Which one of the winged wonders that Chrysler cranked out at the height of the Aero Wars do you go for, the Dodge Charger Daytona or the Plymouth Road Runner Superbird? On the surface, they seem to be pretty close: both are on Chrysler’s B-platform, both had the same engine options, both sported wedge-shaped noses with hidden headlights and a wing that even a no-joke ricer could make fun of…at least it’s functional. The Daytona came first in 1969, but by 1970 Plymouth had a reason to jump on board the gravy train: they wanted Richard Petty to come back into the fold after he jumped ship and went to Ford. Petty’s name meant everything to Plymouth, and if it meant slapping a wing and tail onto the 1970 Road Runner, so be it.

In the current collector car world, they are rolling royalty. When they were new, dealerships struggled to give these things away…they were too brash, too out there, and imagine the looks on an insurance worker’s face when you brought a brightly colored Plymouth that looked right at home on a NASCAR circuit and told them you wanted it covered. It didn’t matter if you “only” had a base 440/automatic version or the Hemi and a Pistol Grip-shifted four-gear, the Superbird was the overkill shot from the Chrysler camp. That vinyl top hid a slapped-together roof job, the colors could be seen from space, and when you parked it next to your dad’s 1966 Satellite, there was going to be some eye-rolling and sighing among family members, friends and neighbors. As gearheads, we adore homologation specials, but ordinary folk just don’t get it.

This Vitamin C Hemi example belongs to Jeff Dunham, comedian and puppeteer extraordinaire. Fresh from a restoration and just barely being broken in, he’s enjoying everything about it, down to the details…like the reverse gear indicator light and the key buzzer. (Hm…my kind of guy.) Want to hop in and take one of the most visually arresting musclecars ever produced out on the highway? Click play below: