1970 Plymouth Superbird

The vendor’s wife spotted this car in a Californian dealership while on holiday with the family in 2014. Their son had become somewhat obsessed with the winged wonders and wanted to see one in the flesh.

The seed was sown and shortly after their return to the UK the car was bought up and shipped over.

The car is number 353 on the NASCAR Register.

In a feature on the car in Classic American magazine, the vendor said, “I understand it was a South Carolina car. It had two previous owners, the second buying it in July 2001, at which point I believe it was partially restored and the engine rebuilt. It had only done a further 200 miles when we bought it. The paperwork that came with it shows it had just 21,300 miles in November 1991, so it’s possible the 28,000 on the clock is genuine.”

A look at the fender tag tells us that it’s got the 440cu in, four-barrel carb, V8 Commando engine which was good for 375hp when new, mated to a three-speed column-shift automatic. 

The interior features a ‘Tick Tock Tach’ (a clock inside the rev counter) and a currently inactive, factory fitted, Road Runner ‘Beep Beep’ horn. 

The car is not concours and was never intended to be. It was bought to be driven and enjoyed.

Having driven it ourselves we can attest to its full-blown, hairy-chested, cojones-out, Mopar muscle-car status and credentials.

It starts on the button and immediately settles down to a burbling bass rumble that sounds like someone, almost certainly Tom Waits, gargling treacle.

Once out on the road the steering and handling are a little light and barge-like respectively, but these are relative values in the context of a car that’s nearly as long as a night spent trapped in a lift with Piers Morgan. 

Blip the throttle and the engine note changes from throaty low notes to a full symphony of pops, roars, barks, snorts and rips that sound for all the world like an electrical storm over the Matterhorn. 

There’s so much torque on tap you could probably pull away in any gear. 

Whichever gear you’re in, the car presses on with all the relentless urge of the Flying Scotsman.

This mahoosive yellow beast couldn’t be more Good Ol’ Boy if it was smuggling moonshine from Kentucky to Tennessee, playing the banjo in a sinister way and looking in two directions at once.

Well, for those who haven’t had a close look at the pictures yet, this car is very ‘Lemon Twist Yellow’, probably covers half a dozen what3words addresses, and has a rear wing that wouldn’t look out of place on a B-52 bomber.

There are no significant dinks, dents or creases anywhere that we can see. 

The shut-lines and panel gaps are probably about as crisp, consistent and even as they were when it left the factory.

The alloy wheels are decent all round and are shod in period- and model-correct Goodyear Polyglas rubber.

Very sensibly, the vendor sourced and fitted a correct passenger-side wing mirror to eliminate a major blind spot when driving on UK motorways.

Being yellow and probably a bit long in the tooth, the paintwork ranges across a couple of Pantone numbers depending on where you’re standing and looking. 

The black vinyl roof is in very good nick, as are the car’s numerous decals, badges and stickers.

There’s a spot of bubbling on the n/s/r panel just below the reflector, and a few scuffs and marks above the front reflector on the same side.

We also spotted a mark on the driver’s door below the handle and a small bubbly patch at the base of the nearside ‘A’ pillar.

Aside from those minor flaws, the exterior comes with a pretty much standard number and distribution of thin scratches, scuffs, stone chips and other blemishes.

As we said, it’s not perfect but it’s good.

The interior has an original, authentic, American muscle car aesthetic that screams ‘1970! from every pore of its black vinyl upholstery. 

The vendor says, “The interior seems to be original, it has a few small rips in the headlining. Everything works except the radio, it lights up but there’s no sound, not even static, so chances are that’s a loose connection or blown speaker”.

We would add that the Road Runner horn also doesn’t work, but that might just be some inadequacy in our approach to operating it.

The seats, front and back, are decent and seem to have endured the passage of time well.

The door cards are good, save for a little warping to the vinyl in places, and the carpets and mats are reasonable.

The dashboard, switches, gauges and controls all look to be in good order and, should you ever forget what car you’re driving, the cartoon Road Runner on the steering wheel boss will soon remind you.

The boot is in similarly impressive fettle and is easily big enough to accommodate several large Wile E. Coyotes.  

The engine bay is very full of big block V8 engine and it all looks clean, dry, present and correct.

The vendor says, “When I got the car inspected, the mechanics said it’s completely solid, the only previous welding was a tiny section on one front chassis leg. All we’ve had to do to it is get a new steering box since the old one was shot and fit a new brake master cylinder. Both parts came from US Automotive.”

The undersides of the car look as robust and solid as the rest of it.

The car comes with a copy of its US Certificate of Title document, a letter from HM Revenue & Customs declaring it to be a fully paid-up and legal import, a copy of the original build sheet/fender tag confirming its authenticity, a photograph of it at Goodwood – signed by Richard Petty, a copy of the edition of American Classic in which the car features, a clear HPI report and a V5C. 

The vendor says, “It gets better to drive the faster you go - around 75mph you can feel the wing stabilise things and above 80mph it’s as easy as any modern car. There are Allen bolts to adjust the wing, but we haven’t played with it. I can imagine it’s as easy to create lift as downforce if you’re not careful.”

We’ll take his word for it.

Mercy.

Things this hairy and testosterone-filled are usually found swinging around an enclosure on an old tyre.

Which is, of course, why we love it and why we’re so supremely confident that you will, too.

It is mechanically sorted, a delight and surprise to all the senses, and it has the power to make people drop to their knees and make the sign of the cross when they see or hear it coming.

What’s not to like?

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £165,000 - £185,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.