Dodge Super Bee (1968-1971)
1968 sparked a new slogan year for Chrysler. The initial advertisement had a bee with an engine on his back. In order to come out with a new arsenal, the Dodge Super Bee was born. It was only in production for 4 years, but during its run there were plenty of benefits to the Super Bee.
Let's look at the timeline involving the Dodge Super Bee:
1968 Dodge Super Bee
The Super Bee got its name from the "B" body design Chrysler used on most of its vehicles during the 1960s. The architecture was very similar to the Dodge Coronet, but they wanted to make it a low-budget muscle car. This way consumers could spend less money, but still enjoy all the benefits a muscle car had to offer. One of the major additions was the new exterior design and style.
Take a look at all the features associated with the 1st generation Dodge Super Bee:
Exterior
* 65lb. - about 50lbs. heavier than the Coronet
* 117-inch wheelbase - The goal was to keep this close to the Super Bee's cousin; the Road Runner.
* Die-cast chrome plated "bee" medallions
* High-performance tires
* Larger rear wheel openings
* Tail stripe
* Taillight ornamentation
Interior
* Dodge Charger's speedometer dash cluster
* Hurst Competition - Plus shifter
Engine
* 383 Magnum
* 426 Hemi engine
The 426 hemi engine was an upgrade purchase. The 1968 Dodge Super Bee was already expensive to begin with, so raising the price an additional 33% wasn't well-received by consumers. By the end of the year, only 125 Super Bees were sold with a 426 hemi engine.
1969 Dodge Super Bee
When Chrysler released the 1969 version, there were two different choices available. You could still purchase the Super Bee similar to the 1968, but a "Ramcharger" was also introduced. The difference here was the twin-scooped air induction hood. While the Road Runner was very popular during its production run, the Ramcharger offered more efficient scoops. This was because they were setup as forward-facing scoops as opposed to the flat versions on the Road Runner.
In order to tweak the 1968 engine, the 1969 Dodge Super Bee had several different options. However, some of them weren't offered until the middle of the year.
* 440 cubic in (mid-year)
* 383 High Performance
* 440 Six Pack
* 426 Hemi
The 440 gave consumers another engine option that fell somewhere between the 383 and the 426. One of the problems with the 426 was that it was only available as an upgrade, which cost close to $500.
Even though potential buyers had plenty of choices, they were not able to drop a 440 Magnum in their Super Bee. Chrysler decided it would be best utilized in the Coronet R/T (Road/Track).
1970 Dodge Super Bee
There was a different design set for the Dodge Super Bee in 1970. The biggest change came to the front end where a twin-looped front bumper was integrated into the design. Throughout the 4 years this vehicle was produced, the 1970 version became the most popular. Today, there is still a debate as to whether or not it had to due with the change to the front bumper.
Overall there were over 15,500 Dodge Super Bees sold in 1970. Chrysler believes it would have made more sales throughout the year, but the evolution of automobile insurance created issues. While there were 15,000+ Super Bees made in 1970, 28,000 were produced in 1969.
1971 Dodge Super Bee
Once we reached 1971, it was very clear that the new rules and regulations regarding muscle car insurance were going to change the automobile industry. It was a clear indication that muscle cars were going to be transformed into less powerful vehicles to accommodate the rising insurance costs. When the 1971 Dodge Super Bee was introduced, Chrysler didn't realize how much of an impact insurance would have on the market.
However, they realized the market was continuously getting smaller for muscle cars. By the end of 1971, there were only 5,054 Dodge Super Bees sold. From 1969 to 1971, they had lost over 22,000 units sold during this period. Some owners still wanted to purchase the Super Bee with a 426 Hemi, but only 22 of them were sold in 71'.
There were 5 different engines available for the Dodge Super Bee in 71'. It was also the first year a small block engine was available (340). You could also get the 383, 426 hemi, and two versions of the 440 (one with 275kW and the other with 287kW).
Missing Super Bees
During the production of the Dodge Super Bee there were several show cars created. Four of those cars were convertibles, but they have never been able to be recovered. Only time will tell if we ever come across them in the future, but that conversation is for another time. The good news is; the Super Bee sparked so much interest, Dodge produced newer versions during the first decade of the 21st century.