It was 1967 and Dodge had a problem. In masterful anticipation of the market’s needs, Plymouth was ready to offer a low-priced muscle car, called the Road Runner. Buyers needed the Road Runner. Muscle cars had grown in size, weight, features, and power – as well as price. A less expensive option was sure to sell well. Searching for a solution, Dodge dressed up the compact Coronet with its mid-range 383 cu. in. V8 augmented with performance parts; a gauge cluster similar to the Charger; heavy-duty suspension; iconic cast metal “Super Bee” emblems- and then marketed the heck out of it. Sales amounted to fewer than 8000 copies in the launch year of 1968, but more than 27,000 found buyers in 1969. Dodge underperformed the 84,000 ’69 Road Runners sold, but that only serves to make the Bee one rare bird. Here on eBay is a 1969 Dodge Super Bee project car, bid to $14,700, reserve not met. This car was imported from a barn in upstate New York to Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and it has a clear Colorado title.

My favorite part of the Super Bee is its engine; this one probably hasn’t seen much action, because it sat in that NY barn from 1976 to 2021. Still, though it turns, the motor will likely need a rebuild. The 383 cu. in. V8 wears a four-barrel carburetor, and its cam, heads, and free-flow exhaust manifolds come from Chrysler’s powerful 440 cu. in. Magnum, contributing to a 335 hp rating. This car has an A-727 three-speed automatic – a nearly ubiquitous and notoriously tough gearbox. (Speaking of which! Anyone know what British car also used the 383/A-727 combo?) Performance from this package is more than adequate: 60 mph arrives in about 6.8 seconds. Our seller is meticulous about showing casting numbers on most of the car’s parts and reconciling those to the fender tag.

Ok, everything needs work, including this interior. But the dash isn’t cracked, the glass is great, the car is optioned with air conditioning, and the seller even has part of the original build sheet along with registration documents. The trunk floor is fairly and its original mat is with the car, albeit a bit tattered. Bucket seats and the center console are sporty options.

The body has its foibles: a few dents, rusted areas here and there. Tbe torsion bar crossmember needs to be replaced, and the seller recommends patching the driver’s rear frame rail. The rear bumper is kinked. While this Super Bee isn’t the high-option Hemi engine, nor a six-pack, it has its virtues – numbers matching, some documentation, nicely optioned. Personally, I hope the new owner keeps this car as original as possible – but what do you think?