Introduced in 1968, the Dodge Super Bee was one of two entry-level muscle cars launched by Chrysler that year. The other one was the Plymouth Road Runner. The latter was the most successful of the two. While the Super Bee moved only 56,202 units until it was phased out in 1971, the Road Runner sold nearly 176,000 examples over the same period.
But while it was outsold by its Plymouth sibling by a ratio of more than three to one, the Super Bee is still a somewhat common classic compared to other muscle cars from the golden era. The 1969 version is particularly easy to find. It was the Super Bee’s best-selling year, with 27,800 units delivered.
However, the “common” can only be applied to the 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) V8 cars, of which 25,727 were made. The 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) Six Pack models are notably scarcer at 1,907 examples made, while the HEMI Super Bees are downright tricky to obtain. Because Dodge built and sold only 166 of them.
These rigs have been going under the hammer for six-figure sums for a few years now, and 2022 saw the first example exceed the $150,000 mark, changing hands for $165K. Interestingly enough, the world’s most expensive 1969 Super Bee, as of January 2024, is not a HEMI. That award goes to a highly original 440 A12 version, which sold for $240,000. But that’s mainly because HEMI cars rarely hit the auction block.
The Sunfire Yellow example you see here is one of those cars. And it’s probably one of the finest 1969 HEMI Super Bee survivors out there. Amazingly, this coupe still rocks its original Sunfire Yellow paint, a rare hue for 1969 Super Bees. Sure, the paint received touch-ups here and there over the years, but it’s still in fantastic condition for a car this old.
The black vinyl interior is also original and looks gorgeous, aside from a bit of wear and tear. The fact that it’s a bench-seat car makes it even better in my book. Not that bucket seats aren’t nice, but front-row benches feel more suitable for sleepers like the Super Bee and Road Runner.
One thing that prevents this 1969 Super Bee from being downright perfect is that the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI under the hood is not original. This Mopar draws juice from a replacement unit that’s been rebuilt to correct 1969 specs. It’s the next best thing to have in a classic, but it’s definitely holding the car from reaching its full potential value-wise.
On the flip side, it has the original four-speed manual, which makes it one of only 79 Super Bees built with this drivetrain combo in 1969. It’s also a factory Super Track Pak car. Coupled with the rare Sunfire Yellow paint, this Super Bee could very well be a one-of-one gem, but there’s no official statistic to back it up.
The ad also mentions it’s one of 38 examples in the Chrysler Registry. And that’s a hint many 1969 HEMI Super Bees are no longer around as of 2024. If it’s the kind of Mopar you’d like to park in your heated garage, this Super Bee will go under the gavel at Mecum’s Glendale 2024 auction on March 5-9.
While it may not surpass the record set by the Super Bee A12 at $240,000 in January 2024, this car will definitely fetch more than $150,000. The Mopar was previously withdrawn from Kissimmee 2024 and failed to sell with a high bid of $120,000 in 2022.