Plymouth Superbird 426 Hemi
Photo: Greg Gjerdingen, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Vehicles · Vintage American Muscle
Plymouth Superbird 426 Hemi · 1970
The Superbird is a 1970 aero homologation special — a Plymouth Road Runner grafted with an extended nose cone and a towering rear wing to make the winged Chryslers legal for NASCAR and lure Richard Petty back to Plymouth. The 426 Hemi is the apex engine, dual-quad and factory-rated at 425 hp, and only 135 cars were built with it, which is the number that anchors the collector market.
The one to have: Documented Hemi (1 of 135) · A833 4-speed (1 of 58) · Govier-certified
Specification
Engine
426 Hemi V8
7.0L naturally aspirated, hemi-head, twin Carter AFB four-barrels (2x4bbl)
Output
425 hp
425 hp @ 5,000 rpm, 490 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm (gross rating widely held to be conservative)
0-60 mph
~5.5 s
quarter mile ~14.3 s at ~104 mph (period road test); the standard Road Runner was actually quicker over 1/4 mile
Built
1 of 135
Hemi cars of ~1,935 total Superbirds; rarest engine option
The market
Verified sales on file
8
Jan 2023 – Jan 2026
Median sale
$359k
all tracked results
★ Genuine Hemi
$550k
median of 3 target-spec sales
Top result
$742k
Mecum · Jan 2023
Benchmarks: 440 cars $150–300k · 440-6 $255–468k · genuine Hemis $418–743k (4-speeds on top) · Trend: correcting off the 2022 peak
Know the real one
1,935 built; 135 Hemis (58 four-speeds) — VIN 5th character R = factory Hemi
NASCAR aero-war homologation (built to bring Petty back); 1971 rules killed the wing cars — a one-year wonder
Verify: fender tag + broadcast sheet + Galen Govier certification; warranty drivetrain swaps hammer value
~$5,139 new with the Hemi
Verified sales · ★ = target spec · foreign results converted to USD as noted
| Date | Venue | Year | Spec | Miles | Price | Loc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | Mecum | 1970 | 440-6 4-spd | — | $467,500 | FL | top-tier 440 Six Barrel |
| Jan 2026 | Mecum | 1970 | 440-6 auto | — | $275,000 | FL | — |
| May 2025 | Mecum | 1970 | Hemi ★ | 20,000 | $550,000 | IN | original drivetrain |
| May 2025 | Mecum | 1970 | Hemi auto ★ | 33,000 | $418,000 | IN | warranty-replaced trans, Govier cert — same car $1.65M in 2022 |
| Jan 2024 | Mecum | 1970 | 440 4-spd | — | $300,000 | FL | — |
| Jan 2024 | Barrett-Jackson | 1970 | 440 auto | — | $286,000 | AZ | — |
| Jan 2024 | Mecum | 1970 | 440 auto | — | $170,000 | FL | base-market anchor |
| Jan 2023 | Mecum | 1970 | Hemi 4-spd ★ | — | $742,500 | FL | FJ5 Limelight, 1 of 58 — date approx. |
Where to hunt
Research file — market data verified through July 18, 2026.
Sources: individually observed results via Classic.com feeds, BaT, Cars & Bids, Mecum, RM Sotheby's,
Broad Arrow, Gooding, Collecting Cars, PCARMARKET and venue coverage, plus marque registries and factory press material.