In 1968, Plymouth catapulted itself into the budget muscle car market when their “no-frills, high-thrills” Road Runner hit the pavement. Engaging in a bit of sibling rivalry, Dodge decided to build a low-cost high-performance muscle car of their own, based on the intermediate sized Coronet. After stripping it of most amenities and combining it with a standard 335-hp four-barrel 383-ci V8, a heavy-duty suspension, a four-speed manual transmission coupled to a Hurst Competition Plus shifter, redline tires, and Dodge’s Scat Pack logo, the Dodge Super Bee was born.
In 1971, Dodge decided to split the Charger and Coronet into two separate models. The Charger maintained its performance image as a 2-door hardtop while the Coronet name identified Dodge’s longer wheelbase four-door sedans and wagons. Because of this separation, the Super Bee was switched over to the Charger platform for 1971. Like the Charger, the Super Bee was completely redesigned. Sporting a new Coke bottle shape, the Super Bee rode on a shorter wheelbase but grew in width by 2-1/2 inches, making it appear larger than it was in previous years.
In terms of styling, a large round Super Bee decal was affixed to the standard domed hood, fused with a blacked out hood treatment like that of the Charger R/T. The Super Bee also received the Charger’s body stripes that ran from the cowl along the beltline to the end of the quarter panel. A standard full width chrome halo front bumper split the fixed open headlight grille into two separate sections and the taillights were standard Charger units with two lights per side. Hidden headlights and color keyed urethane bumpers were optional, as were front and rear spoilers. The options list also included a Ramcharger hood, vinyl top, and bucket seats to replace the standard bench.
Powering the Super Bee was the standard 383-ci Magnum V8, rated at 300-hp, with a single four barrel carburetor, coupled to a 3-speed on the floor. A 4-speed manual and Torqueflite automatic were available as optional equipment, as were the 385-hp 440 Six-Pack and 426 Hemi, although like the Super Bee, 1971 would mark their last year of production. In the end, the Super Bee may not have been as successful in sales as the Road Runner, but even so, it was a truly impressive low-buck muscle car, one that outsold the 71 Charger R/T by nearly 2,000 units.
Based on RC2’s remarkable tooling, AutoWorld’s 1/18-scale American Muscle Authentics 1971 Super Bee is a real knockout, capturing the shape and style of the 1:1 B-body with impressive accuracy. Dressed in a mouth-watering EL5 Butterscotch, the Super Bee features the Air Grabber hood with a proper hood decal and blackout performance paint treatment. The model also sports crisp tampo printed emblems on the front fenders and rear decklid, along with V6X longitudinal side stripes which have been significantly improved over RC2’s earlier versions.
AutoWorld also corrected the Dodge script in the Super Bee’s standard fixed headlight split grille which is surrounded in a chrome plated halo-style bumper. Out back, the standard taillight panel is accurately painted and enclosed in its own brightwork. Additional strips of chrome trim the front and rear windows, drip rail moldings, and wheel openings. No painted trim or bare metal foil, just real chrome plated parts; the kind of thing you find on models costing twice as much. The plastic marker light lenses further elevate the model’s realism. One of my favorite details on this specific release are the late model year black steel wheels which are accented with chrome dog dish caps and wrapped in Goodyear raised white letter tires.
Filling the engine bay is an incredibly lifelike reproduction of the mighty 426 Hemi. Fully wired and plumbed, the legendary motor mounts an oval open element air cleaner lid with an accurate 426 Hemi graphic and the Hemi’s signature wide valve covers which are presented with an authentic black crackle paint finish. The engine’s only flaw is its heads, which have been painted black to match the valve covers rather Hemi orange like the block. Neighboring details include a painted fluid reservoir, a period-correct battery with painted caps and bolt type cables, and an accurately detailed firewall with a painted wiper motor, master cylinder, and cowl vents, as well as various instruction decals and a miniature fender tag. Also worth mentioning is the additional paint detail AutoWorld added to the Air Grabber equipment on the underside of the hood.
One of the most impressive improvements AutoWorld has made to the Authentics 71 Super Bee is the primer and body color overspray on the chassis. For their first attempt, I’d say it looks good. Other splashes of paint highlight the gas tank, exhaust, and manual transmission. AutoWorld also had the slots in the optional N42 chrome exhaust tips painted orange, as they should be. Feature wise, the chassis includes a fully functional suspension with coil springs and working rear shocks, along with a driveshaft that rotates in turn with the rear wheels. The Super Bee also features an opening trunk, inside which you’ll find a patterned trunk mat, a spare tire, and an instruction label on the underside of the trunk lid that appears to be a bit oversized. The painted weather-stripping around the edge of the trunk opening is a nice touch.
Priced just over $3,000, the 1971 Dodge Super Bee offered one heck of a bang for the buck, and AutoWorld’s 1/18-scale Authentics replica is equally rich in excitement. The many improvements made to RC2’s Car of the Year winning mold are an added bonus! If you’re a MOPAR fanatic or just a muscle car enthusiast looking to add an extraordinary model to your collection, then I highly recommend AutoWorld’s Butterscotch 71 Super Bee. It puts a smile on my face every time I look at it, and I’m confident it’ll provide you the same level of enjoyment. But with a limited production of only 852 copies, I highly suggest contacting your favorite dealer at your earliest convenience as I don’t expect these to be on the market for very long.
Happy Collecting,
DetourDave
AutoWorld Authentics
#AMM912 1971 Dodge Super Bee
EL5 Butterscotch
Photography & Review by Dave Nicholson
AutoWorld Authentics
#AMM912 1971 Dodge Super Bee
EL5 Butterscotch
Photography & Review by Dave Nicholson
Accompanying the Super Bee’s Butterscotch exterior is a stunning two-tone tan interior. The color is a bit light, but it’s still the most striking interior that’s been used in the 1/18-scale 71 Dodges so far. The overall build is exceptional – fully carpeted with chrome sill plates, posable sun visors, an opening glove box, and remarkably detailed tilt-forward bucket seats with fabric belts and precise seam stitching. A simulated wood-grain appliqué surrounding four hooded circular gauges define the Dodge’s Rallye instrument panel, positioned behind a wood-rimmed three-spoke Rim-Blow steering wheel. The center console is detailed with a wood grain insert along with an integrated optional cassette player with microphone and Hurst Pistol Grip shifter. Past releases in this series had a cutout in the headliner for the sunroof equipped cars, which was a bit of an eyesore on the non-sunroof cars, but AutoWorld has addressed this by filling in the opening in the headliner. For being new to the 1/18-scale hobby, these guys continue to impress.
