Plymouth created the Superbird for two main reasons: to give its own spin on the Dodge Charger Daytona and to lure Richard Petty back to Plymouth. Both of these factors played a crucial role in the vehicle’s creation and inspired the car’s iconic aerodynamic design.
Why was the Plymouth Superbird made?
Developed specifically for NASCAR racing, the Superbird, a modified Road Runner, was Plymouth’s follow-on design to the Charger Daytona fielded by sister company Dodge in the previous season.
What was the Superbird based on?
Plymouth Roadrunner
The Superbird was based on the Plymouth Roadrunner. But, it was inspired by the Dodge Charger Daytona, another short-lived muscle car that died at the hands of NASCAR’s ever-changing rules. That’s because both the Daytona and the Superbird were created to do one thing, win the NASCAR trophy. And winning, they did.
How many Plymouth Superbirds are left?
While most experts agree with a production run of a little more than 1,900 cars, some sources claim Plymouth put together as many as 2,700. Regardless, it is believed that more than 1,000 Superbirds exist today, which is downright impressive given how fast and extreme Superbirds were in the early 1970s.
How rare is a Plymouth Superbird?
Out of the 1,920 Superbirds built by Plymouth to satisfy the homologation requirements, only a reported 93 of them featured the Hemi 426 engine. It is important to note that while many people do agree that only 93 of these cars were produced, that number is not official.
Why is the Superbird wing so tall?
“To get it into clean air.” “That’s what I heard too,” I said. So, the Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird wings were not placed absurdly high simply so the trunk would open fully. It was put there to get it into clean air.
Which is faster Superbird or Daytona?
Specifically, while the Daytona’s drag coefficient is 0.29, the Superbirds coefficient is 0.31. This also resulted in the Daytona being up to three mph (4.8 kph) faster than the Superbird on high-speed tracks like Daytona and Talladega.
How much did a Superbird cost?
Total auction results went up to about $50 million!
What is the top speed of a Plymouth Superbird?
The power train is enough to punch the Superbird to 60 mph from a standstill in around 5.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 150 mph.
How fast did the Plymouth Superbird go?
The engine that powered the NASCAR Superbird was a 426 Hemi big-block V8. It offered 433 horsepower and 472 lb-ft of torque, and included two Carter Aluminum Four Barrel (AFB) carburetors. Petty’s Superbird could reach speeds up to 200 mph, while the Hemi V8 available to the public was good for roughly 143 mph.
What was the first car to hit 200 mph?
1969 Dodge Charger Daytona
This 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona Was the First Car to Top 200 MPH. Now It’s Heading to Auction.
How fast was Plymouth Superbird 1969?
around 143 miles per hour
What Is the Top Speed of a Plymouth Superbird? When buyers chose the most powerful engine option, the 426 Hemi V8, the car reached a top speed of around 143 miles per hour. The vehicle also had a zero to 60 time around 5.5 seconds.
Why do all Superbirds have vinyl tops?
1970 Plymouth Superbird. All Superbirds had vinyl tops because Creative Industries, the company that modified the the standard Plymouth into birds, did not have time to do the nice finish work around…
What is the rarest color Superbird?
Petty Blue Superbirds
He remarked that Petty Blue Superbirds are very rare, simply because Plymouth built just 50 examples of them. Petty Blue – a.k.a. Corporate Blue – was the exact same color that Petty Enterprises employed on the racing circuit.
Is the king a Superbird?
The car that is king from the Cars movies is the 1970 Plymouth Superbird.
How many black Superbirds were made?
The HEMI-powered Superbird is the rarest one out there because only 135 customers went with the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) V8. The Superbird you see here is not one of those HEMI gems but it’s actually much rarer thanks to its black paint. More specifically, it’s the only black 1970 Plymouth Superbird out there.
What colors did Superbirds come in?
I did every single factory colour option for the Plymouth…
- Plymouth: Alpine white/ Dodge: Snow White.
- Plymouth: Tor Red/ Dodge: Hemi Orange.
- Plymouth: Lemon Twist/ Dodge: Top Banana Yellow.
- Plymouth: Petty Blue/ Dodge: Basin Street Blue.
- Plymouth: Blue fire/ Dodge: B5 Blue.
How many colors did the Superbird come in?
Documented for ‘Big Easy Motors’ on History, this muscle car is painted 25 colors on the passenger side while the driver’s side appears completely factory.
Is the king a Daytona or Superbird?
The Cars-character Strip “The King” Weathers (voiced by Petty himself) is based on his own #43 Plymouth Superbird, while a heavily modified 1970 Dodge Charger appears as a modernized Daytona in Fast & Furious 6 driven by Vin Diesel.
Are daytonas faster than Hellcats?
The 800V Banshee propulsion system powers the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept car and screams performance, making Dodge’s first electric vehicle faster than a Hellcat in all key performance measures.
How many original Dodge Daytonas are left?
as of currently the dodge registry there are 92 charger daytonas known to exist. only 11 are Hemis.