We were promised the Internet would bring us knowledge in ways we couldn’t imagine, rendering all Encyclopedia Britannica salespeople obsolete. However, the level of good information online is matched by bad information. What’s a car guy or gal to do? Luckily, we have Muscle Car Campy to help debunk the myths of the 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird.
You may be familiar with the Superbird, but its creation and history tend to be shrouded by misinformation. Its predecessor, the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona, doesn’t suffer from most of these myths in comparison. Richard Petty — he of the Plymouth persuasion — was upset that he wasn’t able to get Dodge’s winged car, so he defected to Ford. The Superbird is what brought him back to Highland Park, winning 18 out of 40 races in the process.
Join Muscle Car Campy as he addresses the following topics, shattering some myths in the process:
- The Superbird Plymouth’s version of the Daytona
- Superbirds were good only on the superspeedways
- They were poor sellers so many dealers dismantled them and sold them as regular Road Runners
- The Superbird was banned by NASCAR
- Richard Petty loved the Superbird
- The fender scoops were for tire clearance
- The rear wing was tall so the trunklid could clear it
If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out other videos from Muscle Car Campy.
My favorite Kool looking car when I was 10.
All aero cars (including the Fords) were baned at the same time – after being restricted to 305cui in 1971
Richard didn’t win 18 races in a Superbird as the car won only 8 overall.
Always the same misinformation
The cars were not banned.
Hey “Ford guy”, it looks like Richard Petty won 18 races to me. Count them:
http://www.espn.com/racing/results/_/year/1970