2007 Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale: Hemi Superbird and Daytona Sold at $750,000
Click on the image for a high-res gallery of photos of this pair
Once upon a time, the "SC" in NASCAR actually stood for stock car and the machines that raced at Daytona and Talladega actually were based on production vehicles. In the late sixties Chrysler decided to follow the rules that limited body modifications and created a pair of machines that would get an unfair advantage on the high banks. Thus the Plymouth Superbird and Dodge Daytona Charger were born. The cars came from the factory with a long pointed nose and high mounted rear wing, so that they could run with the same configuration in NASCAR.
The aerodynamic modifications combined with the classic Chrysler Hemi made them almost unbeatable on the track. One example of each of these ultra-rare cars were paired up and offered at this year's Barrett-Jackson auction. The bronze colored 1969 Charger, is one of 22 built and the blue 1970 Superbird is one of 58. Both cars are equipped with 426 cu.in. Hemi V-8s and 4 speed gearboxes. The Dodge is recently restored and the Plymouth is still original. And as a sidenote, only 4 original Superbirds remain. Click the links to read the full history of each of these amazing cars. The pair sold for $750,000.
[Source: Frank Filipponio]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mike 1:22PM (1/22/2007)
yeah, from back when NASCAR was interesting and not stickers on a mold. either of these is the number one car i want. 2 awesome cars.
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rheath2 8:49PM (1/22/2007)
I'd be very close to giving up a firstborn child for a Superbird.
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Billy Hancock 8:50PM (1/22/2007)
i would literately kill to have a dodge hemi charger daytona. my all time favorite car
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Greg 9:10PM (1/22/2007)
These cars should be the next 'Retro' releases by Chyrsler.
The current 300 is also do for a redesign, and I hope they follow through with a 1962 '300' look, along with a 2 Door model.
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J. Barrett 9:41PM (1/22/2007)
Hard to believe someone would pay three times as much for a Hemi 'Cuda ragtop, and let this pair go for the bargain price of 'only' $750,000. Compared to some of these sales this actually sounds, well, reasonable (sort of... in a Barrett-Jackson sort of way). These cars, although by the numbers not quite as rare, are certainly far more interesting, both to car nuts and non-motorhead folks. Most people would have to be told what is so special about a Hemi 'Cuda ragtop, but not these! Just park that 'Cuda next to one of these and see which one gets the attention.
Hard to figure.
J. Barrett (sadly no relation)
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Sandy Solowitz 12:38AM (1/23/2007)
I guess I should have listened to my father when he told me not to sell my lime green Superbird for a Corvette in 73.........damn....he's always right!!!
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W L Simpson 11:07PM (1/22/2007)
wish someone would explain the economics of these rediculous prices,don,t see any oily ragheads in the crowd. Still think it,s washday
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Barney 11:43PM (1/22/2007)
I'm not with it. I thought these cars were plain ugly when new. They still haven't grown on to me after all these years. The cone was like some fiberglass kit bolted to the nose and that fin looked so stupid. Still does! I wonder how many had the 318 CUI.
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Jeff 11:54PM (1/22/2007)
Am I the only person that utterly doesn't "get" these cars? Was it engineered and produced in my high school metalshop class, or does it just look that way? So there are only four Superbirds left in the world ... I have a slobbering bassett hound that likely corners just as well in a full sprint, and I'm hard pressed to give her away to a good home. Rarity alone does not an icon make.
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Eric 11:57PM (1/22/2007)
That is huge money for those two cars, $345K each is never going to be recovered. I hope the buyer enjoyed the 15 seconds of fame he got from buying them. To think, these cars were worth about $50K a piece six years ago...and they'll probably be worth $50K a piece six years from now.
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Ernesto 12:57AM (1/23/2007)
I highly doubt that there are only 4 original Superbirds left. I've seen too many at local car shows for that to be the fact. Maybe in that powertrain/color combo, but there certainly must be more than that left.
Growing up, the service station owner at the end of the block had a Superbird. He told me that the dealers couldn't get rid these as they were too expensive in the day.
These cars are dream cars. They are so over the top that they can't be denied the high lust factor. I don't get you guys who don't get it!
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Bill 6:08AM (1/23/2007)
I bought my '69 Charger in April. Springfield Dodge, PA was my dealer and had 3 Daytonas on the lot. In December, I crunched the grille and hood when I skidded on ice. Springfiled made me an offer of my car and $1000 to take home either one of the 2 440 Daytonas or $1800 for the Hemi (yeah, they were still on the lot). But unable to get reasonable insurance and not wanting that distictive a police attention grabbing car, I declined.
What diid I know?
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ramsport47 7:27AM (1/23/2007)
They only made 1970 Superbirds, and they only made them in 1970. So...yea..they were and are rare. I think by meaning only 4 originals left, they mean unrestored and un-modified.
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roadside observer 7:47AM (1/24/2007)
Damn, such sweet cars ...
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Rob 5:46PM (2/07/2007)
There are a lot more than only 4 unrestored superbirds around. That number only pertains to this drivetrain/color combination. Big deal. The daytona, on the otherhand, is very rare. They built way more superbirds than daytonas.
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dave 12:39AM (2/25/2007)
These car's were made only because of stockcar racing(nascar today)they needed a production version of the race car.Not like today there is no v-8 camry/taurus nor 2door versions of charger so the rule's are different today. A normal charger did not have a wing or the nose.No part's on these car's were fiberglass.No 318 only 440 4bbl,4406bbl or the 426 hemi.These car's were banned because they were tooo fast the tires just tore up,over 220 mph.
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Meher V 5:00PM (2/16/2007)
ON
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Kenny Brackett 9:38PM (2/22/2007)
These cars were built for one thing...Win on Race Day.Aerowars were big in 1969 and 1970. Ford and Chrysler were the Big 2 and they went above and beyond anything ever done to win. Hence These monsters were created.Smart buyers invest in the History these cars bring that will never be duplicated.Anybody can get a Chevelle or Goat.
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JEFF 11:16AM (2/23/2007)
I PUT TOGETHER A SUPERBIRD IN '92 USING JANAK PARTS,440+6,AUTO,LIME GREEN,NICE AND AFFORDABLE.YOU WOULD BE SILLY TO PAY 100+K FOR A REAL ONE AND DRIVE IT.REAL ATTENTION GETTER,NO MATTER WHERE I LEAVE IT,I GET BACK AND THERE ARE PEOPLE LOOKING OR TAKING PICTURES OF IT.THESE CARS ARE ORGASMIC FROM ANY ANGLE.
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