1969 Dodge Super Bee
Mark SimpsonDescription
The 1969 Dodge Super Bee is a worthy member of the muscle car family. Add options like the A12 package, including a Dana 60 rear axle and a 440 six-pack engine, and this muscle car becomes a monster. Fewer than two thousand 1969 Dodge Super Bees were built with the A12 package, which also included that distinctive lift-off fiberglass hood, telling you at first glance that this car was no grocery getter.
Originally designed in 1968 as Dodge’s counterpart to the Plymouth Roadrunner, it sported higher-quality components and boasted a longer wheelbase and larger wheel openings. Perhaps to its downfall, it also had a higher list price than the Roadrunner. The early years of the Super Bee ended in 1971, although Chrysler would resurrect the model name for Mexican production cars, and again in 2007 as a new version of the Charger. While these late-model versions tout plenty of horsepower, they pale in comparison to the ground-pounding thunder of the early factory drag cars.
It was a hot early-spring day when we ran into Ed Worwa at a local car show, and we couldn’t resist taking a closer look at his iconic bright green 1969 Dodge Super Bee, fully equipped with the A12 package, including the fiberglass hood and 3-2bbl carburetors, atop a 440 cubic inch power plant. Ed graduated high school in 1970, and like any young man of the era, he dreamed of owning one of those muscle cars that graced the showroom floors of local dealers.
While Ed never got to fulfill his dream of an A12 Super Bee then, years later he located a West Coast dream car that needed some attention to return it to its former glory. Worwa points out he couldn’t resist boosting the horsepower a little during the build and dyno’d the engine at 570hp for some real “tire-melting” power.
Worwa’s 1969 Dodge Super Bee is mostly stock, although it does pay tribute to his high school dream car, including a set of Crager SS wheels and raised white letter tires. Other custom touches include Super Bee logos in the headrests, a complete interior, and a red Super Bee logo on the tail stripe. If you happen to see Ed’s Super Bee at an event, take a few minutes to appreciate just how remarkable this piece of muscle car history is.