Honest Survivor: 1970 Plymouth Superbird

A well-preserved version of a dream car, this 1970 Plymouth Super Bird represents nothing if not opportunity for someone who has always wanted to own a winged warrior. It’s up for sale by VanderBrink Auctions, with a current bid over $150,000 and the sale lasting another two weeks. If you want in (it’s somewhat faded; it’s not cheap), and you win, you’ll have to send a big old truck to Denver, Colorado to pick the car up. Eventually, you’ll drive it to your first cruise-in, and you can tell your own version of the high-winged Super Bird/Dodge Daytona saga.

Almost as important as what you get in the car itself is the paperwork binder(s) that come with it. There you’ll find build sheets rescued from beneath the seats and paperwork that goes back decades. This in addition to the original brochures and other authenticating evidence that is part of the deal. And if all of that isn’t enough, there’s the story itself, an oral history that recounts the one-woman ownership that prevailed for much of this Super Bird’s history.

As to the mechanicals, you’ll get a 440 V8 with Six Pack carbs. This is shifted by an automatic on the floor console, perhaps a bit of a letdown, but ultimately probably productive of a gentler, better driving experience than with a rip-roaring four-speed stick. The engine has under 58,000 original miles, and while there’s no claim of its fitness for road use, the implication is there that this car has been driven over the years—enough to keep it in useable condition, but not enough to be needing mechanical overhaul. The accompanying video shows the car backing up and moving forward again, accepting a goosing of the throttle, and pleasantly reverberating, but not producing any smoke.

Since this is a used car, you’ll also get some damage to the hood, faded front fender brake scoops, and paint that doesn’t look quite true to color, though it is assumed original. This due to the keyword “survivor” which is used a couple of times in the ad. That term can be imprecisely applied, as has been seen many times, but taken strictly, it means a car that has survived intact from the factory with mostly original body and mechanical parts. You’ll often see, “Survivor with one repaint in the factory color.” To me, that’s not a survivor, but the term is not qualified in this listing, so one presumes that the exterior finish is as delivered. The enthusiasm the ad has for the car would certainly seem to be in that direction. If your fondest car hopes have you headed to this same place, then here’s your chance. How close to a quarter million bucks is this one going to draw?