Of the 503 Dodge Charger Daytonas built in 1969, how many do you think were crushed and made into washing machines, I-beams, and K-cars? This story, a junk yard find of epic proportion, takes place in the 1980s when some people still saw these Chrysler wing cars as ridiculous gas-guzzlers, but others were beginning to understand their place in history as one of the most outrageous cars sold during the golden age of muscle. Thanks to our reader Michael, who spotted the story here on msn.com. After their rescue, this red Daytona and a blue one, saved from the same junk yard, waited for restoration until at least 2007.
Though these older pictures date to the 1970s, both cars were subsequently vandalized and had many parts stolen, including the iconic wings, before John Borzych, aka “Mopar John,” acquired them in 1982. Unbelievably he purchased replacement wings and other key parts from NOS (New Old Stock) inventory, much as you could for a 12 year-old car today.
To homologate the cars for use in NASCAR, Chrysler built 503 Dodge Charger Daytonas in 1969, and 1,920 of the similarly wild Plymouth Superbirds in 1970 (pictures and some details courtesy of msn.com).
After a glorious restoration the red Daytona holds the power to strike grown men mute, silent but for the sound of drool spattering the floor at their feet. These amazing cars, resplendent in their excess, once lingered on the sales floor, simply too much for many enthusiasts. Now they represent the Holy Grail of barn finds. A dentist in my home town stored one in a garage barely wider that the car itself, and all my motorhead friends couldn’t help but look up the driveway when passing, just in case the garage door was open. What’s your Chrysler “wing car” story?
Being a teenager in the early 70’s in Santa Monica California I had seen similar fate of the muscle cars of this era. My “wing” story is of 2 super birds sitting at the corner of 23rd and Pearl for at least a couple of years. They would move once a week to the other side of the street and back again for street cleaning . As time passed on, the paint was fading and the only washing the winged cars received is when it rained. One day they both were gone, never seen again.
The time I saw one was in the early 90’s in the south burbs of Chicago on route 1 next to a hospital. Im sure back then the owner got it for a few grand and a song.
It was blue if I remember…
Thankfully they only made a few. Although they were successful in NASCAR, they had to be the ugliest cars ever produced by Chrysler.
Circa 1978/79. Northwest RI.
In one front yard for sale, 3 Superbirds. 1 Petty blue, 1 yellow, 1 orange.All 3 were 440 4bbl, column automatic. Price? $1900 each or all 3 for $5000. Might as well been 5 million, as I had neither.
Where is that wayback machine when you really need it?
Not really successful in nascar. they are what lead to mopar leaving. of course that was there own fault they built a car that was so far out of whack they were brining a AK47 to a water gun fight.
Actually there were pretty successful in NASCAR. in 1969 and probably would have been more successful had Richard Petty not left Plymouth for Ford because Plymouth didn’t have its own version. In 1970 the Dodges and Plymouths dominated, so much so that NASCAR banned the hemi engine. That’s why Mopar left.
Being in kid in grade school in the 70’s when these were new, one of the teachers drove a hemi orange daytona. Even then it looked out of place in the teachers parking lot with the wing sticking up so high. Drove it year round , even in winter. That must have been fun.
Mrs. Ecord?
There was a great episode on Restoration Garage where there are eight beautiful Superbirds in a garage.. You can watch it on YouTube. And drool!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v1CRF60ykI&app=desktop
Dang! It’s got the Joe Dirt wink too.
In October 1969 I was shopping for a ’69 Charger RT in the San Francisco Bay Area. I was phoning Dodge dealers asking about their left-over inventory of Charger’s. (I did not like the ’70 Charger as much as the ’69) When I arrived at Van Ness Dodge in San Francisco (auto row in SF in those days) the salesman I had talked to over the phone immediately steered me toward a red Daytona 440 automatic. They were tired of paying “bank flooring” for it and wanted to sell it badly. I took one look at the Daytona and told the salesman “my new wife will kill me if I bring this thing home”. Oh well,I did find the perfect Charger RT for me and owned it 31 years. Paid $3,871 out the door.
While in college in the mid ‘80’s, I dated a girl in Manchester, MD. On the drive up there, I always passed by an older lady’s house. Her driveway was packed with cars and a cab over truck. All white. In the mix was a wing car. She never would sell any of them. Years later when I drove by they were all gone. I wonder where that one ended up.
In 1991, a buddy and I went to the Talladega spring race. We stayed with another friend in Hoover, AL and drove by a orange ‘Bird that sat out in a driveway in his neighborhood for three days straight. I finally went to the (double front) doors and asked the maid if the owner was interested in selling it. She went away and came back with a negative response. Closest I ever came to scoring one. It was a 4 speed with no console, probably a #2 or better.
I’m thinking the steam has finally worn off some on these, for awhile, every Daytona (or Superbird) brought 6 figures. Unless they’re pristine, I don’t think that’s the case today. Personally, I never cared for them, and dealers couldn’t give them away. While they kicked aXX in racing, NASCAR was quick to outlaw them, however, they did soldier on in USAC, for a couple years, Norm Nelson, Roger McCluskey and others had great success with these.
My “Daytona story” is, many years ago, mid 80’s, I worked for an asphalt company, and we were doing a driveway at a farm in the middle of nowhere. There were several sheds on the property, and in one shed, I noticed a car under a tarp, that had something sticking up in the back. I had to go look ( nobody was there) and sure enough, it was a Superbird. Go figure.
My wing story was in the mid 70s was a orange one that sat under a carport. Never saw it move except 1 weekend.
It was on my block,but a Saturday afternoon came and I heard a loud car coming down the street. It was the wing car!!! wow what a sight. It was gone not long after that. Around the same time I believe to be a 289 crobra go buy a lot. A nothe guy in the area had a hemi GTX. A racer that I delivered the seattle PI had a 70 or so nova drag car. He started it for me once and about blew my ears. It was called NOVA CANE. I seen a modle made after the car,cant stop now ,one more. One my way to jr h/s was a 60s pontaic wagon, It was called THE WORM!! heard it was a winner . Great days then
Funny how several of us have Daytona or Superbird stories. Mine takes place in Superior AZ, a tiny mining town east of Phoenix. I first saw it in a pole barn 30 years ago and stopped, walked up and checked it out. Dusty but complete. 25 years ago went back, talked to the guy and he was moving to South America and would sell it for 25K…If I only had that kind of scratch back then…
I knew a guy in Buffalo N.Y. who had 3 Superbirds or a mixture of Daytonas all entered in the Clutch Artists car show one year around 84?
The local Chrysler dealer was about a mile from where I grew up. I remember an orange Superbird sitting in the showroom, then on the lot, then in the back of the lot. It took a couple of years before the dealer finally sold it.
I went to school with a guy who’s father had a white 440 auto Superbird & a 69 Camaro Indy Pace Car. He eventually got an offer on the Bird he couldn’t refuse so he sold it. The Camaro followed a few months later.
1976: Driving down I-75 to Florida, I spot a red dot rapidly approaching, and then, V-ROOOOMMM, a Daytona blew past my 70 Charger as though I was standing still!
1980: Saw an ad for a Superbird, price listed as $800! Even as I frantically dialed the number, while clutching my checkbook, I realized, and it was confirmed by the seller that one zero had been left off! (BTW: He had a good sense of humor, considering all the calls he received!) I was willing to take a chance on bouncing a check for $800, but no way for $8,000! LOL! :-)
1971 , vacant lot, bottom of the 6th, I was deep right field. Sun setting on Detroit literally and figuratively. Corner of Fairfield and Mcnichols. Red Superbird and generic hipo Mustang at the light. In the blink of an eye the ‘ bird laid two black streaks on the pavement. walking away from the Mustang. Lord help me, many ballast resistors later, I still love a Mopar.
My Wing car story, saw a 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona under a cover, the rear wing and the daytona decal and a tail light was the only thing visible, it was on 188th street next to where my son lived in Lynwood Wa, its been about 4-5 years, only thing i could find out was there was a divorce going on, the dude was in jail and the wife was gonna sell it, it was a sad story.
kkw that’s just click bait!
Saw one once on the street in my hometown circa 1977 or 78. So long and w that raised wing it was just odd looking on the street. Sort of like a toy for a giant that got mixed up w the normal cars. The guy was trying to street race someone else. Probably got wrapped around a pole eventually.
In the early 70’s when I was a kid, my friend’s dad had one of these covered up in the garage. I was totally fascinated with the huge wing on the back and was asking him all sorts of questions about it. He had absolutely no interest in the car and only very grudgingly answered my endless questions. His dad liked it, his mom hated it, so it stayed in the garage. In the 5 years they lived in the neighborhood, I never ever saw it on the street or out in the driveway. It was always in the garage and covered.
Danny DeMello had a yellow suprbird
In high school (1974) . His local chases with the Lexington police
We’re legendary. We loved it and him
My story comes from around 1980. At a car show in White Bear Lake, MN. A guy tried to sell me his Hemi Orange 5000 mile Superbird (440 SP too with a 4 speed!) for 5 grand, said his girl friend was pregnant and he needed to get married. Finishing up college at the time and it wasn’t going to happen, plus sure not practical.
1986 or so I was 16 and in the hunt for my license. One of my friends had both his license and a car. We were driving on Rt 95 in MA when we see a car in front of us with this huge wing. Odd, because it was an older car. We pulled up next to it and saw the nose cone me and my buddies started pointing and laughing at it. We thought it was someone’s idea of a custom car.
I told my Dad about it later. He filled me in about it and how rare they are. I had a better appreciation for them afterwards.
For context, most of us loved exotics (Ferraris and Lambos) since Miami Vice was big at the time. We were all thinking “some day”.
I think all of us would rather have a muscle car.
1978 / Tanner Street Lowell Massachusetts . Junkyard alley with low dollar car lots in between . At one sat a beat up 1970 Superbird for 700 bucks …
My winged story was 1988-89 and a friends dad had a 70 Superbird 440 6pk 4 speed car in the garage. He never drove it , completely original right down to the tires and belts with 18k miles if I remember right. His parents went to Kentucky for the weekend so we took the car out on a Saturday night and cruised main St in the next town over. It wasn’t titled, plated or insured and hadn’t been since the mid to late 70s! We put a in-transit repair plate on it and headed into town. As soon as we hit main St the police pulled us over just to get a closer look at this bright yellow winged car in their little town. Long story short, they impounded the car (on a flatbed thankfully) and left us standing at a party store parking lot. A car full of girls offered to give us a ride back home. The rest of the night we thought “how are we gonna get the car back before your parents get home?” Needless to say I called in a few favors and got the car released from impound and we drove it straight back into the garage hours before his parents came back. I was lucky enough to drive the car home for bailing my buddy out of a life of hell with his father. That’s one experience I’ll never forget……the time I drove a Superbird!
Not a real Daytona or Superbird, but came across some kids that had a convertible with a wing and nose on it. It would have been a fun toy if it had been for sale.
Two wing cars sitting in a junk yard. Unbelievable! Whodathunk those cars would become so expensive and desirable today? Many years ago I passed on a 63 split window Corvette because it needed a trans and some TLC. The asking price was $900. That makes me officially the stupidest man on earth.
In the summer of ’79,I had the honor of doing a valve job on one of these winged warriors in my driveway.Yes,I had access to a valve grinder set up at that time.Remembering back,that car was magical-as that are today.The sick part of this story is I had it running like a raped ape and 2weeks later the owner sold it for $2300.
I saw my first wing Mopar in Brandon, Manitoba. It was the Plymouth dealer on the west side. Sticker was $6270.00. That was a lot of dough for a car in 1970. It sat around on the lot for a while but after that I never saw it again. It was a White Superbird.
There’s a guy who brings one to the shows in Winnipeg sometimes, but I believe I heard him telling someone it is a clone. If it is it’s a pretty nice one. Trailers it in a 2 car gooseneck hauler.
Growing up near Cumberland, Maryland…on the way to High School our bus rode past a house with a Petty blue Superbird in the driveway. I wasn’t sure if I liked it for not but it certainly turned my head. I much preferred my Science teacher’s red ’72 Olds 442!
The Daytona, Superbird with hemi ruled on superspeedway and were first cars to go over 200 MPH, drivers went on strike at daytona because of the speed and bias ply tires. I believe Charlie Glotchbach ” not sure on spelling” won
Daytona in 69. In 71 NASCAR forced them to run a 305 cu in engine. So yeah they were VERY successful in NASCAR
The 69 Daytona 500 was won by LeeRoy Yarbrough in a Ford. Chrysler’s winged cars dominated in 1970, and the Torino Talladega’s in 1969. In 1971 they both were limited to 305cu.in. It was NASCAR owner’s attempt at putting an end to factory aero stock cars.
Note the correct Dodge dog dish caps that were on the Hemi Cuda…..
I’ve told this story before, but a local dealer ordered three Superbirds in1970 and, of course, couldn’t give them away. He called me and offered me my pick for $3,600. One was a hemi. Unfortunately I was making $125 a week at the time as an aspiring journalist, so the price may as well have been $36,000. Wasn’t in this guy’s budget. Had to be satisfied with my 67 Nova sport coupe, 327, 4-speed ($2,650 out-the-door).
Back in 1985, I had some money to spend on a car. I had it between a ’70 Corvette and a winged car. I always wanted either one, and at that time, they were about the same money.
Since that money was burning a hole in my pocket, I decided to go for the Corvette since I could get one close-by. The closest winged beast was via Hemmings and 2 states away.
I really enjoyed that Corvette, but no one could or would have predicted that the winged cars would go through the proverbial roof.
Only to some people. I never cared much for them. The wing is not so bad but I just can’t stand the ugly hunk of metal hanging on the front. Looks like the car was 6 foot long in front of the front tire. I for however appreciate them as an American muscle car.
Living in the heart of NASCAR country the winged warriors of ’69 & ’70 weren’t total oddities. A friend purchased a new Petty blue Superbird in 1970 and drove the car in fair weather. During mid-70’s I witnessed an almost as desirable Charger 500 sitting in a discount store parking lot. I never came this vehicle again. Those were the days
I know this is over a year ago post, but the Daytona actual production numbers are, 499 Daytonas made. Not 503. 40 were Hemis. Period. Not 70. No arguments. I have every serial numbered real Daytona, dealer sent to when new. My first Daytona was in November, 1971.
I grew up in Crossgates in Brandon, Mississippi and somebody in the middle of the neighborhood had a yellow one that stayed covered in the garage. Never saw it on the road. Cheers!