One of the most iconic racing cars of all-time would be the 1970 Plymouth Superbird driven by Richard Petty in the 1970 NASCAR Season. Known as “The King”, Richard Petty raced from 1958 to 1992. In a racing career that spanned 34 years, Richard Petty sure drove a lot of race cars but somehow the Superbird he drove in that 1970 season became the most iconic. In the 2006 movie, Cars, Petty was cast to voice the character known as “The King” who was based off of him. The King was a “Dinoco Blue” cartoon Superbird featuring Petty’s voice and signature #43.

Believe it or not, Hot Wheels has released numerous ’70 Plymouth Superbirds over the years in this iconic paint scheme–all in premium lines. The latest release was part of the 2011 Hot Wheels Vintage Racing line; a line that also featured his ’69 Ford Torino Talladega, ’70 Plymouth Roadrunner & ’71 Plymouth GTX. Unfortunately, the line was discontinued and all four of Petty’s cars were scattered over the last couple mixes, making them harder to find.

The Hot Wheels #’70 Plymouth Superbird was recast in 2006 after the premium version ran from 1998 to 2008. Gone are the premium features in an opening hood, window netting and same size tires. The 2006 recast featured the “raked” look, meaning the back tire is larger than the front–a signature Hot Wheels look. While most collectors are not a fan of the raked-look on the Superbird, it hasn’t hurt the Superbird’s collect-ability. The Superbird is by no means a pegwarmer and releases such as its Super Treasure Hunt version have garnered a lot of attention from the collecting community.

The prices on the Vintage Racing version seem to be on the rise. Going anywhere from $17-29 (carded), its not all that easy to find with a limited amount on secondary sites.

UPDATED 9/2/2019 — Picture updated.

RELEASE DETAILS: Powder Blue Body (metal). Clear Windows. Black Interior. Gray Deep-Dish Real Riders (DDRR) w/ Goodyear Tampos. Unpainted Metal Base. Made in Thailand. Toy# T8470. Released in 2011 as part of the Hot Wheels Vintage Racing line.