• Superbirds remain extremely popular trading hands at more than $250,000
• The aero NASCAR cars are seen as the zenith of oval racing, with the
winged Mopar entries being dominant
• A Plymouth Superbird won the 1970 Daytona 500
“Petty signs with Ford!” Those four words tore through the racing world
like a hot knife through butter while loyalists threw their hands up in
disbelief. King Richard’s defection was in part because Plymouth hadn’t
built a Dodge Daytona counterpart for the NASCAR circuit, in addition to
the fact that Petty Enterprises wanted to be the sole racing parts
distributor for Plymouth at the time. Plymouth weathered the backlash
publically while privately scurrying to create a car to lure Richard
back to Plymouth. That car? The 1970 Plymouth Superbird.
Production models languished on salesroom floors due in part to NASCAR
having increased the homologation requirement from 500 units to 2,000.
These cars were highly specialized, seen as being in excess in
proportion to the hottest street cars of the period. Fast-forward to
today, Superbirds are highly collectible and are the star attractions at
car shows and auctions, pulling top dollar and generating real
excitement. What a difference a few decades makes!
Each volume in the In Detail Series provides an introduction and
historical overview, an explanation of the design and concepts involved
in creating the car, a look at marketing and promotion, an in-depth
study of all hardware and available options, and an examination of where
the car is on the market today. Also included are paint and option
codes, VIN and build tag decoders, as well as production numbers.
