Dodge Super Bee

Dodge Super Bee
Overview
Manufacturer	Chrysler Corporation (1968–1980) DaimlerChrysler (2007) Chrysler LLC (2008–09)
Production	1968–1971 1970–1980 (Mexico only) 2007–2009
Body and chassis
Class	Muscle car
Layout	FR layout

The Dodge Super Bee was a limited-production muscle car from Dodge, produced from 1968 until 1971.^[1] The Super Bee model was resurrected for the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2013 Dodge Charger Super Bee models.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

1968–1970

First generation
Overview
Production	1968–1970
Assembly	Newark, Delaware, United States
Body and chassis
Platform	B-body
Related	Dodge Coronet Plymouth Satellite Dodge Charger Plymouth Road Runner Plymouth GTX Plymouth Belvedere
Powertrain
Engine	383 cu in (6.3 L) V8 426 cu in (7.0 L) V8 440 cu in (7.2 L) V8
Transmission	4-speed manual 3-speed Torqueflite automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	117.0 in (2,972 mm)

The original Dodge Super Bee was based on the design of the Dodge Coronet, designed as a two-door coupe, and was produced from 1968 until 1970.^[7] It was the company's low-priced powerful muscle car, derived from the design of the Plymouth Road Runner, and retailed at USD$3,027 on the consumer market. The origin of the name, "Super Bee", has its basis in the "B" Body designation pertinent to Chrysler's mid-sized cars, including the Road Runner and Charger.^[8]

Plymouth's Road Runner sold well enough to prompt Dodge Division General Manager, Robert McCurry, to request the creation of a competitor from the Dodge Styling office; at the time, both divisions were competing to be the Chrysler performance division R/T=Rapid Transit(later known as "Street and Racing Technology – SRT"^[9]). The designers were assigned the task of creating a name and identity for the Dodge version, with senior designer, Harvey J. Winn, winning the "contest" with the name "Super Bee" and a new logo design based on the Dodge "Scat Pack" Bee medallion.^[10] The design of the first Super Bee was influenced by the 1968 Coronet convertible and the show car's interior was built by the Alexander Brothers. The show car was eventually introduced at the 1968 Detroit Auto Show.^[11]

Although the two cars are very similar in external appearance, the Super Bee was slightly heavier (approx 65 lb (29 kg)) and rode on a 117-inch (3,000 mm) wheelbase compared to the Road Runner's 116 in (290 cm) wheelbase.^[12][13] In addition to the minor external aesthetic differences, such as larger rear wheel openings, the bumblebee tailstripe and fancier grille, and the taillight ornamentation, the Super Bee also used actual diecast chrome-plated "Bee" medallions. These three-dimensional medallions were prominently mounted in a raised position in the grille/hood area and the trunklid/taillight area of the car throughout the first three years of production.^[14]

The interior of the Super Bee borrowed the race car–inspired and more sophisticated gauge and speedometer dash cluster from the Dodge Charger, while the four-speed manual cars received a Hurst Competition-Plus shifter with Hurst linkage;^[8] this shifter compared to the Road Runner's less expensive Inland shifter and linkage.^[15] Due to the higher-quality accessories attached to the Super Bee, the car was sold at a higher price in comparison to its Plymouth cousin; this ultimately affected the model's sales numbers during the years it was produced.^[8]

The Super Bee, like nearly all Chrysler muscle cars of that era, was available with the Hemi engine;^[16] although, this option raised the price by 33%, and only 125 were sold. The 1968 model was only sold as a two-door coupe, with two engine options, the base 335 hp (250 kW) 383 Magnum, and the 426 Hemi, rated at 425 hp (317 kW).^[8]

The Super Bee included a heavy-duty suspension, an optional Mopar A-833 four-speed manual transmission, and high-performance tires.^[17] Outside, a stripe (with the bee logo) was wrapped around the tail.^[18]

A hardtop version joined the existing pillared coupe body in 1969 and a new optional twin-scooped air induction hood, the "Ramcharger", became available.^[19] This particular option was coded N-96 and was the counterpart to the Plymouth Road Runner's "Coyote Duster" air induction hood. The "Ramcharger" hood featured forward-facing scoops that were more efficient than the Road Runner's "twin vents", as the latter merely lay flat on the hood and did not force air into the carburetor(s) as the Super Bee's did.

A "six-pack" (three two-barrel carburetors) version of Dodge's 440 cubic-inch engine was added to the offering list mid-year. This option fell half-way between the standard engine and the Hemi as a USD463 option. The 1969 model year gave Chrysler customers several engines from which to choose—the base 383 Magnum (high performance), 440 Six Pack, and the 426 Hemi. The 440 Magnum (4bbl) was not an available option, and was reserved for the Coronet R/T.

For the 1970 model, the Super Bee received a cosmetic redesign and a new front-end was designed that consisted of a twin-looped front bumper that Dodge Public Relations referred to as "bumble bee wings".^[20] However, sales plummeted for the year from 15,506 in 1970 to 5,054 in 1971—because of, or in spite of, this new look, with another sales pressure coming from higher insurance rates for performance cars; the similar Plymouth Road Runner and Plymouth Duster both experienced similar sales issues.^[21] In addition to the new looks, engine choices and "ramcharger" hood carried over from 1969, the 1970 cars from Dodge featured several new or improved options. For example, a "C- stripe" variant of the bumble stripe was offered, in addition to new high-back bucket seats, a steering column-mounted ignition and a "pistol-grip" Hurst shifter on four-speed models.

Rumors have surfaced regarding the many concept and show vehicles that Chrysler produced during the muscle car era, including the production of four concept Super Bee convertibles. The whereabouts of one 1970 Coronet Super Bee Hemi Convertible in In-Violet is known to exist in Ontario Canada, while the other three cars are unknown, but, in the following year, the company reintroduced a limited run of approximately 5,000 of the concept vehicles before permanent discontinuation.

Engines:

• 1968–1970: 383 in³ (6.3 L) Big-Block V8, 335 hp (250 kW)
• 1968–1970: 426 in³ (7.0 L) Hemi V8, 425 hp (317 kW)
• 1969–1970: 440 in³ (7.2 L) Big-Block V8, 390 hp (291 kW)

Production:

1968: 7,842–7,717 (383), 125 (426 Hemi)

1969: 27,800–25,727 (383), 1,907 (440 Six Pack), 166 (426 Hemi)

1970: 15,506

Second generation
Overview
Production	1971
Assembly	United States: Detroit, Michigan Hamtramck, Michigan Los Angeles, California St. Louis, Missouri
Body and chassis
Platform	B-body
Related	Dodge Coronet Plymouth Satellite Dodge Charger Plymouth Road Runner Plymouth GTX
Powertrain
Engine	340 cu in (5.6 L) V8 383 cu in (6.3 L) V8 426 cu in (7.0 L) V8 440 cu in (7.2 L) V8
Transmission	4-speed manual Torqueflite automatic

1971

Since the 1971 Coronet was only available in sedan and station wagon versions, the Super Bee model was moved to the platform used by the Charger. Since an R/T muscle car version of the Charger already existed, the Super Bee was promoted as the low-priced model in the line, selling at USD$3,271. Production numbers of the Super Bee reached 5,054, including 22 with the Hemi engine. The moniker was discontinued until the 2007 Super Bee, a Charger SRT-8.

1971 was the first and only year that a small block engine (340 4-bbl) became available in the Super Bee.^[22] Although the 440 Magnum (4-bbl) was not an available option with the Super Bee for the 1971 model, twenty-six are known to have been built.

Engines:

• 1971: 340 in³ (5.6 L) Small-Block V8, 275 hp (205 kW)
• 1971: 383 in³ (6.3 L) Big-Block V8, 300 hp (224 kW)
• 1971: 440 in³ (7.2 L) Big-Block V8, 370 hp (275 kW)
• 1971: 440 in³ (7.2 L) Big-Block V8, 385 hp (287 kW)
• 1971: 426 in³ (7.0 L) Hemi V8, 425 hp (317 kW)
• 1972: 400 in³ (6.6 L) Big-Block V8, 320 HP (4,800rpm,410 ft-lbs torque 3,200 rpm)

Mexican Valiant Super Bee

First generation (Mexico)
Overview
Production	1970–1976
Assembly	Toluca, Mexico
Body and chassis
Class	Sports Car
Body style	2-door coupe
Layout	FR layout
Platform	A-body
Related	Dodge Dart Plymouth Valiant Plymouth Duster
Powertrain
Engine	318 cu in (5.2 L) LA V8 (1970-1973) 360 cu in (5.9 L) LA V8 (1974-1976)
Transmission	4-speed manual 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic
Chronology
Predecessor	Plymouth Barracuda
Successor	Dodge Magnum

Second generation (Mexico)
Overview
Production	1977–1980
Assembly	Toluca, Mexico
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door coupe
Platform	F-body
Related	Dodge Aspen Plymouth Volare
Powertrain
Engine	360 cu in (5.9 L) LA V8
Transmission	4-speed manual 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	108.7 in (2,761 mm)
Length	198.8 in (5,050 mm)
Width	73.3 in (1,862 mm)
Height	53.3 in (1,354 mm)

In 1970, Chrysler of Mexico introduced the new Dodge Super Bee as a replacement for the company's previous sports car product, the Plymouth Barracuda. As the production and sale costs of the third-generation Barracuda in Mexico were too high, Dodge adapted the semi-fastback A-Body platform and introduced the Super Bee at the beginning of 1970.^[23]

The Super Bee was only available with the V8 318 engine (270 horsepower (hp)) and the buyer could choose from either a four-speed or three-speed manual transmission. Dodge was unable to design its own Super Bee in 1970, resulting in a design that was virtually identical to the Plymouth Duster (known in Mexico as the "Dodge Valiant Duster"), with the side stripes and the Super Bee decals serving as the only distinctions.^[24]

In 1971, Dodge sought to further differentiate the Super Bee from the Duster, assembling it with the grille from the American Dodge Demon. The model's body was modified on one further occasion, in 1972, and, by 1973, the front of the Dodge Dart became the standard design for the entire A Body line-up; the Duster, Super Bee, Valiant, and Dart all consisted of the same front grille, with the rear tail lights constituting the only difference between the Super Bee and the Valiant. However, in 1976, the final year for the A Body cars, the front grille of the Plymouth model became the standard design.

The Valiant Super Bee was equipped with the 318 V8 engine, with 270 hp, from 1970 to 1974; from 1975 to 1976, it contained the 360 V8 engine, with 300 hp—these engines had more power in Mexico than in the US, as Mexican anti-pollution laws were less strict in comparison to the US. Over the years, these models only received minor changes, such as new grilles, rear panels, and tail lights. The first generation was produced from 1970 to 1976; during the fall of 1975, Chrysler introduced the new F Body cars: the Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare (as 1976 models), while the Aspen R/T and Volare Road Runner were released as the sports versions.^[25]

Chrysler de México decided to continue with the old names one year later—so the twins, the Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare, were sold in Mexico as the Dodge Dart and the Valiant Volare, and the sports version was named the Valiant Super Bee. The Mexican Dodge Dart consisted of the front of the US Plymouth Volare and the rear of the Dodge Aspen, while the Mexican Valiant Volare and the Dodge Super Bee consisted of the front of the Dodge Aspen and the rear of the US Plymouth Volare.

The Super Bee was equipped with the 360 V8 engine and 300 hp, the three-speed Torque Flite automatic transmission (or the four-speed manual transmission), sports wide wheels, front spoiler, and a rear spoiler-style Trans Am with the Super Bee spelling (with an optional blind in the rear window). Super Bee was one of the fastest cars in the Mexican territory, overtaking cars like the Ford Mustang and even larger cars like the Chevrolet Malibu. The federal highway patrol used Super Bee as a squad car and it was very difficult to find cars faster than the Super Bee. For the 1980-model year, the Super Bee received a new front with rectangular headlamps.

For the 1981-model year, the Dodge Diplomat was introduced in Mexico, under the name of Dodge Dart (replacing the Dodge Aspen), and was considered a luxury car. A new sports version of the 1981 Dodge Dart replaced the Valiant Super Bee and is now called the Dodge Magnum—the version consisted of the 360 V8 engine and 270 hp, with variations in transmissions: The three-speed automatic and the four-speed manual.

2007-2012

3rd generation
Overview
Production	2007–2009
Assembly	Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Body and chassis
Class	Full size
Body style	4-door sedan
Platform	Chrysler LX platform
Related	Dodge Charger Chrysler 300 Dodge Magnum Dodge Challenger
Powertrain
Engine	6.1L V8
Transmission	5-speed W5A580 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	304.8 cm (120.0 in)
Length	508.3 cm (200.1 in)
Width	189 cm (74.5 in)
Height	148 cm (58.2 in)

A new 2007 Super Bee model was introduced at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. This model is based on the Dodge Charger SRT-8 and its exterior consists of special "Detonator Yellow" paint, a "Flat Black" hood and fender "decals". The production version consisted of a hood decal, rather than an entirely black hood, and the "hockey stick" stripe on the side was changed from solid black to a dashed black stripe positioned at the bottom of the exterior. The wheels are fully polished and do not contain the silver painted areas of the "stock" SRT8 Charger. The interior is completely black, with yellow accent stitching on the seats and shift knob; this is unlike the "two-tone" interior of the standard SRT8 Charger which consists of red stitching (this is the only model that contains such an interior, as the Charger interior changed in 2008). The appearance of the shifter "bezel" and center console resemble that of carbon fibre, and the Super Bee logo appears in the instrument cluster during "power up", instead of the SRT logo.

It is a limited edition car, with only 1000 built for model year 2007, with build dates as early as August 2006. Each car is built in Brampton Assembly Plant, then shipped to Windsor to have decals applied and unique number plaque applied to the passenger side of the dash. Number sequence on dash, does not necessarily follow build order, as multiple "Bees" were shipped to Windsor by car carrier and order was not retained. It uses the same 425 bhp (317 kW; 431 PS) HEMI 6.1 Liter engine as the SRT8 versions of the Dodge Charger, Dodge Magnum, Dodge Challenger and Chrysler 300C.

2008

For the 2008 model year, the Super Bee was only made in "B5 Blue Pearl Coat" (sometimes listed as "Surf Blue Pearl" ), reminiscent of the blue used by Chrysler vehicles in the 1960s and 1970s. Instead of fully polished SRT8 Charger wheels, the "pockets" are painted black on the ALCOA rims. Blue accent stitching inside replaces the yellow found on the seats and steering wheel, but the Charger's interior was changed for 2008, so the dash and console are different than the 2007 version interior.This year also Introduced Touch Screen Navigation and In Dash DVD player. Again, it was based on the SRT-8 model and used the 6.1L engine, and had a limited production run of 1000.

2009

For the 2009 model year, the Super Bee was only made in "Hemi Orange Pearl Coat" , and was based on the SRT-8 model. The Super Bee used the 6.1L engine, and had a limited production run of only 425.This year also Introduced Touch Screen Navigation and In Dash DVD player with Hardrive ALCOA rims were Standard this year only.

2012

In 2011, it was announced that the Super Bee will be returning as a 2012 model on the redesigned Dodge Charger with the 392 HEMI engine in "Stinger Yellow" and "Pitch Black" colors.

Unlike the 2007-2009 Super Bee models, which were highly optioned SRT8 Chargers, the 2012 model is a more stripped down version of the SRT8 Charger.

^[26]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dodge Super Bee.

• 71 Super Bees
• Super Bee Registry
• Mexican Super Bees
• 1970 Superbee Site - www.XtremeBee.com

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																								Lancer
Compact																						Colt			Colt				Colt
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																											Aspen
																					Super Bee							Super Bee
Mid-size																													Alpine
													Dart															Diplomat
													Phoenix			Coronet						Coronet				Coronet		Coronet
													Polara																Magnum
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Full-size	Meadowbrook					La Femme
	Kingsway	Kingsway			Kingsway					Kingsway
	Coronet			Coronet		Coronet		Coronet
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					Royal	Royal		Royal			Savoy			330		Phoenix					Phoenix
	Regent	Regent			Regent					Regent	Phoenix			440		Polara				Polara
						Custom Royal		Custom Royal			Matador			Polara		Monaco				Monaco					Monaco					St. Regis
				Mayfair	Mayfair	Mayfair		Mayfair			Polara		Custom 880
Sports car																	Charger		Charger			Charger				Charger
																					Challenger
																			Super Bee			Super Bee

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