Here is a rare bird indeed, the one-year-only 1970 Plymouth Superbird, for sale or trade on eBay. Located in Prior Lake, Minnesota, this Superbird is one of only 135 Hemi-powered examples. The Lemon Twist bodywork, paint, interior, motor, and other details are show-quality. The asking price is $999,999 or the seller will trade for the same car in Blue Fire or Limelight, even with concessions including a non-original motor or bench seat. The Superbird was homologated for NASCAR like its sibling, the Dodge Daytona. In 1970, NASCAR hiked the required number of dealer-sold cars to achieve homologation from 500 to one for every dealership, resulting in the production of 1935 Superbirds including 35 to 45 apparently shipped into Canada. Sales were woefully slow, and lots were finally cleared by offering deep discounts. The sales performance belied its success on the track, where the car so dominated that NASCAR found a way to ban it by changing construction rules. Of course, Plymouth and Dodge had incorporated a few cheats that boosted performance, such as those reverse scoops on the front fenders. Carving out the bodywork below those encouraged downforce. To hide the purpose from NASCAR, which allowed body modifications only for tire clearance, Plymouth claimed the carveouts were necessary for … tire clearance. Just one more instance of Whack-a-Mole between NASCAR and car constructors.
Hulking in the engine bay is this beautiful numbers-matching 426 ci Hemi V8 – good for 425 hp – paired with the original three-speed TorqueFlite automatic. Sprinting from zero to sixty in slightly over five seconds, with a top speed of around 185 mph, the Superbird also boasts a very low drag coefficient of about 0.3. The slippery nose and high rear spoiler all work at speed to pull the car down onto the track.
Befitting a show car, the interior is as nice as you will ever see. The console and bucket seats are rare options. On the other hand, every Superbird received a vinyl roof to hide work done to tilt the rear window, consisting of a plug to fill the hole between the C-pillar and the glass. At Dodge, that work was finished and painted, but Plymouth needed to make almost four times the number of cars for homologation, so slap and dash it was.
The seller provides plenty of documentation including this broadcast sheet showing the components used to build the car, the 1970 factory warranty. an appraisal, a chronicle of the car’s ownership, early registrations, and a handwritten note from the first owner. With a small population of cars to choose from, this has to be one of the more original, valuable examples in existence. Here’s a comparable Superbird that sold for over $1.6 million. How far the Superbird has come from the discounted car on the back lot that wouldn’t sell! The ask on this one is probably about right.
“… the seller will trade for the same car in Blue Fire or Limelight, even with concessions including a non-original motor..”
That’s a little odd-here’s a $1mil car that he’s willing to give up for another in a different color regardless of complete originality??
Hmmm.. if it’s a trade because he’s more than one of these and wants another of a different color he hasn’t got, maybe, but there’d be a need for a substantial cash boost one would think.
“Something doesn’t smell exactly right” said the foreman at the Limburger cheese factory..
LOL! I am a big fan of Limburger. And made about 13 miles from me. https://chaletcheesecoop.com/
Is it possible this is one of the hurricane Ian cars??
The one I think you’re talking about was red I believe .That was the one that landed upside down.I think that was a plymouth.The other was I think Petty blue.I saw the red one at a car show last year all smashed up from landing on the roof .You can double check me on the internet for the colors I could be wrong but the guy had a display with a huge sign and pictures with the hurricane story.That I remember and it was last November.He said he was going to restore both of them .
Holy cow, I just Googled “hurricane superbird” and got this article. I think I’m going to be sick…
https://www.motortrend.com/features/hurricane-ian-damaged-daytona-and-superbird/
Mike has it on his link. It was the orange one I saw.That was in Rosemont IL.donald stephens convention center rod and custom show.
Why would you think that?
let me go to the bank..lol!
Loved Roadrunners since they first came out in 68. My brother had a new 70 with 383 auto trans. Boy did it haul mules. My dream car has always been a Superbird since 1970. Wonder if the bank will give a guy a 75 year ARM loan? 🤔
Is that an aftermarket speaker in the middle of the door panel under the armrest?
Jeff … You are correct! That is a door speaker. It could of been installed at the dealership or after the first person purchase the Superbird. That cover is from the 70’s. I remember seeing this bird when it was in NY. I was in a car club and seen plenty birds back then. 🐻
I was lucky enough to go Mopar car shows. And see plenty of Superbird and Daytonas .. Superbirds had 440-4.. 440-6 and HEMI. I saw Superbird up close back and sat behind the wheel in the 70’s .. At one time any one of us could of bought a Superbird cheap crazy huh? Then the muscle car fever was kicking in. And anything with a Hemi could not afford! My number one car I always wanted was a Superbird. I just wish I grabbed one when I could have afford it. But the saying goes hindsight is 20/20. With the economy today I’ll be very very surprised if somebody buys this for the price he’s asking. Unless they have Bitcoin! 😂 It was nice seeing the Superbird on barn finds good luck to the seller. 🇺🇸🐻
Wow. ……maybe its not alll about the money!!
I guess its just another day with quality problems.
Oh well sucks to be him, hes saddled with a 1 of 130 hemi car and he cant paint the toy, so he has to trade to get what he really wants( the blue one)
Myself i think i would just try and tough it out with the yellow one.
But good for him , might as well get what you want.
Why wouldn’t you just spend $30K and paint it the color you want? That would lessen its value a fraction compared to a NOM car.
Agree that someting cheesier than Mobier ( in deference to Lindberger) is going on here.
Check out the 6 other parts listed for sale.
Laughing my ass off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck selling this for a Mil !!!
I remember being able to buy these for way under sticker. I remember ten years later being able to buy them for even less than that. You know what has changed since then? Nothing, then as now, I still feel they are a foolish unbalanced car that has problematic headlamp design and no curb clearance. Plus a huge cop magnet. We all knew back then, that to speed with any immunity, you needed a car that blended in. This was, and still is, a car for show offs that lack common sense.
My dream car ! Tried like crazy to get my dad to buy the one in kalamazoo ! He sure looked at it. I guess it wouldn’t matter he would have sold it a couple years later without giving me the opportunity to buy it. 😢
I was a teenager working at a Chrysler Plymouth dealer when these were new. One day, a hauler shows up and on top is a yellow one. It wouldn’t start. We had to get long jumper cables and get it running, long before these jump packs of today. The dealer had us wash it, put it in the showroom, one car showroom at a family owned dealership. Try and find that today with these mega dealers that own 100 franchises. Anyway, it sat, sat and sat. One day, we were busy and had I couldn’t find a clean spot to hang my chamois, used to dry the cars after washing. I took it and hung it over the rear wing. I hear stories that Chrysler even bought some of these Birds back and returned them to Road Runners so they could sell them. Who knew they would be worth what they are today. I have money today, but not $1 million for a play toy. Pass.
185mph 😒
No OD no 6 speed that thing would need to be screaming at what 7500 – 8000rpm ?
20 years ago these were going for $125,000. It’s only for saying I can have it and you can’t.