Richard Petty's Legendary Superbird 'Wing Car' for Sale

Winged Opportunity

In the wide, wonderful world of race cars, few are as iconic as Richard Petty's legendary Plymouth Superbirds. And now, one lucky person is going to get the rare opportunity to own one of the more historically significant winged machines at the upcoming Mecum Harrisburg Auction, taking place July 31-August 3.

Photos: Mecum Auctions

Nice Bait

Perhaps most notably, this particular car was the one built specifically to lure Petty back to Plymouth after a one-season hiatus with Ford. Just one year later, he would go on to become the first driver to win the Daytona 500 three times.

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Unmitigated Success

That same season, Petty won 20 more races to secure his 3rd Grand National Championship and become the first driver to earn more than $1 million in career earnings. Suffices to say, this particular car played an instrumental role in all of that.

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Needs More Slippery

For years prior to this car's existence, Chrysler's Hemi dominated the racing scene. So much so that it was temporarily banned from NASCAR. But the brand needed a car that was more aerodynamic to better compete on super speedways.

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Added Advantage

The answer to that problem came in the form of the Superbird (and the Dodge Charger Daytona). Sporting a massive nosecone and wing, these cars gave Chrysler the aerodynamic advantages they needed to compete with Ford's Torino Talladega.

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Immediate Success

Petty jumped right back into the slippery Superbird, and the results were immediate. He scored 18 wins in 1970, along with 31 top 10 finishes. 

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Proper Treatment

This particular Superbird was treated to a full restoration by none other than Petty Enterprises. The team was careful to use nothing but original or NOS parts in the rebuild, and the results are quite simply stunning.

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Extreme Detail

A lot of details went into returning this racer to its former glory. The team even hand fabricated the arch under shifter and recreated the rivet holes in the floorboards using photos of the car from 1970.

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Looks Familiar

Not like anyone would ever confuse this car for anything else. Painted in Petty Blue and sporting the King's signature on the roof, even non-NASCAR fans can spot this thing from a mile away.

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Sky High

Opportunities like this certainly don't come around very often, and they most definitely don't come cheaply. There's no auction estimate for this amazing Petty Superbird, so we'll just have to wait and see what it hammers for in a few weeks!

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