This is a rare, original 1971 Dodge Charger Super Bee. It’s a true factory 440/385 bhp Six Pack V8 V-Code Charger Super Bee, the only year this name was offered on this body style.
One-Year-Only models like this are a big deal in the classic car world, and this Super Bee is an example that many will have never seen in person before due to its rarity. This car has now been rotisserie restored and it’s finished in an eye-catching two-tone Red and White paint scheme with Black stripes.
Fast Facts – The 1971 Dodge Charger Super Bee
- The 1971 Dodge Charger Super Bee is a rare one-year-only model, built on the Chrysler B-platform after the Coronet two-door was discontinued. It featured eye-catching styling, a range of V8 engine options, and was the last of its kind before stricter emissions regulations curtailed the muscle car era.
- This particular Super Bee retains its original matching-numbers drivetrain, including a 440/385 bhp Six Pack V8, a 4-speed manual transmission, and a 3.54:1 SureGrip Dana rear axle. It was factory-optioned with a Ramcharger hood, Hurst Pistol Grip shifter, and Rallye dashboard with tachometer.
- The car underwent a meticulous rotisserie restoration, rebuilding its performance suspension for period-correct ride and handling. Finished in a striking red-and-white two-tone paint scheme with black stripes, it also includes its original broadcast sheet and fender tag.
- Set to be auctioned by Mecum in mid-January with an estimated value of $175,000–$225,000 USD, this Super Bee is a rare example of one of the final true muscle cars before the onset of the Malaise Era.
Why Is The 1971 Dodge Super Bee Special?
The Dodge Super Bee made its debut in 1968 as a low-priced muscle car based on the Dodge Coronet two-door coupe platform. The car was Dodge’s answer to the Plymouth Road Runner, and it was named the “Super Bee” as it was based on Chrysler’s “B” Body, which also underpinned the Road Runner and Charger.
1971 would be the last year that the public could buy a Super Bee. That is, until an all-new version was released in 2007. Image courtesy of Dodge.
While it never achieved quite the same status as the Plymouth Road Runner, the Dodge Super Bee did carve out a niche for itself in the market, and it still enjoys a cult following right through to the current day.
In 1971 the Dodge Coronet two-door ceased to exist, and the Coronet was only built in four-door sedan and four-door station wagon variants. This left the Super Bee without a platform, and so it was moved across onto the all-new 1971 Chrysler B-platform also used by the Charger.
The Super Bee would be built on this platform for one year only, then discontinued until 2007, when a new version was offered on the LX platform based on the Charger SRT-8.
The 1971 Super Bee was offered with a range of engine options, all V8s of course, starting with the entry-level 340 cubic inch (5.6 liter) small block V8 with 275 bhp and going up to the 440 cubic inch (7.2 liter) big block V8 producing 385 bhp. The 426 cubic inch (7.0 liter) Hemi V8 was also in the mix, offering 425 bhp.
Buyers could choose a 3-speed Torqueflite automatic transmission as an option, but the car came with a 4-speed manual as standard when you chose one of the big block V8s. Just 9 of the manual 5,054 1971 Super Bees were Hemi-powered with 30 examples made with the 440 V8 and the manual ‘box.
Buyers could opt for a multitude of options including bucket front seats rather than the standard bench, a center console, and a SureGrip Dana rear axle. It came standard with two-tone paint and a blacked-out hood center with a Super Bee decal, it also came with side stripes.
The 1971 Dodge Charger Super Bee is an undeniably good-looking car, it was quick for the time too, thanks to 440 V8 and 426 Hemi V8 engine options.
The Malaise Era would dawn not long after the 1971 Dodge Super Bee left production and as a result it has been held up as one of the last true muscle cars of the age, before emissions legislation choked the big block V8s and eventually saw most of them leave production permanently.
The 1971 Dodge Super Bee Shown Here
The vehicle you see here is an original 1971 Dodge Super Bee, and importantly it still has its matching numbers drivetrain. In this case, that drivetrain is a 440/385 bhp Six Pack V8 mated to a 4-speed manual transmission and a 3.54:1 SureGrip Dana rear axle, making it a true factory V-Code Charger Super Bee.
It was optioned with the N96 Ramcharger operating hood, the Hemi-type A833 4-speed manual transmission, the 3.54:1 SureGrip Dana rear end, front bucket seats, the center console with a Hurst Pistol Grip shifter, and a Rallye dashboard with a tachometer.
This car is powered by a 440/385 bhp Six Pack V8 mated to a 4-speed manual transmission and a 3.54:1 SureGrip Dana rear axle.
The car has been given a rotisserie restoration and it comes with an original broadcast sheet and an original fender tag. The performance suspension has been carefully restored to maintain the original ride and handling of the car, a decision that many don’t consider when performing a restoration.
It’s now due to roll across the auction block with Mecum in mid-January with an estimate of $175,000 – $225,000 USD. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Mecum
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
