Although Richard Petty drove cars made by almost every manufacturer in NASCAR, he usually drove Chrysler automobiles. He also drove both Fords and Chevys at certain points in time. The King preferred Plymouths, but drove many MOPAR products. In the late 60s, he left Chrysler for Ford, driving a Torino Talladega. Being NASCAR’s dominant driver of the era, Chrysler needed Petty Enterprises to be building MOPAR vehicles. To win King Richard back, Chrysler needed a fast car.

They would find this car in the Dodge Charger Daytona in 1969. A standard charger outfitted with an aerodynamic nose cone and a huge, downforce-producing wing would prove lethal to the competition on the track. The Daytona dominated the NASCAR season, and they debuted the Plymouth version, the Superbird, the next year. The King jumped at the chance to drive a Superbird for the 1970 season, and racked up 18 wins, almost half of that year’s races.

Although they dominated on the track, they did not fare so well in showrooms. NASCAR required road cars to be manufactured for any vehicle that competed in the Grand National series. They sat on showroom floors because of that face only a mother could love. Although they were worth next to nothing then, they go for a pretty penny now because of their rarity; they kicked so much butt that NASCAR banned them after 1970.