Toyota recently paid tribute to Richard Petty by reimagining its GR Supra as the ‘Superbird’. During the unveiling of this new partnership between Legacy Motor Club (formerly Petty GMS) and Toyota, NASCAR analyst and Toyota Ambassador, Rutledge Wood, introduced the cleverly named ‘Suprabird’ at the 2024 SEMA Show, where they also celebrated the ‘King of NASCAR’ as their newest ambassador. The transformation started with a standard GR Supra 3.
0 Premium, which was artfully merged with the distinctive elements of Petty’s 1970 Plymouth Superbird. The ‘Superbird’, known for its aerodynamic design, was Plymouth’s response in 1970 aimed at competing with the Dodge Charger Daytona’s extraordinary performance on the superspeedways from the previous year. The last appearance of Petty’s ‘Superbird’ was this July at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the legendary light blue #43 ascended the hill, piloted by Petty’s son, Kyle.
Recently, however, Toyota has taken the wraps off a new model, prompting Petty to post several photos of the car with the caption: “There’s cool, then there’s #SupraBird cool! @RutledgeWood and @ToyotaRacing really outdid themselves on this build.” While the tribute garnered applause from many, it also stirred controversy among purists. Some fans criticized the modern reinterpretation, arguing that the original should remain pristine and unaltered.
One fan declared, “Let’s, not this is total sacrilege if you ask me,” w.
