Built in just under 2,000 units, the 1970 Plymouth Superbird is a rare classic. Unfortunately, that didn't prevent many examples from becoming rust buckets as they were abandoned in barns and backyards. But did you ever see one burnt (almost) to a crisp?
A charred Superbird made headlines in early 2021 when it showed up at a Copart auction. Three years later, another example that's been in a fire was displayed at a local car show. This one's in better shape, and it's not for sale. In fact, the owner is looking to put it back on the road.
So, what exactly happened to this winged warrior? Well, the Superbird was sitting in a warehouse at the Wisconsin Dells Auto Museum when it was damaged by fire in 1999. And even though it's quite charred, it actually got lucky because it was parked at the far end of the building. Many of the other 55 vehicles stored in the warehouse either burned to the ground or sustained significantly more damage.
Although the Superbird looks bad at first glance, the fire did not alter its structural integrity. Yes, most of the paint is gone, and the interior is pretty much toast, but the chassis and body are still in one piece. The doors and the hood still work, and the engine looks pretty good beyond the smokey surface.
The owner is confident that the 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) V8 will run again once it gets some TLC and wants to drive the Superbird as is. But not before it gets all the components it needs to become safe and road-worthy, of course.
The car is obviously missing all glass and shows a big dent in the roof. The massive rear wing melted in the fire, but the owner has an original Superbird unit as a replacement. The vehicle also needs new seats and a dashboard, plus all the electrical wiring that goes into it.
As you might have already noticed, this Superbird did not have a factory finish when it burned down. The car left the assembly line in the very familiar and popular EB5 Blue, but the previous owner applied an "American Glory" color scheme in the 1970s. The original blue paint is still visible in places.
But while it's been repainted and used as a pace car at a local track back in the day, this Superbird is a low-mileage gem. There's no odometer in the dash right now, but the owner says it showed only 18,000 miles (28,968 km) back in 1999. It's among the lowest-mileage Superbirds out there, but this example cannot compete with the unrestored survivors that have been auctioned off for $400,000 to $500,000 in recent years.
Speaking of which, the 440 V8 under the hood is a four-barrel. It was rated at 375 horsepower and it's the most common engine in the Superbird. Of the 1,935 examples reportedly sold in the US, 1,084 got the four-barrel 440. For reference, Plymouth sold 716 Six-Barrel 440 cars and only 135 HEMI rigs. The four-speed manual gearbox narrows it down to one of 466 equipped with this drivetrain combo.
Hit the play button below for a full walkaround of this "extra crispy" 'Bird. The Mopar was showcased at the Spring Jefferson Swap Meet and Car Show, its first outing in years.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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