The short lived Plymouth Road Runner 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 for the 1970 season to the Dodge Charger Daytona of 1969. The Superbird incorporated many engineering changes and modifications (both minor and major) garnered from the Daytona's season in competition on the track. The car's primary rival was the Ford Torino Talladega, which in itself was a direct response to the Mopar aero car. It has also been speculated one of the major motivating factors in the production of the car was to lure Richard Petty back to Plymouth. Both of the Mopar aero cars famously featured a protruding, aerodynamic nose cone, a high-mounted rear wing, and, in the case of the Superbird, the horn that mimicked the Road Runner cartoon character.
Developed specifically for NASCAR racing, the street version had retractable headlights that added nineteen inches to the Road Runner's original length. The rear wing was mounted on tall vertical struts that put it into less disturbed air thus increasing the efficiency of the downdraft that is placed upon the car's rear axle. For nearly thirty 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 1990's. a retired Chrysler project engineer admitted publicly that the height was determined in a much simpler fashion: It was designed to provide clearance for the trunk lid to open freely. The rear-facing fender scoops were incorporated in an effort to ventilate trapped air from the wheel wells in order to facilitate brake cooling
In the Autumn of 1968, Richard Petty left the Plymouth NASCAR Racing Team for Ford. Charlie Grey, director of the Ford stock car program felt that hiring Petty would send the message that "money rules none." However, the Superbird was designed specifically to lure Petty back to Plymouth for the 1970 season. Petty did reasonably well against strong Ford opposition on the NASCAR tracks that year, winning eight races and placing well in many more. A recent tribute to Petty's Superbird was seen in the 2006 film "Cars," with Petty voicing "The King," a stock race car bearing a strong resemblance to a Superbird, and even carrying the same number and paint color.
The Superbird has become quite valuable. A Superbird can fetch anywhere from $300,000 to $2,000,000. At Barrett Jackson, bids for original Superbirds crossed $1,200,000.
The Dodge Charger Daytona and the Plymouth Road Runner Superbird were each built for one model year, 1969 and 1970.
To our knowledge, this is one of two Superbirds ever given away for charity in the world. In 2008, the year one restoration catalog ran a car like this through the Barrett Jackson auction to benefit the Darrell Gwynn Foundation, and it brought $676,000.
