A vintage car can be unusual for a variety of reasons. Of course, the first thing that springs to mind is the production number. With the correct choices, highly common nameplates can likewise turn into rare jewels. Furthermore, a classic can frequently command a high price just due to its uncommon color combination.
The High-Impact colors are very important for Mopars from the golden age of muscle cars. For example, Plum Crazy / In-Violet is very sought-after without being especially uncommon. However, the classic color scheme also had shades that were noticeably less common and were only seen on a small number of automobiles. We obtain hundreds or even tens of nameplates when we divide those numbers over nameplates.
Of the ten High-Impact paints offered from 1969 through 1971, Bright Green / Rallye Green and Panther Pink / Moulin Rouge are the scarcest. And that’s because they were only available as Spring colors for a few months in 1969. Panther Pink / Moulin Rouge was also a special-order paint in 1970, but it was ordered in small numbers. The short-lived (1971 only) and somewhat controversial Citron Yella / Curious Yellow is also rare.
Then there are super-rare Mopars like this 1969 Super Bee that sports a special-order paint. I know this derelict hardtop looks like it was painted Panther Pink and then refinished in Go Mango, but it’s not what it seems. This Super Bee has a 999 code on its fender tag, and the traces of pink paint you see on the body aren’t from your usual High-Impact Panther Pink.
This Mopar, which was ordered in a different shade of pink, is a unicorn that was on display at the 2023 Muscle Cars and Corvette Nationals (MCACN). And code 999 denotes special-order paint, so we know that. Alright, so how can we be certain that it’s not merely a fade over time of Panther Pink? The problem is that Chrysler didn’t provide the aforementioned color for the 1970 model year when this Super Bee rolled off the assembly line.
Moreover, Panther Pink came with FM3 on the fender tag for the 1970 model year and didn’t get the special-order 999 code until the 1971 model year. And the folks at Mopars5150 aren’t just whistling Dixie about it. They had the car verified by Mopar expert Dave Wise, who’s 100% certain the Super Bee is an authentic special-order rig with a unique color. A true one-of-one gem.
The Super Bee was obviously repainted in the past. The more recent hue looks a lot like EK2 Go Mango, a vibrant shade of orange Chrysler offered in 1969 and 1970. But there’s no denying that the car was initially finished in pink, as seen on the firewall and various areas that haven’t been refinished entirely.
Two things could be indicated by the pink’s lack of vibrancy compared to Panther Pink. It’s either a test vehicle for the upcoming Pink Panther movie or a different pink hue that a customer requested in order to have something unusual. I wonder whether this Super Bee is the same vehicle whose owner claimed it was a prototype when it first appeared on the internet in 2015. At the time, the majority of the vehicle’s body was still covered with orange paint, but the pink dots were comparable.
Either way, this is arguably the only factory-original pink 1969 Dodge Super Bee ever produced. That said, I hope it will get a proper restoration at some point. Meanwhile, you can check it out in its current condition in the video below.