1970 Plymouth Superbird Pampered for 53 Years Is All Original and Unrestored

While successful on the race track, the Superbird wasn't quite as popular as a production model. Built in 503 units, the Dodge Daytona sold like hotcakes in 1969. The Superbird, on the other hand, saw daylight in about 2,000 units, and some cars spent more than a couple of years on dealer lots. To the point where some were converted to regular Road Runner models to be sold.

Notably more common than the Daytona, the Superbird is not quite as sought-after and valuable as its corporate sibling. However, examples in pristine condition are now constantly breaking into $500,000 territory, while HEMI cars can fetch more than $1 million. In July 2022, for instance, a Tor-Red unit changed hands for a whopping $1.65 million.

But it's not just the restored, highly polished examples that are sought after by wealthy collectors. Unrestored and all-original cars also create quite a lot of hype. Just like this Limelight green gem, which is in amazing condition for a classic that hasn't been altered in more than 50 years.

Spotted at an auction event held at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum, this "winged warrior" is one of those cars that has been pampered its entire life. Sure, the paint shows a bit of weathering, and the engine bay isn't squeaky clean, but it doesn't get better than this when it comes to unrestored Mopars. And not only does the Limelight green paint still shine, but the vinyl top and the front bench seat are in pristine condition.

As you might have already guessed, this Superbird spent most of its time in storage. And the odometer provides the proof with a reading of only 10,000 miles (16,093 km).

The Mopar draws juice from a 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) "Six-Pack" V8 that still runs. Rated at 390 horsepower when new, this mill slotted above the entry-level four-barrel 440 (375 horses) and below the range-topping 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI V8 (425 horsepower). The lump mates to a four-speed manual gearbox with a Hurst pistol-grip shifter. It doesn't get any better than this, to be honest, unless you simply can't live without a HEMI under the hood.

And while it may not be as rare as a HEMI (only 135 sold), the "Six-Pack" Superbird is not exactly common either. Of the 1,935 examples built in 1970, only 716 left the assembly line with the six-barrel 440. And just 308 also had the four-speed manual gearbox. If we also factor in the FJ5 Limelight color, it's one of only 37 cars finished like this. This Superbird also has a trunk stripe delete, probably giving it one-of-one status. Pretty cool, huh?