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LOT #1400 – 1970 PLYMOUTH HEMI SUPERBIRD – NO RESERVE
FLYING HIGH
THIS 1970 HEMI PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD SOARS
WITH A HIGH PROFILE AND LOW MILEAGE
During the late 1960s, as Most importantly, the Daytona
Chrysler’s mighty 426 cubic- rewrote racing history as the
inch HEMI engine reached its first NASCAR competitor to
development zenith, engineers break the 200-mph barrier.
realized raw horsepower was Just enough - 503 in all - were
no longer sufficient to win in produced in time to qualify the
NASCAR. Plymouth stalwart slippery Daytona for NASCAR
Richard Petty may have won competition. Debuted late in ’69
27 of 49 races during the 1968 at Talladega, the Daytona scored
NASCAR season in his HEMI- its first win there with Richard
powered Plymouth Satellite, Brickhouse driving.
but archrival Ford enticed him Development of a Plymouth
to switch camps to a sleeker counterpart to the Daytona
Torino Talladega for 1969. kicked off in June 1969 but
Chrysler’s only hope of beating temporarily halted that August
Ford on the new and extremely before NASCAR announced
fast NASCAR superspeedways a new 1,000-car production
was to drastically reduce requirement or a number equal
aerodynamic drag to unlock to half a company’s dealers,
higher speeds. While the Dodge whichever was highest, giving
Charger 500 with its revised the Superbird a new lease
grille and flush rear-window on life. Unknown to many
treatment was a definite enthusiasts, the Road Runner-
improvement, more drastic based Superbird was quite
measures were soon required. different from the Daytona.
Using the latest wind-tunnel Since the Road Runner’s front
test data, Chrysler engineers fenders were not a good match
devised a more radical solution for the nose cone, the hood and
in 1969 - the Charger Daytona. fenders from the B-body Dodge
Featuring an extended steel nose Coronet were swapped in for the
cone with a chin spoiler and Superbird. A textured vinyl roof
pop-up headlamps up front covering hid the seams around
and an outrageous but highly the revised rear window, and
effective rear wing, the Daytona the rear wing was taller with the
delivered much-needed front stabilizers/supports raked further
and rear downforce at speed. back than those of the Daytona.
168 BARRETT-JACKSON EXPERIENCE WINTER 2022
