Plymouth Superbird 440 Super Commando
The 1970 Plymouth Superbird is one of the most visually dramatic automobiles ever produced. Built solely to win in NASCAR, the Superbird featured a protruding aerodynamic nose cone extending nearly two feet ahead of the body, flush-mounted rear window (to improve airflow), and a towering rear wing standing 23 inches above the trunk lid on massive aluminum struts.
The Superbird was Plymouth's follow-up to the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona — both were 'aero warriors' designed by Chrysler's Special Vehicles Group to dominate NASCAR's superspeedways. NASCAR's homologation rules required manufacturers to build a certain number of street versions (one per dealer, approximately 1,920 for Plymouth) to qualify the car for competition.
On the track, the Superbird was devastatingly effective. Richard Petty — who had defected to Ford in 1969 because Plymouth wouldn't build him an aero car — returned to Plymouth specifically for the Superbird. With the 426 Hemi engine, the Superbird exceeded 200 mph at Talladega, with Pete Hamilton winning the 1970 Daytona 500 in a Superbird.
The street version was available with three engines: the 440 Super Commando (375 hp, most common), the 440 Six Pack (390 hp), and the legendary 426 Hemi (425 hp, rarest). Despite its racing purpose, the street Superbird was fully road-legal with functional headlights (behind flip-up doors in the nose cone), road-going suspension, and a full interior.
The Superbird's production was a logistical challenge. Standard Road Runner bodies were built at the Lynch Road plant, then shipped to Creative Industries in Detroit for the aero conversion. The nose cone, rear wing, and flush rear window were all added by hand, and the fender tops were reworked to accommodate the nose cone's mounting points.
NASCAR eventually banned the aero cars for the 1971 season (requiring them to use smaller engines), and the Superbird became an instant collectible. Many unsold Superbirds sat on dealer lots for years — some dealers even removed the nose cones and wings to make them more sellable. Today, these cars are among the most valuable muscle cars in existence.
Superbirds are expensive and heavily scrutinized. Fender tag and broadcast sheet documentation is essential — every Superbird should have verifiable production records. The nose cone is fiberglass and frequently damaged or poorly repaired. The rear wing mounting points stress the trunk lid. Check that the flush rear window is properly sealed (it was a known leak point). Many Superbirds were raced, crashed, or modified — a numbers-matching, unrestored car is worth significantly more than a restored one. Hemi cars are 3-10x the value of 440 cars. Watch for tribute/clone cars built from standard Road Runners.
Total production: approximately 1,920 units (one per Plymouth dealer). Engine breakdown: 440 4-barrel: ~1,084. 440 Six Pack: ~716. 426 Hemi: ~135. Vinyl top was standard (to hide the bodywork where the flush rear window was added). The Hemi Superbird is the rarest and most valuable — at auction, they've sold for $500,000-$2,000,000.