The Too Cool for School Dodge Super Bee
Born during the peak of American muscle cars, the Super Bee would go on to enjoy three revivals.
Written by Lisa Steuer McArdle
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Something magical happened at the 1968 Detroit Auto Show. That was the year that the world was first introduced to the
Dodge
Super Bee. Born during the peak of American muscle cars
, the Super Bee would go on to enjoy three revivals. Let’s take a closer look at this iconic car.
The 1968 Dodge Super Bee filled a need for affordable muscle cars
According to
MotorBiscuit
, Dodge faced quite the task in the late 1960s. In order to stay competitive with Plymouth's Road Runner, Dodge had to produce its own affordable muscle car. This era was the muscle car's heyday, and Dodge wanted a slice of the pie. However, not everyone who wanted a muscle car had deep pockets. Dodge went to work, and in 1968 released the first Super Bee. The base model cost around $3,000, and every penny went into the 335 hp, eight-cylinder engine. Anyone who had an extra $1,000 could upgrade to a Hemi.
But the world's first Super Bee didn't totally lack in amenities. The basic model still came with heavy-duty suspension brakes, sporty racing stripes, and, of course, the iconic Super Bee emblem.
The Dodge Super Bee's initial production run was short-lived. By the early 1970s, Dodge discontinued the model due to slow sales. But for
muscle car
lovers, the desire for nostalgia is strong. Dodge brought back the Super Bee at different times, first from 2007 to 2009, then in 2012 to 2014, and again in 2019. While the name "Super Bee" has once again faded into history, some 2021 Dodge Challenger models feature a modernized Super Bee emblem.
The 2013 Dodge Super Bee Charger was all about performance
During the second Super Bee revival, Dodge released its 2013 model. According to Autobytel, when the 2013 Dodge Super Bee Charger first hit the market, the car had a base price of around $42,000. This was a great price for the power and handling that the reimagined Super Bee brought to the road: a Hemi V8 6.4 engine and 5-speed transmission. The 2013 Super Bee stayed true to its affordable—yet performance-driven—roots.
In the early days of muscle cars, owners could pop the hood and have their buddies gather around to compare engines and other components. But all too often on modern muscle cars, when you pop the hood all you see are a bunch of covers—but not on the 2013 Super Bee. To give the car a retro feel, Dodge left many "under the hood" components bare, just like in the good old days.
As with the 1968 model, you won't find too many amenities inside of the 2013 Super Bee. A pared down dashboard means all of the resources went into the engine, and thus, the performance and handling.
How the Dodge Super Bee got its name
You have to admit, when you think of names for muscle cars, insects aren't the first thing to come to mind. So where does the "Super Bee" moniker come from?
The automaker actually held a contest to name their budget muscle car. According to
Classic Cars Wiki
, Harvey J. Winn, who was a senior designer at Dodge, came up with the name. Legend has it that the word "Bee" is a nod to the "B" body design.Saving money is cool, too
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