AERO KING: 1970 PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD GOES TO AUCTION

Of all the big, loud, American muscle cars of the 1960s and early 1970s, few stand out like the aero warriors. The exclusive club consisted of just four cars: the Ford Torino Talladega, Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II, Dodge Charger Daytona, and Plymouth Superbird. All four were developed exclusively for racing in NASCAR, but only one has our favorite fast-footed ground bird for a mascot. And there's an example up for auction.

It's the Superbird, a high-performance version of the Plymouth Road Runner with big power and an even bigger rear wing. The most distinguishing features of the Superbird are its extended nose cone and colossal rear spoiler, the top of which extends above the car's roof. (It's even bigger than the one on this Toyota Supra). And yes, the spoiler uprights feature a dinner plate-sized decal of Road Runner (of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies fame) holding a racing helmet in one hand and waving goodbye to your competition with the other.

The car in question is a fully restored Torch Red example with the 440 (7.2-liter) Super Commando Six Barrel V-8 engine under the hood. As the mid-range engine, the six-barrel produced 390 hp, just 35 horses shy of the high-output 426 Hemi V-8. It's mated to the original, numbers-matching three-speed automatic, and options include power steering and power brakes. This particular Superbird also sports a factory AM radio and what Plymouth called a Tic-Toc-Tach; muscle car speak for a tachometer with a 12-hour clock nestled within the gauge. Oh yeah, and the horn trumpets the same "meep meep" as the beloved line-drawn stinker that's been pranking a cartoon coyote for 70 years. Maybe with that giant V-8 we can finally outrun the wily critter. Get ready to wave your paddles when this rare bird crosses the block on Saturday, June 29.