cars to the Superbird look – or replica. Eventually the hobby turned into a business. He started the company Winged Warrior Body Parts which can supply everything you need to convert your 1970 Roadrunner into a Superbird (link). One can also rebuild the 1969 Dodge Charger in the same way. The first car to get a beak and wing was the Dodge Charger Daytona. There are videos online that show conversions in practice. You can also search for parts on Ebay. At the moment there is a "nose cone" for sale for NOK 72 and two rear wings for NOK 000 and NOK 42.
Later popularity
Recently, there is one car that has piqued my interest in the Superbird. It is about a "survivor" offered by a Dutch dealer of enthusiast vehicles (link). The car is in pristine original condition, put away in 1985. It is offered for €179, but when you read the fine print, the seller wants to refurbish and deliver the car in mint condition for €500. Just over NOK 325 million is a lot for an unrestored car. A few years ago you could get a fully refurbished car for the same amount. At the moment I find 000 other cars for sale for respectively €2 and €2. A few years ago you could get them significantly cheaper. This may mean that prices are on the way up.
Real or replica?
With rising prices for the Superbird, it becomes important whether the car is real or a replica. Remodeling has been going on for decades. Owners of Superbirds themselves may not know whether the car is real or a replica. Something that can cause confusion is that the cars that Plymouth itself produced were also conversions. The rear window, for example, is smaller on the Superbird than the Roadrunner. Plymouth welded in a new frame, and on some cars it will be possible to see welds - even if they have been sanded and polished. That's why all Superbirds were supplied with vinyl roofs. The difference between real Superbirds and replicas is that more replica kit body parts are made from fiberglass - not metal - and screwed in somehow.
The chassis number (VIN) of a genuine Superbird begins with 'RM23U' - where the 'U' indicates the model.
Facts Plymouth Superbird 440
Drivetrain
Engine: 440 V8 (7,2 liters) with 4-barrel carburetors. 380 hp.
Net weight without driver: 1838 kg
Height, length, width: 561 x 194 x 156 cm
Top speed: 201 km/h
0-100: 6 seconds
Source: Automobile-catalog.com
Number of cars left in the world: approx. 1000
As of July 2011, there were 4 known Superbirds in Norway.
Appeared in Cars (2006)
Richard Petty's Superbird from Nascar 1970 had a role in the famous cartoon "Cars". It was Richard Petty himself who gave voice to the car.
See
