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2027 Nissan Z Nismo Fixes a Major Issue1970 Plymouth Superbird: The NASCAR-Bred Muscle Car
Discover the legendary 1970 Plymouth Superbird, a NASCAR-inspired muscle car with its iconic nose cone and rear wing.
The Legendary Winged Warrior
Given the $288,000 price tag of today’s cool car find, a sharp-dressed 1970 Plymouth Superbird currently for sale in Illinois, you might be surprised to know that 35 years ago, these rides were nailed to dealer lots. Only made for a single model year, the Superbird was a NASCAR homologation special based on the Plymouth Road Runner. A follow-up to 1969’s Dodge Charger Daytona, these two Mopars were known as “Winged Warriors” for their massive rear spoilers. Of course, the equally large nose cone – which added 19” of length to a base Road Runner – was just as a much a calling card of these wild muscle cars.
Richard Petty’s Famous Racecar
The story goes that Plymouth wanted to lure Richard Petty back from Ford and built the Superbird for that purpose. It worked, he came back, and won several NASCAR races behind the wheel of a bright blue model forever enshrined as one of the vehicles in the Cars movie. But it was short-lived as the Superbird was so outrageously fast that NASCAR effectively banned its design by changing the rules. Largely because, along with its Charger cousin, these noseconed bewinged beasts were the first to crack 200 mph on a track.
Before that happened, Plymouth built an estimated 1,935 Superbirds for public consumption. Though homologation rules the year prior dictated a minimum run of 500 units, for 1970, the rules were changed to require at least 1 car for every 2 Plymouth dealerships leading to the larger run. But the Road Runner Superbird proved unpopular for mainstream consumers and was surely impractical from a daily-driver perspective. Can you imagine navigating that nosecone in a parking lot? It’s said that some dealers went so far as removing the Superbird gear to try and sell the cars as base Road Runners.
However, those who purchased and hung on to one of these rare birds, that cost around $4,300 in 1970, would be treated to a healthy return on inverstment in 2026. Three decades later, the Superbird has become a holy grail muscle car and the example up for sale today checks all the must-have boxes.
Inside This Rare 1970 Superbird
Boasting a ground-up restoration in 2002, this Superbird shines in a 2-stage recoat of the original Lemon Twist Yellow finish. The body panels, nosecone with flip-up headlights, and rear wing spoiler are the factory pieces. Looney Tunes decals are intact and the horn still goes “beep beep!”
Inside you’ll find the factory-original white bucket seats, gauge set, and AM radio. Then there’s the engine. This Superbird is sporting its original 440 cubic inch Super Commando Six Barrel V8, a unit that made 390 horsepower when new. It’s been completely rebuilt and bored .030 over, has the original carbs, and features a performance valve job with oversized components.
In other words, it’s a glorious tribute to the golden age of American muscle. Not only that, according to the seller, this particular Superbird is 1 of only 665 that left the factory with the 6-barrel carb setup, easily qualifying it as an all-time short production run car. For the serious Mopar fan, few rides command the kind of attention these 1970 Superbirds manage, and it has the price tag to prove it. Well-heeled collectors would be remiss to pass up this opportunity to own one of the most iconic American muscle cars ever produced.
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