The Plymouth Superbird was produced only during the model year 1970. Dodge has also produced a very similar car called the Dodge Daytona the year earlier. Both of these winged cars were produced for one reason, Nascar.
At that point in time, Chrysler engineers went to work designing the Plymouth Superbird. They tried to have Creative Industries hang a nose cone on the front and a wing on the back, but the result was awful. Since Nascar had upped there standards again, Plymouth would have to build 2,000 Superbirds that would be sold to the public.
What would Chrysler do? Some suggested they put a Charger front end on the Superbird, however that suggestion was quickly rejected. They also tried changing the front fenders to improve aerodynamics, but that actually made it worse! Another problem was the problem of the rear window which if it was to be fixed it would just about take as much as designing a whole new car. Instead they focused on the rear wing. The side stabilizer part of the wing had to become 40% larger than what the Daytona had. This stabilized the car (99.5%) and only added a little bit of drag. For the front of the car they had to use Coronet front fenders and the hood and fuse it onto the Belvedere body. This helped aerodynamics, but not extent to what the Daytona had. Before they started production however, they switched the base platform from the Belvedere to the Road Runner.
The Plymouth Superbird performed well on the NASCAR tracks. It placed high in many races, winning eight of them. Part of its success is due to its driver, Richard Petty, who drove the Plymouth Supebird. Nascar banned the Superbird, Daytona, and all the other aerodynamic cars for the 1971 season. NASCAR officials were concerned with the dangerously high speeds as well the huge wing and nose cone as the cars didn’t look much like a stock car. The ban brought an end to the production of the Plymouth Superbird.
Pictures of 1970 Plymouth Superbirds
I’m pretty sure this was my car. If it’s the same one I sold it to Dave Mikelson, It was restored at Nostalgia Lane. If so please e-mail me- thanks
I VISIT THIS BEAUTIFUL RARE BIRD ON THE HEELS OF NEWS THAT MOPAR WILL NO LONGER BE USED IN NASCAR IN THE YEAR 2013 IT IS VERY SAD VERY SAD INDEED
Plymouth Superbird was a highly modified version of the Plymouth Road Runner with well known graphics and horn. It was the factory’s follow up stock car racing design with incorporated many engineering changes and modifications approval from the Daytona’s season in competition on the track.
WHAT IS THE SIZE DIMENSIONS ON THE 1970 SUPERBIRD REAR WING & AT WHAT ANGLE IS IT AT ? DOES ANYONE MAKE A AFTERMARKET REAR SUPERBIRD WING ?
Hi, I’m looking for the same info. Did you have any luck with the superbird rearwing?
Yup, those are two Superbirds I sold a few years back. The Orange Sixpack Bird I got from Dwight “Stetch” Johnson. Man, that was one nice car and he did a great job on it. Lost track of it as the guy I sold it to in Minnesota 5 years back more sold it again.
You’re so cool! I don’t think I’ve read something like that before. So good to discover someone with genuine thoughts on this topic. Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This website is something that’s needed on the web, someone with a little originality!
Thanks for the nice comments. I have no subscription to the site. Just save it as a favorite and check it now and then. Many cas have come and gone over the years and it was a dream come true for me to have owned them. Slowed way down on new purchases as life and work got in the way but hope to get back at it some day again. Enjoy what you own guys. Life is too short not too.
It was a powerful mopar plymouth and like the 426 big block Hemi that nascar outlawed in 1968 after king richard won 27 nascar races with it n 1967 it won 8 races in 1970 before chevy and ford cried again foul not fair. And nascar outlawed it. After being pushed to victory circle by a wrecker in 2011 the cherios chevy was disqualafied by nascar for being 64,000 of an inch to high half the thickness of a penny which was caused by the wrecker. I will never watch or go to another nascar race.
CAN SOME PEOPLE TELL ME WHAT THE REAR WING DIMENSIONS ARE ON THE 1970 SUPERBIRD & 1970 DAYTON ARE ?
grasscloth wallpaper made a good point. Take a minute to fix the word “there” to “their” in the second and third paragraphs. Also, fix Supebird to Superbird in the last paragraph. Otherwise, cool site. Nicely done.
hey brad that same question had everyone scratching there heads but the truth about the wing height For nearly 30 years the mathematic formula used to determine the exact height of the enormous wing was thought to be a highly guarded Chrysler secret. However, in the 1990s a retired Chrysler project engineer admitted publicly that the height was determined in much simpler fashion: it was designed to provide clearance for the trunklid to open freely
Nascar a racing organization that hated 426 Hemi mopars and Plymouth Superbird and dodge daytonas. And outlawed them from nascar racing. I will never watch or attend another nascar race. Shame on you nascar.
Hi.
I may have found a superbird 426 4-speed that aint got a wing or superbird front but got that chromed front windshield trim and special rear window. I think someone built it to a road runner long time ago. I got the vin number and the first letter is R. Is there a specific letter just for superbird or how can i be sure that is a superbird or road runner?
Best wishes Christopher from Sweden.
Please e-mail me the answer.
Was there ever a Plymouth Superbird Convertible?
the guy who wants the dimensions of the bird wings contact graveyard cars in Oregon
Hi I have a Plymouth Road Superbird, The fender tag is missing, I have checked the Vin number it is a original Superbird , Can anybody help
Help to find a fender tag for my road runner Superbird