1970 Plymouth Superbird is a survivor but hides one little secret

  • This 1970 Plymouth Superbird seems like a true survivor
  • It hasn’t been restored since it left the assembly line 50 years ago
  • However, look closer and you’ll notice it’s hiding a little secret

Published on Sep 29, 2024 at 7:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

Last updated on Sep 27, 2024 at 7:29 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Tom Wood

This 1970 Plymouth Superbird seems like a true six-barrel survivor at first glance.

It hasn’t been restored since it left the assembly line more than 50 years ago,

However, this Mopar still looks pristine.

Look a little closer, though, and you’ll notice that it’s hiding a little secret.

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1970 Plymouth Superbird

Debuting in 1970, the Superbird was Plymouth’s take on the Charger Daytona that Dodge launched a year earlier.

The Superbird was a homologation to help Plymouth in the NASCAR ‘winged warrior’ race.

With cosmetic tweaks, a third base 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB, and an optional 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI joined by a six-barrel variant under the hood – the Superbird wasn’t the commercial success you’d expect.

Of the 2,000 units built, many lingered for months on showroom floors – some as late as 1972.

This means their value hasn’t reached the million-dollar mark as quickly as the Daytona.

However, the HEMI is well on its way, with 440s valued at around $400,000.

The secret

This red example was spotted at the 2023 Mopars With Big Daddy show.

This 440 Superbird is as original as you can get and you can view the footage on the YouTube page of Corner Classic Car Hunter.

It retains its  440-cubic-inch Six-Barrel V8 is numbers-matching, as is the automatic transmission with the column shifter.

Despite never being restored it looks incredible.

It’s little secret? A Tor Paint refresh several years ago is all that’s preventing it from being entirely authentic.

It’s worth noting that only 14 percent of all Superbirds were finished in this shade.

Not as rare as the one-of-123 HEMI, this ‘winged warrior’ is one of 716 that was fitted with a six-barrel version of the 440 big-block V8.

It was a carburetor setup that increased output by 15 horsepower compared to four-barrels

The automatic transmission narrows the production status further.

There’s no existing data on how many examples received the column-mounted shifter and standard bench seat.

 Meanwhile, this 1970 Plymouth Superbird was found unused in a chicken house in 1994 but is now up and running.

This one has a super rare feature on its dashboard.

Bringing the story of the Superbird up to date, this 2045 Plymouth Superbird EV concept brings the muscle car legend into the future.


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Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the experienced content creator and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms and coveted brands. When her OOO is on you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym or exploring the city she loves.