WHAT IS A SUPER BEE?

[dadsbee]

Saying the RR was an unexpected hit and Dodge followed with the Bee is a bit of a stretch, seeing that both came out at the same time for the '68 model year.

 

[33 IMP]

Saying the RR was an unexpected hit and Dodge followed with the Bee is a bit of a stretch, seeing that both came out at the same time for the '68 model year.

Disagree. RR was a September 67 release, bee didn't debut till the middle of 68 model year.
Edit: nearly 45,000 roadrunners in 68, less than 8,000 68 superbees.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Saying the RR was an unexpected hit and Dodge followed with the Bee is a bit of a stretch, seeing that both came out at the same time for the '68 model year.

Sorry, not the case... 33 IMP is correct

 

[YY1]

Also- first half of 1968 RR production- all 21 post coupes.
I believe all 68 Bee's are also post coupes, even thought it's the tail end of the production year.

 

[33 IMP]

Also- first half of RR production- all 21 post coupes.
I believe all 68 Bee's are also post coupes, even thought it's the tail end of the production year.

I think you are right.

 

[WileERobby]

Saying the RR was an unexpected hit and Dodge followed with the Bee is a bit of a stretch, seeing that both came out at the same time for the '68 model year.

Not a stretch at all. It's pretty much well known what the developments were on these models. I remember seeing quite a few RR's back in the day before any SB rolled the streets.

 

[YY1]

I also believe Super "Bee" was a play on the B body platform, not the engine family.

 

[WileERobby]

I also believe Super "Bee" was a play on the B body platform, not the engine family.

You're correct !! in my post I subconsciously wrote engine.... should have been "body", thanks for spotting my error.

 

[moparedtn]

Saying the RR was an unexpected hit and Dodge followed with the Bee is a bit of a stretch, seeing that both came out at the same time for the '68 model year.

Incorrect on both counts - according to those actually responsible for development of the car, sales expectations
originally were only for 2000 units for the '68 Runner. They actually sold over 45,000 and the factory folks are
on record as saying they thought they could have sold twice that many if production was capable of making them
that fast.
Reference? Jack Smith himself: Jack Smith and the Plymouth Road Runner
They literally were selling Road Runners right off the transport trucks as they arrived at dealers, the demand was
so strong....

Meanwhile over at Dodge, they saw all this happening and immediately demanded to be allowed to develop their
own version of the RR - which top brass immediately approved, since it was working so well at Plymouth.
The Super Bee debuted in February 1968 as a mid-year model as a result.

Disagree. RR was a September 67 release, bee didn't debut till the middle of 68 model year.
Edit: nearly 45,000 roadrunners in 68, less than 8,000 68 superbees.

Correct on all counts.

Also- first half of RR production- all 21 post coupes.
I believe all 68 Bee's are also post coupes, even thought it's the tail end of the production year.

Also correct. All '68 Bees are post coupes (WM21).

 

[moparedtn]

I also believe Super "Bee" was a play on the B body platform, not the engine family.

Again, correct - and the product designer in charge of the graphics came up with the Super Bee logo virtually
on his kitchen table at home!

 

[oldbee]

Not a stretch at all. It's pretty much well known what the developments were on these models. I remember seeing quite a few RR's back in the day before any SB rolled the streets.

First RR’s didn’t have carpeting either, rubber.

 

[WileERobby]

First RR’s didn’t have carpeting either, rubber.

"Taxi... get me where I'm going... FAST ! "

 

[toolmanmike]

First RR’s didn’t have carpeting either, rubber.

"Formed Carpet"

 

[oldbee]

View attachment 1696513

"Formed Carpet"

Welllll, I knew the guy that bought one of the first in the Akron area and it looked like rubber. Not like carpet we ever saw.

 

[toolmanmike]

Welllll, I knew the guy that bought one of the first in the Akron area and it looked like rubber. Not like carpet we ever saw.

That could be. You could order many stripped models without carpet.

 

[Dave6T4]

The rubber floor mat in RoadRunners was a taxi piece. 4-speed RoadRunners all had carpet, because they never made 4-speed taxi's. The Decor Group on a RoadRunner brought it up to trim standard of the SuperBee.
Another poster mentioned that RR's were being sold right off the car transporters. Oddly enough, that is how I bought my 1969 SuperBee. As I was driving past my local Dodge store in St. Thomas, Ontario, a Sunfire Yellow SuperBee coupe was being backed off a transporter. I pulled in and bought it. Nicely optioned car with N96 RamAir, side scoops, 3.91 SureGrip, power disc brakes, 383 automatic, Hemi suspension and HD cooling package (part of the 3.91 axle package).

 

[Grant McLeod]

Chrysler decided to build a budget priced hot rod to fit the pocket book of guys that couldn’t afford an R/T. Out of the box super bee had a power bulge hood, cartoon character emblems front and rear, tail stripe in most cases (there was a tail stripe delete option) steel wheels, rally dash, 4spd, bench seat.

 

[YY1]

Interesting that om a "high" price WH Coronet 440, you couldn't get bucket seats.

...but on a "medium" price WM Super Bee, you could.

With or without a console.

 

[oldbee]

Interesting that om a "high" price WH Coronet 440, you couldn't get bucket seats.

...but on a "medium" price WM Super Bee, you could.

With or without a console.

Not really, the Coro440 was bottom line, NOT “500” level. “Mother Mopar “ did many strange things!

 

[YY1]

Coronet 440 was NOT "bottom line".

Coronet (WE), Coronet Deluxe (WL) were both below it.

Coronet 440 was "high" price class, that's what the "H" in WH stands for.

Coronet 500 was "premium" (WP).