The 1978 Dodge Aspen Super Coupe was a limited edition vehicle introduced to inject some excitement into an automotive industry suffering through The Malaise Era. Just how limited it was seems to be a matter of conjecture. The owner claims that Dodge released 351 examples, which is one of the figures quoted by various sources. Others place the number at 494, while others state that the total was 513. Even if we take the highest figure as correct, that still represents a small percentage of the 166,419 Aspens produced during the 1978 model year. This one looks like a beauty, but it has undergone a change or two during its lifetime. The owner has decided to part with it, so he has listed it for sale here on eBay. The Aspen is located in Gadsden, Alabama, and the bidding has reached $12,099 in a No Reserve auction.
As is the case with many limited edition models, Dodge offered the Super Coupe in one paint color combination. It was referred to by the company as Sable Tan Sunfire Metallic, or to you and I, brown. The Super Coupe pack also included blacked-out sections on the hood and forward section of the roof, along with distinctive tri-color stripes. While the owner doesn’t mention it, the Aspen appears to have received at least a partial cosmetic refresh at some point. The giveaway lies in the black highlights. These should have a matte appearance, but the ones on this car have a deep gloss. The bumpers should also be black, but these have received a coat of the main body shade of brown. The remaining paint does hold an impressive shine, with no evidence of significant flaws or problems. The same is true of the panels, which have no visible dings, dents, or rust. The non-functional hood scoop is a later addition, but the remaining distinctive Super Coupe features like the front and rear spoilers, side window louvers, and the enormous fender flares are all intact. The standard Aspen rolled off the line on 14″ wheels, but these were upgraded to 15″ on the Super Coupe. These look like the original items, but once again, it seems like they have been restored.
The second half of the 1970s saw the American auto industry plunging deep into The Malaise Era. High-performance V8s seemed to be consigned to the pages of history, and there didn’t seem to be a lot for enthusiasts to get excited about. That means that while the Super Coupe could boast a 360ci V8 under the hood, it was an engine that only produced 175hp. What makes the Coupe a fascinating proposition is how it managed to fall through the cracks compared to other cars from this era. It could accelerate from 0-60mph in 9.5 seconds and whip through the ¼ mile in 17.1 seconds. Neither of those figures is particularly impressive, and there are plenty of 4-cylinder cars on the market today that can better both of those numbers. However, they actually look pretty respectable when you compare them to other performance cars available in 1978. For this comparison, I am only considering cars equipped with automatic transmissions, which was the sole unit offered on the Super Coupe. A Pontiac Trans Am would return figures of 9.6 and 17.2, while the Camaro Z28 returned 9.8 and 17.4. Even the entry-level Corvette took 9.4 seconds for the 0-60 and 17.2 for the ¼ mile. When you look at those numbers, the Coupe was by no means the slowest performance car on the market in 1978. As well as the 360 and a TorqueFlite transmission, the Super Coupe was produced by Dodge with power steering and power front disc brakes. The owner claims that this one has a genuine 61,000 miles on its odometer, but he doesn’t mention any evidence to confirm this. He says that the car runs and drives well, so it seems that this Dodge is a turn-key proposition for its next owner.
The spotless presentation of the exterior is matched by an interior that is just as nice. The black upholstery looks perfect, with no evidence of rips, splits, or other issues. The dash and pad are spotless, as is the console. The carpet and wheel are excellent, but we don’t get a look at the headliner. The original owner ordered the Aspen with air conditioning, and this appears to be intact. Someone has replaced the factory radio with a Pioneer CD player and has fitted speakers into the rear parcel tray. Swapping these items out would not be complicated or expensive, but whether it happens or not will depend on the buyer’s desire to retain the car’s originality.
The 1978 Dodge Aspen Super Coupe is not a high-performance car, but its capabilities are comparable with vehicles being offered by its competition at the time. Whether the build total is 351 or 513, it is still a rare beast. It appears that someone has treated the car to a refresh, and some aspects of it aren’t as it would have looked when it rolled off the production line. How much this may impact its value is hard to determine, but it certainly hasn’t deterred potential buyers. There have been 38 bids submitted to date, and there are still a few days left on the listing. I suspect that the bids will keep rolling in, so it will be interesting to see the final sale price on this largely forgotten classic.
Nicely sorted out, the steering wheel & hood scoop are additions. Looks good, a little too “look at me” for me; I’d love it to be a Road Runner, but oh, well. GLWTA!! :-)
1978..This car came out and should have been named after a certain movie of that year..”Saturday Night Feeble” It’s one of the cars that gave the Malaise era its name.
Ahh, give the malaise era a break, will ya? Believe it or not, new cars all smell nice inside no matter how much power is under the hood. The US auto industry did great in those years, sold all sorts of cars. Most of us didn’t need or care for the ability to win a street light duel. If anything, the biggest problems were occasional ill tempered running issues due to primitive emission controls. That is about it. Detroit put out some pretty nice iron in those years.
Interesting changes from when this car left the factory, most of them are pretty good. The paint changes? Good. The steering wheel change? Good. The stereo/speaker changes? Good. That hood scoop? Awful. Part of the “blame” for that is the excellent (appearing?) paint job that makes it difficult to see if the scoop looks tacked on or if it’s a possible tasteful modification. And since it is non-functional it seems pointless.
Not to my taste as it’s a bit too ” look at me ” but it is a good looking car, hood scoop notwithstanding.
BTW, I always thought these were black, dark brown is sure an odd color choice. But hey, it sure beats that avacodo green 90% of old Chrysler cars were painted in the late 60s to mid 70s.
Bumpers are also pushed in. I can tell. Many hate the 5 mph bumpers frm this era, but it looks truncated with them pushed in like that, IMO.
It’s super – says so right on the fender…
So wait the hood scoop isn’t functional? Well it’s got A/C.
Everything seems to have had a fresh coat of paint: door strikes, trunk lock mechanism, all chrome. Blech, and I like these cars.
First I see the AMX and now this! Both cars from my youth. Yea not performance breathing monsters but a visually appealing cars. Need to add some more garages!
Any Chrysler product from this era with the E58, E68 and E86 engine options get my attention. Imagining this Aspen with a Hellcat drivetrain. Regarding the OP car, hoping the original radio and air cleaner come with the sale.
Joe Sewell;
The engine in the car is a E57. Just a 360 with a 4-barrel, single exhaust, mild cam. Oddly, for 1979 (only) you could get the E58 360 (200hp, dual exhaust, mid-range cam-shaft) in this car, as well as the Road Runner. With a 3.21 rear axle the 0-60 time dropped to 8.7 sec’s. From what I’ve read the fuel tank was “centered” and allowed the full dual exhausts of the E58 engine. Of course you could still get the E57 360, as well as the E56 (2-barrel, single X) 360. However, for 1980 (when the cars; Dodge and Plymouth recieved the squared off front clip) the 360 was off the option list. Since there was a police package available for the Aspen/Volare, that even a civilian could get (by checking off the A38 block) the E58 (down to 190hp) could probably be attained.
Thanks! Info is always welcome.
What’s the old saying?.. “You can put lipstick on a pig…”
It has the look, unmistakable street cruiser vibe, maybe in ’78 it would have been right at home up against TA’s and Z28’S. There was a Plymouth version too, throw in the lill’ red truck by Dodge and we be cruisin’ in style!
Or throw in a built small block Dodge with proper driveline upgrades and no one is the wiser….”hey, what the heck was that thing?”
Stay positive, stay safe, and dont mess with the brown Dodge. Ya never know…..
I’d find it a service to buyers if every car from this era, in particular Chrysler products, were ceremoniously crushed.
The thought that in 30 years someone will pay huge bucks for one of these is depressing.
Wow, what a price for a car that has added on’s and other nonfactory like the black paint should not be gloss black. If this car is worth the money then what would my ’79 Dodge Magnum GT (E58, T-tops etc) be worth? About 1983 a Technical school classmate had a “Super Coupe” and me a ’79 Magnum GT. Both had the 360 Police Package. We would race 0-60 MPH in between evening classes. I beat him every time by almost a car length. From then on I called his car a “Chicken Coupe” instead of a “Super Coupe” .
It’s a little bit odd to see this Dodge equipped with a set of Plymouth Volaré tail lamps…
That ids odd Poncho.
Maybe they put on the pieces they could find.
Parts is parts.
My coworker had one he called it sugar bear it rusted out badly in 3 years here in the East
It held it’s own for the era!,but a hellcat drivetrain would tear that car apart, unless substantial modifications were made,which would be very expensive, but it would be fun to watch….until it went into a wall,or did summersaults after over correction by driver an interesting disco era car,but I need my chrome!!
(Makes loud, wet, raspberry sound). That’s all I would give for this.
SOLD for $23,200.
Do the wheels look odd to anybody else?