Red Jersey Muscle Cars - Plymouth Superbird

Muscle Cars - Plymouth Superbird

plymouth superbird grilles The short-lived Plymouth Road Runner Superbird was a highly modified version of the Plymouth Road Runner, which itself was simply a modified Belvedere with special drivetrain and suspension options (along with the well known graphics and horn). It was the factory's follow on stock car racing design for the 1970 season to the Dodge Charger Daytona of 1969, and 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 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 nosecone, a high-mounted rear wing and, in the case of the Superbird, the same horn which mimicked the Road Runner cartoon character. Developed specifically for NASCAR racing, the Superbird, a modified Road Runner/Belvedere, was Plymouth's follow-on design to the Charger Daytona fielded by sister company Dodge in the previous season. The Charger 500 version that began the 1969 season was the first American car to be designed aerodynamically using a wind tunnel and computer analysis, and later was modified into the Daytona version with nose and tail.

plymouth superbird tail lights The Superbird's smoothed-out body and nosecone were further refined from that of the Daytona, and the street version's retractable projector headlights added nineteen inches to the Road Runner's original length. The rear spoiler, or "wing", was mounted on tall vertical struts that put it into less disturbed air thus increasing the efficiency of the downdraft that it placed upon the car's rear axle. In street versions, it was designed to provide clearance for the trunklid 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 response, NASCAR's homologation requirement demanded that vehicles to be raced must be available to the general public and sold through dealerships in specific minimum numbers.

For 1970, NASCAR raised the production requirement from 500 examples to one for every 2 Manufacturer's dealers in the United States; in the case of Plymouth, that meant having to build 1,920 Superbirds. Due to increasing emissions regulations, combined with insurance hikes for high performance cars, 1970 would be its only production year. "Superbird" decals were placed on the outside edges of the spoiler vertical struts featuring a picture of the Road Runner cartoon character holding a racing helmet. A smaller version of the decal appears on the driver side headlight door. The Superbirds had 3 engine options with three two-barrel carburetors.

plymouth superbird wheels Only 135 models were fitted with the 426 Hemi. As the 440 was less expensive to produce, the "Street" version of the 426 Hemi engine used in competition was homologated by producing the minimum number required. On the street, the nosecone and wing were very distinctive, but the aerodynamic improvements hardly made a difference there or on the drag strip. In fact, the 1970 Road Runner was actually quicker in the quarter mile and standard acceleration tests due to the increased weight of the Superbird's nose and wing. Only at speeds in excess of 90 mph did the modifications show any benefit. In Autumn 1968, Richard Petty left the Plymouth NASCAR Racing Team for Ford's. 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. NASCAR's rules implemented for the 1971 season limited the "aero-cars" to an engine displacement or they had to carry much more weight compared to their competitors. While they were still legal to race, the power-to-weight consequences that would come with the smaller engine or the increased weight rendered the cars uncompetitive.