During the late 1960s and early 70s, Chrysler’s muscle cars were some of the best on the road. As the owners of Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth, they were responsible for legendary cars like the Barracuda, the Charger and the Challenger. In those days, consumers wanted more and more power, and automotive giants like General Motors and Chrysler were always finding new ways to outdo one another.
In 1970, Plymouth modified the design of the Road Runner, a cheap but powerful mid-size car, and turned it into one of the fastest and most aerodynamic cars of its time, the Plymouth Superbird. Chrysler’s engineers added a nearly two-foot-tall rear spoiler and a smooth wedge-like nose. These improvements allowed the Superbird and its cousin the Dodge Charger Daytona, to achieve speeds that were up until that point impossible. In 1970, the Plymouth sold 1920 Superbirds for around $4300 each. Today, they can easily fetch $200,000. So how does a relatively cheap and relatively unpopular muscle car become so expensive? Part of the answer is in their significance in automotive history.
