In 1971, automakers were starting to sense the new anti-muscle car trend, especially as insurance companies were raising prices, but that doesn’t mean performance models disappeared overnight.
In the end, that didn’t happen, but automakers were already looking for ways to adapt to a changing market: The Super Bee became a trim level of the Charger, and it could also be ordered with a small-block engine (the 340 ci with 275 horsepower).
However, most of the 5,054 Super Bee buyers in 1971 opted for more powerful engines, including the 300-hp 383, the 370- or 385-hp 440, and the 425-hp 426 Hemi.
The Dodge Charger Super Bee pictured here left the factory with a 440 Six Pack engine, and still has that same engine today. According to the folks at KD’s Auto Sales, the garage tasked with finding a new owner for this Super Bee, the car is all numbers matching and all original. The car is delivered in incredible condition, so you can just get in and drive it with no repairs needed.
The Super Bee has all of its lights, signals, and gauges in working order, but there’s no mention of a previous overhaul, so I wish the seller had provided more information about the restoration to see if the car was truly restored.
However, since anyone can look at the pictures and know what the car looks like, there’s not much point in discussing its condition, but let’s focus on how rare this Super Bee is.
Firstly, Dodge is only producing around 5,000 Super Bees this year, and the garage claims that this particular example is one of 99 cars mated to the Six-Pack engine and automatic transmission, and also one of 69 with an automatic gearbox. We couldn’t find any figures to back up this claim, but the car is said to be Super Bee registration number 5014, so it should be easy for buyers to look this up.
Even more interesting is the color combination: the car is painted gunmetal gray with a matching interior and a black roof. According to the garage, the car is “considered by most to be the only Super Bee with the Six Pack engine, black on gunmetal on gunmetal.” Again, do your research before you bid, but requesting a third-party inspection should give you a clearer picture of what this Super Bee is all about.
You wouldn’t expect a car like this to sell for cheap, but that’s not the case with this one. Bidding is ongoing, but with the minimum bid not being met at the top price of $25,100, people online are still vying to get their hands on it. There have already been 41 bids on the car, with 39 people watching the digital battle. The car is parked in Pompano Beach, Florida.
