- Driving this classic piece of American muscle is a 440 cubic-inch V8 with 390 hp.
- The car was resprayed shortly after Richard Petty parted ways with it.
- Plymouth built just 1,935 Superbirds for the 1970 model year.
Richard Petty is one of the most iconic and successful American racing drivers ever, winning seven NASCAR championships and seven Daytona 500s – among several more accolades. Later this month, a 1970 Plymouth Superbird owned by Petty will be offered up for auction and is expected to sell for between $900,000 and $1,000,000.
It’s not often that an iconic muscle car with this type of celebrity ownership history becomes available to the public. Petty owned this Superbird between 1982 and 2013, and it was the only street-legal Superbird he ever had in his collection. The car has been driven 28,394 miles (45,695 km), and it’s been offered with several letters and photos from Petty.
Read: Mopar’s Plymouth GTX Electromod Saves The Planet By Killing The V8
The NASCAR legend parted ways with the car in 2013, and Petty’s Garage in North Carolina completed an overhaul of the Superbird in 2014 at a cost of $26,900. The engine and transmission were removed, and all parts were stripped from the car, allowing it to be repainted in a pristine shade of white. It was also installed with a new vinyl top, and all of the exterior chrome parts were polished. Richard Petty signed the car’s trunk.
The special muscle car has been featured in several TV shows, including MTV Cribs, My Classic Car, and Stacey David’s Gearz. It continues to feature the original 440 cubic-inch Super Commando V8 that was good for 390 hp back when the car was new. The engine is coupled to an A727 automatic transmission with an 8.75-inch rear-end.
Despite the Superbird’s age, the interior has been beautifully preserved. It’s been customized with black leather seats with white embroidered stitching and an image of Petty on the headrests. The racer also signed the dashboard, and wrote a personal message, saying ‘take care of my car!’
Plymouth only ever built 1,935 Superbirds during the car’s single model year, and while this isn’t the lowest-mileage one in existence, it’s certainly one of the most special. Head on over to the Mecum listing for more details.
