The 1970 Plymouth Superbird is a short-lived modified version of the Plymouth Road Runner, featuring graphic images and a distinctive horn sound referencing the popular Looney Tunes cartoon character Road Runner. It was the factory’s follow-up stock car racing design for the 1970 season. The Superbird’s interior largely mirrored the Road Runner it was based on, with optional features such as upgrading to bench seats or sporty front buckets available in black or white.
The Superbird was an American automotive legend and icon, both on and off the NASCAR circuit. In 1970, Chrysler needed a car that could compete and win races on high-speed tracks. The interior of the Superbird was similar to its Roadrunner stablemate, with a clean and straightforward cabin. The top speed for the Superbird as factory equipped is difficult to estimate, but terminal speeds of 130 to 150 MPH would seem reasonable.
The Superbird was equipped with all the standard features of the Road Runner, including bucket seats, a floor console, and a pistol grip shifter. The car won a Gold award and the Judge’s Choice for Best Stock Plymouth at the 2014 MCACN show, where it made its debut. This Plymouth is a highly original survivor, reported to have been taken off the road in 1975 and sat in proper storage for over four decades.
📹 1970 Plymouth Superbird – Valued below the Owner’s price | The Appraiser
Episode 24: In this episode of “The Appraiser,” Colin looks over a 1970 Plymouth Superbird that, while not the top spec for the …
Why is the 71 CUDA so expensive?
The ’71 ‘Cuda, a rare and unique car, is available for sale at a price of $1, 155, 000. It features a unique quad-headlight fascia and chrome-ringed fender gills, making it a one-year-only design. The Rallye Red example, once part of the Steven Juliano collection, is a beautifully-restored example with desirable options like a six-way adjustable driver’s seat, Rallye gauges, and a performance rear axle with 4. 10:1 gears. The Belmont, a low, sleek roadster, features a 3.
9-liter version of Plymouth’s Polyspheric engine, a concept never seen production. The Hemi-powered version, powered by a 426 Hemi and TorqueFlite 727 automatic, is the top price paid for Plymouth’s winged warrior. The Hemi Superbird, a rare and powerful wing car, battled in NASCAR, making it the closest thing to a superspeedway car that could be purchased at a local dealer. The Tor-Red example is powered by a numbers-matching 426 Hemi and TorqueFlite 727 automatic, with options like heavy-duty suspension, max cooling package, power steering, and disc brakes.
What was the first car to hit 200 mph?
In 1927, Major Henry Segrave set a new record by driving a Sunbeam land-speed car to a speed of 203 miles per hour. The speed of 79 miles per hour was achieved on Daytona Beach, Florida, marking the inaugural instance of such a velocity being documented.
What is the rarest Superbird?
The Plymouth Superbird was a rare car with a NASCAR 426 Hemi engine, paired with a four-speed manual transmission or a Chrysler three-speed Torqueflite automatic. It was available in two versions of the 440 Super Commando V-8 with 375 or 390 horsepower. Only 126 Superbirds were built, making this configuration the rarest. Today, a Plymouth Superbird can sell for $100, 000-$200, 000, with rare examples fetching more. A 2019 auction saw bidding reach $3.
5 million for Richard Petty’s Superbird, but the transaction never happened. Trust Auto in Sykesville offers a wide selection of premium used sports cars, including the Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger, and Porsche 911 or Cayman.
Can the Plymouth Superbird go 200 mph?
Richard Petty will be operating a 1970 Plymouth Superbird stock car, which has achieved a speed in excess of 200 miles per hour, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed later this month.
How fast can a Superbird go?
The Superbird was a successful NASCAR car with a 426 Hemi engine producing 425 horsepower and a drag coefficient of 0. 28. It set a NASCAR record for 200 miles per hour in March 1970 at Talladega, marking the first advertised 200mph from a stock American car. The Superbird’s front-end styling and improved down force from the tail contributed to its performance. Richard Petty returned to Plymouth with the Superbird design, winning eight NASCAR races and placing high in others.
However, by 1971, NASCAR changed rules to allow cars with a displacement of five liters or fewer, and weight penalties were applied for big engines. This led to the extinguishment of the Superbird’s racing history. Rumors suggest that the streamlining features were considered garish or “out of stock” by NASCAR, but this is difficult to believe due to the vague relationship between an actual stock car and a current competing NASCAR.
Why is the Superbird wing so big?
The wings on the Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird were not positioned excessively high to facilitate the trunk’s full opening. Rather, they were placed at this height to ensure that the trunk opening would occur in clean air. This height is a natural occurrence for the trunk opening.
How fast could a Superbird go?
Plymouth introduced the Superbird to NASCAR racing in 1969-70, modifying a Roadrunner and installing either a 426 Hemi, a 440 Super Commando, or a 440 Commando with a six-pack carburetor. The car’s streamlined design, including an elongated nose, tall tail fins, and retractable headlights, increased top speed but only at the high end of the velocity curve. To qualify, 1, 920 cars were required to be manufactured, which was difficult to sell and sat on dealer lots for months.
Despite this, the Superbird was a success at NASCAR and beyond. The 426 Hemi produced 425 horsepower, and the zero to sixty acceleration was just 4. 8 seconds. The car had a drag coefficient of only 0. 28, making it the first advertised 200mph from a stock American car. The combination of front-end styling and improved down force exerted by the tail played a role in its performance.
Why was the Plymouth Superbird banned?
Wing cars, once used in wind tunnels for cutting through the air, have been banned from NASCAR for being too fast. This test confirms the bias of wing cars reigning supreme even years later. However, real-world results may be vastly different, as the 426 Hemi powering the virtual Superbird is rated at just 430 hp, which is semi-accurate to a stock-tuned street Hemi but not a racing version that would produce north of 600 hp without a restrictor plate.
A race between the two would not be inherently trivial for the classic Superbird, as other factors like a modern NASCAR engine and purpose-built chassis could affect the performance. The Superbird raced when they were based on factory cars and had a suspension to match.
How fast was the 1970 Superbird?
The Superbird was a successful NASCAR car with a 426 Hemi engine producing 425 horsepower and a drag coefficient of 0. 28. It set a NASCAR record for 200 miles per hour in March 1970 at Talladega, marking the first advertised 200mph from a stock American car. The Superbird’s front-end styling and improved down force from the tail contributed to its performance. Richard Petty returned to Plymouth with the Superbird design, winning eight NASCAR races and placing high in others.
However, by 1971, NASCAR changed rules to allow cars with a displacement of five liters or fewer, and weight penalties were applied for big engines. This led to the extinguishment of the Superbird’s racing history. Rumors suggest that the streamlining features were considered garish or “out of stock” by NASCAR, but this is difficult to believe due to the vague relationship between an actual stock car and a current competing NASCAR.
Is a Superbird street legal?
The Richard Petty tribute Superbird is a street-legal car that pays homage to the legendary NASCAR driver who ran one for the 1970 racing season. The car’s extreme detailing, including a big wing, bright color, and “43” markings, attracts young kids. The car was built with accuracy in mind, starting with a 1970 Belvedere hardtop as a donor car. The original competition car was documented at the Petty Museum in Randleman, NC.
The Superbird conversion package included 1970 front fenders from a production Dodge Coronet, modified to line up with the steel nose, enlarged wheel openings, and welded seams. The Superbird nose was also eliminated, eliminating the front side market lights. The car’s authenticity is paramount in the creation of this HEMI engine-powered beast.
Are Plymouth Superbirds road legal?
The Richard Petty tribute Superbird is a street-legal car that pays homage to the legendary NASCAR driver who ran one for the 1970 racing season. The car’s extreme detailing, including a big wing, bright color, and “43” markings, attracts young kids. The car was built with accuracy in mind, starting with a 1970 Belvedere hardtop as a donor car. The original competition car was documented at the Petty Museum in Randleman, NC.
The Superbird conversion package included 1970 front fenders from a production Dodge Coronet, modified to line up with the steel nose, enlarged wheel openings, and welded seams. The Superbird nose was also eliminated, eliminating the front side market lights. The car’s authenticity is paramount in the creation of this HEMI engine-powered beast.
📹 1970 – Plymouth Superbird Convertible – Exterior and Interior – Retro Classics Stuttgart 2016
Automobile Classics shows short clips of cars taken at international automobile shows. We are interested in the evolution of cars, …
The reason why they were so hard to get rid of when they were new was the insurance companies were charging ridiculous premiums to insure them. of course some of it was justified because early on any frontal collision would damage the nose which was essentially hand made and expensive to replace. Along with that and they feared anyone buying one would either race it on the track or the street.
I graduated from HS in 1980. Back then you could buy that car for less than $20K. But $20K was a pretty good pile of $$$ then. When I started driving there were a lot of muscle cars around with the big block V-8s and people didn’t want them because of the recent gas embargo by OPEC. So the high school kids drove them and burned them up. The parking lot of my HS was full of Chevelle’s, Chargers, Firebirds, Chargers, RoadRunners etc… I wish I’d bought a dozen of those cars and put them in storage.
These things are gonna’ go nowhere but down. The entire muscle car hobby is aging out. I’m 58 and I’m at the younger end of the hobby. I’ve owned Superbirds, Daytonas, a Hemi Charger, a Shaker Hood 440 ‘Cuda, quite a lot of muscle Mopars. Same thing is going to happen to these as happened to big dog classic prewar cars – the hobby aged out of them. When I was a teenager, I drove Road Runners and ‘Cudas to my job restoring Pierce-Arrows, Packards, Cords, and a host of other major cars for a local very wealthy collector who had 72 cars. I now own a ’29 Packard Club Sedan with all its original paperwork and a very interesting history, it was a ground-up restoration on a 29,000 mile car 20 years ago, and I paid less for it than it would have cost back in the early 1980s. I guarantee, it cost three times what I paid for it to restore it in 1999/2000. I’m still heavily involved in old Mopar restorations, I caution people all the time, buy these cars with your heart, not your head, because in the next decade, they are going to nose dive in value – the average muscle car enthusiast is 65-75 years old. In ten years, they’re not going to be that worried about the cars, they’re going to be more concerned about their kidneys functioning.
Its not just that. The main reason they were high on insurance is because they were the 1st production car to hit 200 mph. The insurance companies knew this. Thats why insurance is not cheap on theses gems of the past. Back in the day they were cheap to buy but the insurance was too high. The dealer blamed it on the looks of the car but thats not true. Most people would love too own this car. I know i would. There was also a special edition Camaro in 69. It had alot of hp. Very expensive for insurance. But if i could afford it i would put in in storage because it is a gem. 😮
back in the late 70’s in our neighborhood there were a couple of red/orange superbirds, one of which was the poorer of the 2, owned by someone who lived on “the wrong side of the tracks”. rumor was it had a 340 with an automatic, which of course makes no sense from a factory perspective. up until several years ago, I held out the possibility that there may have been a one off created as some kind of exception at the factory for one reason or another. given who owned it and where, it’s possible someone could have replaced the 440 with a 340 for whatever reason. the only thing I regret is not tracking the guy down and making him an offer. even in beat up shape, that thing turned heads and would have been a blast to drive.
I bought a wrecked 440 six pack Roadrunner when I was 17 in 78. I forget how much I paid, but it was the kind of money a 17 year old working in a garage would have. It was hit hard in the back, but with what I know now it was fixable. I stripped it for parts for a roadrunner I had that was a 383 car to build a clone. I scrapped what was left of the original 440 six pack car with the title. Later on I sold the clone I built to buy a 10 wheel dump truck. If you think that was bad, around the same time my buddy bought a Yenko 427 Nova with a blown up engine. We didn’t even know what a Yenko was then. I remember him tearing off the Yenko decals because he didn’t like them. Long story short, it ended up in his barn that then leaked in it for like 15 years or so. Then he came around and was telling us some “nut” gave him 3,000 for that old rusted out nova in his barn. A few months later he got educated and to this day if someone brings it up he leaves and goes home without saying a word
I was in the navy stationed in Charleston, S.C., when I saw my first 1970 Superbird (brand new) sitting on a Plymouth dealer’s lot. I was driving a stripped down 1969 Dodge Dart 340 Swinger I had bought in July of 1969 for $2,700. As I recall, the Superbird had a window sticker of around $4,500 (do not recall engine option and transmission). No way could I have afforded a car like that on my E-5 navy pay. But if I could have drove that car off the lot, I think I would have felt like king of Rt. 52 and I-26 (where I did a lot of street racing with my 340 Swinger). I was amazed at how the super cars were getting more and more power each year, spoilers, graphics, etc. I thought it was going to go on and on. Wrong! Then in 1971 Ford and GM started dropping engine compression, retarding camshaft and ignition timing, etc. (Mopar got in another year before they started cutting back performance. But as luck would have it, I had no idea we would have such powerful street cars like we have today.
Number 2 condition?!?!If the scale goes from 1-5, which is generally what I see in price guides, how can this not be a 1? If this is a 2, then what’s a 3,4,5? For this car to be this perfect and restored from reputable source, I’m really struggling to see how we can have only 5 number system. My cars wouldn’t make 5th condition
My dad used to drive one of these to work in the late “70s…He bought it as a winter beater……It had a trailer hitch on it and he would pull me and my friends behind it in the snow with a rope.😭😭😭..It was just a regular 440,4bbl,automatic,black bench seat….It was orange.He junked it out after the frame rails got pretty thin….He sold the engine and tranny to some guy who put them in a “race car”.My dad still has the hood hanging on his garage wall to this day and the A pillar chrome laying around somewhere…Good vid.👍👍👍
Had a chance to buy an identical Superbird in 1985 for $10k! Car was in Aragon,Ga. and was sitting off the side of a garage with no cover with about 7700 actual miles. All it need was a repaint.I couldnt raise the money at the time.Found out about 2 yrs. later Tim Wellborn had bought the car and restored it.Coulda, woulda, shoulda!
In 1970 when I was 11 years old the local dealer had 2 of these on the lot. One was Yellow and the other one was Brownish like color. I was blown away with the rear wing and I asked my father if we could stop by and look at it. My father looks at me like I was crazy and says “I wouldn’t be caught dead in that car”. Needless to say we didn’t stop and check them out! About 12 years later we had moved to Arizona and my Uncle came down for the Barret Jackson auction. Back then it was in a parking lot and 1\\20th of todays “experience”. The rage back then was the Shelby 427 Cobra roadster. While walking into the auction there was 2 entering the auction. The side pipes were making the coolest lump-de lump noise and I said to my father “You should buy one of these cars and sit on it for a year, you would make a pretty profit from the sale. He looks at me and says ” I wouldn’t give $2,500 for that piece of…..” I responded that the car was appreciating about $10,000 PER MONTH!! Went back the next year and sure enough the same cars were bringing $250,000 or $70,000 more than the previous year. Back then a Mercedes Gullwing was $90,000, Jag XKE Convertibles were $25,000, 1963 Split window Vettes were $15,000. My uncle was a Lagonda collector and had 2. One was pulled from a field in Singapore. He used to race it on Sundays around the local town. One was a racer and the other was a sedan. To say Cars have been a huge influence would be an understatement.
I knew a guy back some years ago that had a 70 Plymouth Super Bird…The odd thing about that car was it has a 426 hemi that came out of a 69 Daytona….Years prior when the cars weren’t worth anything the original owner had both a Daytona and Superbird…He took the Hemi out of the Daytona and put it in his Superbird because he wanted the extra power in the Plymouth because it was a better driving car and that’s the way it stayed….It was an odd car because of it…The guy was from my area he ended up selling it as a non-numbers matching car for around 70k around 2010
I distinctly remember a beige Superbird at local Concord MA dealership back in the day so I dunno about that “only” colors bit. I told the dealer I would be back in 2 years to buy it if they didn’t move it -dealer dude said a lot of looks zero buyers, it wasn’t going anywhere. A few dealers cut ’em up to make sell-able Belvederes out of them. I was 17. I ended up getting the ‘Cuda instead, lol. 👀
I respect the cars and owners that have went all the way and done a full nut and bolt restoration with all the correct everything with factory markings and all that so it looks like it just came from the factory. Having said that, in my opinion doing all that makes the car undriveable as it’s more of an expensive decoration than a car. Those cars were meant to be bought by everyday people to have fun with. I’d rather have a non numbers matching car that still looks good but not too good that you’re not afraid to enjoy it.
A car is worth what someone will give for it. I don’t put much confidence in appraisals. Every one I’ve had has been way off, on the low side. Today it’s worth x, tomorrow it’s worth xx, and next year it could be worth xxx. Then, after that, it could drop like a rock. Everyone wants the highest appraisal. I think I’ll just pass everything down to my kids and let them worry about it. No point in selling something for less than you gave for it, especially when you gave half what it cost today to buy it.
I would never pay anything near that for any of these things, even if I was a billionaire, just can’t see it 👎 they were junk when new and are still junk even restored, awesome running gear though. I remember these would sit on the car lots in the back till someone bought it, for up to 2 or 3 years . could buy a new 70 in 72 dealers lost money on every one of these I bet.
Unfortunate click bait title. The real story is the difference between a professional appraiser who is well versed with the current sales for these cars and the optimistic estimate by an enthusiastic owner. No drama here. Even the owner was quite accepting of the difference of opinion. Otherwise good article of how to properly appraiser the value of a classic car.
I have seen actual survivor examples, that said, I think the restorations tend to be over done. That car has a lot of body color paint in places where there are normally black parts and the factory paint shop thought about body color paint as the gun passed by that area. The most recent one I saw was a survivor because it was a grocery getter so yup, they are out there and in the strangest of places.
I like to drive my cars, no garage art, no investments just drivers all 14. Each time l drive my 72 365 GTC, 70 Ghibli SS, 75 Countach or any of the other cars it is an event and l’m smiling the entire time. Not too long ago a friend let me drive his blue Superbird with the six pack and 727 auto. I have to say it only real attribute was the looks it received. The steering was slow and numb, wallowing suspension, poor brakes and from a dead stop not very fast. I’m not saying it’s not worth $200k but to anyone who expects some magical street going Nascar racer it is not. It’s just an old Plymouth with a funny nose. It’s value lies in it’s historic value and it’s prestige amongst American car collectors. This one looks like a fine example
In 1970 I drove a car exactly like that one at a car lot in Wausau Wisconsin, and it could be the same car. I almost traded my 1969 Super Bee on it but just couldn’t get past the fact that it had the 727 instead of the 4-speed like my Bee. I passed on it and regretted it when I bought a ’68 GTX with 727 a few years later. So had a ’69 Bee, ’68 GTX and ’73 Challenger Super Stock at the same time, but still know that I should have snagged that Bird when I had the chance.
First off I’m not Superbird fan, but love ❤ the dodge Daytona chargers but I must disagree with the title of this article,meaning how can anyone lose money on a Plymouth Superbird based on engine, or transmission options that were not chosen at the time of original purchase, there are preferred options that make the vehicle worth more but in the end nobody loses money 💰..
Price of anything is what somebody is able willing and they can buy you put money on the top of a roof of a car Edison a bag and it’s in cash and the owner takes it that’s what the car was worth on that sale it doesn’t matter what the price or what the car or anything else for that matter you want this I will give you that if you don’t want it I’ll find somebody else who does
If people understood that these cars first, NEVER ran a 200 MPH lap, the Street version with its 3.55 gear and hydraulic cam was limited to around 117 MPH, no different than any other Road Runnner. They did not dominate NASCAR, Petty only won 5 races in a Superbird making it his next to worst car…………if people actually compared the total number of wins, 8, to say the Talladega Torino with 29 the prices might go down more.
What a NEATO car – and as the owner mentioned – they had trouble selling them back when new. Nice color – and the owner seems to have a nice usable car on his hands – lucky guy and great to see his smile he get from his car. CHEERS from AUSTRALIA (HA – where a SUPERBIRD would not fit in the average suburban carparking space – HA).
Current market conditions favor buyers, not sellers. When the markets are down and blood is in the financial waters, the sharks come out looking for a steal. Odds are they’ll find some poor sod down on his luck who needs quick cash and is forced to accept $20-40k less than they normally would for their steel baby.
7:40 Headlights move rarely enough that vacuum operation isnt a bad idea. A horrible idea is vacuum operated wipers, since the faster you go the less vacuum you have available. So if youre on the highway and it starts to rain, the wipers just barely move, or even get stuck in the “up” position cause they dont have enough power to overcome the wind.
Once upon a time someone wouldn’t pay 4,000 dollars for that car. Todays car investors are not much different than waiting for the stock market crash. 20 years ago the same car was selling for about 75,000. At least when the economy tanks you will still have one of the rarest “now” appreciated Muscle Cars of all time. Wait a few years and it might be worth half a mil.
While I do love the old Daytonas and Superbirds, I never thought that a little fiberglass in the front and rear of the car was a big deal. My 69 Road Runner was a 440 3- 2v (Six Pack) and 4 speed car, fun to drive but not super fast in the quarter. My 69 Dodge Dart 340 six-pack was faster in the quarter, faster than most of the cars I raced in the early 1970s. Late model technology blew away all of that “no replacement for displacement” thinking and there are 4 cyl cars that will blow a Superbird off the road, and needless to say there are EVs that are downright insane in the speed dept…. That yellow Superbird is beautiful, and worth every penny of that 200K. If it were mine selling it could never be an option- it is a vehicle that you leave a son or daughter, of very best friend at the end of life, LMHO…. Great upload, well worth the watch !
i get a kick out of the comments from fools think these cars are going to be worthless some day. likely the same ones that sold their high end cars in the 90s for 1500 and now can’t admit they were the fools, not the market. too much money in the world, these cars are always going to be worth a fortune.
I wish I still had my old mopars. I was in my teens I’m 34 now when those cars could still be bought for a reasonable price. My 68 charger from the original owners father, sticker price 3300 dollars is what he sold it to me. My 67 273 barracuda fastback automatic 2000, my 68 dart gts original 350 4 speed car (383 auto swap) was 3k from mopar mike. now their so out of touch. I’ve always wanted a winged warrior.
A local dealer had four of these new when they came out. As noted in earlier comments, they didn’t sell because they were expensive at the time ($4,500ish IIRC) and insurance was hideously expensive because the nose was hand laid fiberglass, extremely fragile, and replacement was about 1/4th the cost of the whole car. The story was that they ended up wholesaling them at auction for about $2,500 each. You need to remember that the average guy was probably making about $5,000 a year at that time.
5:50. I don’t know Mopar, but among the first generation Camaros (67-69), there is an entire industry built around reproducing fake firewall tags (e.g., to pass off non Z/28 cars as potentially Z/28). On Camaros, the factory used a unique, almost impossible to reproduce epoxy to seal the rivets holding those tags to the firewall. When those tags get removed during a resto, it destroys the provenance of the tag/car. It can be re-established through a lot of hard work, but it’s just a lot better to leave those tags alone. I’m not sure what Mopar did to affix the tags to the cars, but those philips head screws holding down the tag sure look modern. Any concerns about that?
if you have ever drove one of these 440 or 426 hemi charger cudas roadrunner this is not smooth quiet hp this is an exhausting car to drive at any length going out making noise burning rubber is what these cars about the new tech in overhead cam twin turbo or superchargers with computers is bang for your buck in that they do it all long trip fuel mileage and literally bury the old on a track
Funny thing, when I was young and foolish we used to go to NY state from Pa to drink because the drinking age in NY was 18 at the time and 21 in Pa. We would drive past this little Dodge dealer in the town of Westfield NY (pop 4500 ) and they had 3 of these things on their lot. They sat there for 2-3 years unsold until one day they were all gone. If I had known then what I know now I would have bought all 3 and put them away for posterity….
These cars are: EHOCs – Entirely Obsolete Historical Curiosities. It is hard to imagine anyone under 50 (in 2024) wanting to buy or use or maintain these. As fun as they were, they are Ming vases on wheels. They are too precious to use and too expensive to drive to the gas station. And the outlandish styling is not really praise worthy. They are brutish impound lot fodder. Too easy to steal and too hard to justify. And not praise worthy in any way. Styling is only the beginning of the defects. Like the appraiser here said, interiors on par with a taxi cab means spending time in one isn’t very special. And let’s not forget about the tree huggers. If you could afford to take it on a trip, there is not only the chance it will get stolen and stripped, but maybe even egged or burned to the ground. These things are the poster child of environmental destruction and the owners are assumed to be very wealthy climate change deniers. The current image of these is beyond embarrassing, far too risky, and destined to remain out of sight and out of interest to any sane person with loved ones. Trade this for a couple of 1st gen Mustangs. You will get all your money back, and not be thought of as some kind of deranged maniac that thinks conspicuous consumption is the same as virtue signaling. And just try lighting up those tires. Not only will you likely end up in jail, nobody will be impressed. A strong sell (but you will need to find a fool with money). And don’t buy again until you can get a volume discount.
the antique car market isnt a sure thing if someone with to much money decides he wants one and there arent any for sale this car could sell for 300k, if the owner is desperate to sell a flipper will pay 125k. you just never know, im currently driving a limited edition car where 2200 were made and it might be worth 1500 bucks
What people dont understand is its just a giant cycle. Just like the horse and buggy…then pre war cars. Now look at em? Same thing gonna happen to these cars down the road. People change….generations have different likes. Add in the fact that 80% of millenials have their parents paying their bills. They will never afford a classic car even if they wanted too.
Oh gosh, only 200k……………..guys Ive been street/track racing a lot since 1969…..have had 57 muscle cars, 23 classic cars and own one of the few original thunderbolts I purchased from my good friend Phil Bonner (RIP) mega years ago and in my opinion, 60s/70’s cars are way overpriced, including this one, even as nice as it is. Everybody thinks they have a Barrett Jackson car….and thanks them and their likes, it has ruined the affordability of being able to own an iconic American machine.
I’m 56 years Old was into street car racer back in the day, I used to kill big block cars with my small block 340. These cars are investments for people with more money than brains today It’s been that way for quite some time . Like the guy with more money then brains said at the beginning (I just had to have it), and then they get sucked in by a restorer that doesn’t do it correctly and they still think it’s worth big money because they’re all about the money like most people. Look at the black ghost Challenger the father left it to the kid does he appreciate the car sure but it’s now for sale so they appreciate money more like most because they know there’s some rich or wealthy show off that just has to have it and will pay stupid amounts of money from what it’s really worth,People with money to burn have ruined the car hobby. I’m still waiting for one of these guys with more money than brains to come by and buy a couple of my classic cars only because I’m one of those rednecks that has owned them all but doesn’t have the money to own them today but everybody wants something for nothing like all these fake reality shows on TV and YouTube that buy it for nothing and then sell it for some stupid astronomical price. I can’t stomach graveyard cars or that other idiot Rollins, There’s a few of them on YouTube. Guys like bad Chad and Pete that do their own work there the real deal. Cars are meant to be driven and enjoyed art hangs on a wall.
I hate to burst your bubble, but the classic car fanatics are slowly fading away and so is the value of the cars. The younger crowd is loosing interest in cool stuff from the past and they are more interested in the latest I pad. Boys are only going to keep an interest in classic cars as long as girls still think they are cool but girls are losing interest. They want BMW’s and Tiguans. There is always going to be people who stay interested in the classics and these people are the ones that will always be able to take care of themselves but they are not going to have the numbers to keep the value of these cars up !!!
200K ? Nope, not in today’s market. Sad as it sounds, due to a myriad of reasons this or any other car like the Superbird in this article are going to continue to drop big-time. In the upcoming years cars like this will lose 90% of their values. Sound harsh, but if one understands what is happening not only in the US but around the world there is not going to be much demand for cars like this. Some super high end European supercars will have some demand but the buyers of this type of car be incredibly wealthy people.
lol 7 colors… what about the 3 fk5 burnt orange that are known. what about the black one in alaska.. what about the FE5 bright red one i had.. all those other cars are well known hagarty. for some reason i believe another color was found also. i think there is 11 colors known now. its forsure 10 colors
Motortrend just posted a article from Mecum Kissimmee 2023 of a ’70 Superbird 440 6 barrel 4 speed that sold for $170k. When I watched this a few days ago, my guess on value was around $150k and I think that’s a much more reasonable figure. Maybe a few years ago it would have gone over $200k, but I think a lot of the muscle car high water marks are starting to recede.
I Had a 1970 Dodge Coronet 500, it’s was actually my second one the first was a 1970 Coronet 440. I loved the 500 with its factory Bucket seats and console shift. It looked exactly the same as this super bird. They were all the same Unibody cars that were built like tanks compared to the junk today, so well that I was sitting at a light when a person That had a few too many rear ended me!! He hit me so hard I was pushed 15′ forward. When I got out to look all I saw was how messed up his Newer 1979 Buick was destroyed!!! Now I had Cragars 50 on the back because of the air shocks so the tires would clear, his heavy chrome bumper went under my bumper my bumper went through his radiator and caught the water pump, this then lifted his engine off the Mounts!! I didn’t see that back of my car yet I was still walking back. But I can say I saw RED ! I wanted to catch a charge I was sure my car was destroyed!!! But nope that unibody held up, all he did to me was break an exhaust hanger and put a 1/4″ hole in the gas tank . When the cops got there they didn’t believe I took that hit by myself, they swore one of us was protecting a third driver’s vehicle in the middle . Fortunately a family was sitting on their porch that saw everything! I was never in trouble since I was at the front of the wreck. But the guy who did hit me tried to say I backed up with enough force to destroy his car lol I was 15′ past the stop line. This guy had way to many but he didn’t get in any trouble for it because back in the 80s you didn’t wear a seatbelt and open containers were legal, they rarely arrested people for being under the influence.
And that number is dropping. As boomers retire and pass, the pool of buyers that care about these cars is getting smaller. Demand is dropping. Outside of Kalamazoo MI is the Gilmore museum. One of my favorite places. It is full of “priceless” antiques that their owners thought worth big bucks, but after they passed and the children went to sell, they find the market isn’t there. So they donated dad’s classic.
Back in 1978, when i was thirteen, a dude took me for some doughnuts in a Superbird…He really loved that car and since i was on break…why not….We did doughnuts on a dirt lot! I didn’t think much of it them but now? wow! what an experience!..I told him it reminded me of the batmobile…Little did i Know….Hell, i was 13 for gaudsake! (Outside Los Aguirre’s Mexican Rest. South Lake Tahoe, circa 1978)
My first new car was a 69-383. When they brought out the Superbird in 70, god did I want one those. Would still love to own either of them today. Can you grasp that I was driving the wheels of the thing 54 years ago, never for a moment thinking that I was driving a future classic. What a great era 68/70 was and to expedience it as a mad as brush 21 year old. Would love to revisit the States/Canada and rattle one of those down the road once again.
Used to park the cars at Barrett Jackson for fun every Jan in Scottsdale from 93-99. It’s rich old farts who have these old muscle cars. It’s looks funny driving them and they are in their 70s. I am 47. I cannot wait to see Jay Lenos collection when he dies. I was at Barrett when they had the Reggie Jackson collection selling.
I bought a brand new 69 Superbird back in 69. Without a doubt it was the WORST built car I’ve ever owned. Even worse than a new Tesla. Wish i had it now obviously, sold it in 74 for under $5k. Yeah, laugh at me. But in any case, if i had it still and i kept it like I’ve kept all my cars, it would be as new – pristine, pristine meaning, it would still have the wide gaps in the nose, the misaligned doors, the trim pieces that were clearly stuck on by a pissed off UAW worker, the exhaust on the driver side that hung lower the the other side. The dealer i bought it at in Chicago had 6 on the dealer lot – all were unsold after 6 months. I got it for well under sticker. So good a price that the dealer wouldn’t fix any of the issues i noted above. They said that’s what you get when you buy a car destined for a NASCAR race. My point being is that these restored cars that are restored better than new really should be a huge discount to a real unrestored one. Which is what the caption noted in this article.
Their rare cars, and having one in this kind of condition, original engine, beautifully restored, with no silly modifications. In the right dealership, with the right customer, $240k is possible. as the car is in almost perfect condition, and its not easy to obtain one in such good condition. Forget the auction prices, and current market value, if a customer wants a car in this kind of condition, they may well step up to the $240k valuation.
I’d almost bet some of my own money the owner will put it on BAT and get at least what he thinks it’s worth. Some of this stuff is getting to the point of whoever buys them are just putting them in a heated pole barn with a foundation and letting/hoping the market increases. What I mean is NOBODY will ever get to enjoy driving this car again.
Why wouldn’t the super birds in particular not have the secondary vin on the radiator support? It’s a roadrunner as you know and the rad supports we’re not altered during conversion. This leads me to believe that this front rad support was replaced. Usually I’d move the vin over from the old support but they didn’t feel the need to or were not able to.
I never got the value of window stickers or order sheets. These were new cars once, typically people don’t give a damn about keeping the paperwork from the window of the car they just bought. That stuff gets tossed without a second thought. I personally don’t see it as a demerit. Do you keep the order sheet and stickers from your new camaro? Probably not. Will it be a collectors car in 40 years? Who freakin knows?? Maybe. VINs and castings matter more than paper. Don’t get me wrong, the market fluctuates and 200k is probably the fair price for it… but I’m so tired of people talking at shows more about the papers they have on their car more than the damn car.
A Plymouth Super Bird was created by driving a road runner to a body shop where they would install some fibre glass parts, to give it that wing and the sharpnose. The problem is that vynal roof. The factory did not use a road runner with a vynl roof, it’s supposedto look like a racing car. It would be all 1 color. Thus it looks too homemade.
Although my dad still has his 1971 442, his brothers and his buddies have all been kicking themselves since the early 2000’s when these car values shot up and they were left with only photos of their muscle cars after tearing them up, letting them rust out, and getting rid of them during the late 70’s and early 80’s. Imo, no chance of these mass produced hellcats, 392’s, etc ever seeing that type of resurgence happening again to them in the future giving that younger generations are caring less and less about cool cars.