Dodge and Plymouth started to enjoy a bit of a rivalry in 1968 when Dodge released the Superbee, an affordable muscle car, in direct competition to Plymouth's Road Runner. The two cars had similar chassis, engines and weights, so the performance was about equal. The base model of the Super Bee, however, was about $150 more than the Road Runner.

The Dodge Super Bee enjoyed a six-model run. Production ran from 1969 through 1971 and limited special editions were released from 2007 to 2009 and again in 2012. Based on the redesigned Dodge Coronet coupe, the Super Bee was only ever available in pillared two-door coupe and two-door hardtop body styles.

Cosmetics

Although the Dodge Super Bee was considered a budget muscle car, its lower cost fortunately didn't translate to low profile. This sporty car included such decorative features as bumblebee racing stripes, bright moldings on the rear body panel and wheels, a black matte grille, a large Super Bee emblem and a decorative power bulge on the hood. The interior featured pleated vinyl seats, door-to-door carpet, a bench seat and door panels.

The Super Bee was famous for its numerous and often unusual color options. The classic 1968 and 1969 colors included deep green metallic, baby blue and dark red. Models in the following years featured much brighter and bolder colors.

The 1970 and 1971 Dodge Super Bee was offered in a wide range of high-impact colors that included names such as Plum Crazy, Banana Yellow, Go Mango, Sublime and Panther Pink. Plum Crazy proved to be the most popular color for this muscle car while the Panther Pink didn't go over very well with the guys.

Dodge released a more modernized edition of the classic Super Bee in 2007. This limited edition was available in only two color options: TorRed and Detonator Yellow. In 2008, the Super Bee only came in a vibrant pearl blue color while the 2009 Super Bee was available in a bold Hemi Orange. The colors available for the 2012 Super Bee include Pitch Black and Stinger Yellow.

Engines

The original Super Bee base model engine was the 335 4-barrel 383 cylinder V8, but Dodge switched over to a 383 cylinder Magnum V8 4-barrel rated at 300 horsepower for the 1971 cars.

Upgrading the engine in 1968 cost an additional $1,000 for a 426 Hemi. In 1969, buyers could purchase the Dodge 440 six pack for an additional $463.

In 1969, buyers could also choose to upgrade the Hurst 4-speed manual transmission to the Torqueflite automatic transmission. In 1971, the car came with the Torqueflite automatic transmission but customers could opt to buy a 3-speed or a 4-speed manual transmission instead.