When you think of Dodge’s
best muscle cars, the Dodge Challenger may come to mind. But if you were lucky enough to drive a Dodge Coronet Super Bee in the late ‘60s to early ‘70s, you’d agree that the “Bee” is one car that shouldn’t be forgotten. If this coveted series has been long sought after by car enthusiasts
, why were so few ever made? Origins of the Rumble Bee
In 1968, the Dodge Super Bee hit the market. The American automaker hoped to satisfy Dodge Coronet fans as well as rival the popular Plymouth Road Runner. And “in 1970, Dodge revamped the Super Bee which is when the vehicle finally became a sensation,” MotorBiscuit
notes. The select few that purchased the muscle car were in love, but unfortunately, that just didn’t cut it. So Dodge stopped producing the favored unique car.
First introduced in 2004, a limited number of Dodge Rumble Bees were manufactured by the Stellantis Group. According to MotorBiscuit, the car “helped commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the new Ram design and it memorialized the Dodge Coronet Super Bee.”
Known as the “Second Swarm,” Dodge sold under 10,000 units in its second year of production.
Ready to rumble
About $23,000 new, these special edition cars were very attractive to car collectors. The Rumble Bee could be purchased in either a 4x4 or 4x2 configuration with a regular cab and short box.
From 2004 to 2005, the Rumble Bees came with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine. The truck sported 345 hp with 375 lb-ft of torque, but didn’t offer the best fuel economy. At 12 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the highway, the car was more fun to drive than it was efficient in the long term.
Though special in its own right, the car pretty much looked the same as other Dodge Ram trucks under the hood.
“Dodge equipped the Rumble Bee with a massive hood scoop, 20″ wheels, a stripe on the rear of the box, an upgraded exhaust system that produced a satisfying rumble each time the truck was turned on, and lower body cladding,” MotorBiscuit notes.
There were additional ways drivers could upgrade their powerful ride. According to Auto Evolution
, “Optional equipment includes the Customer Preferred Package, five-speed automatic transmission with a 3.92 axle ratio, the anti-spin differential, [and a] rear window defroster.” An AM/FM stereo with a cassette and CD player was also available. The Rumble Bee’s exterior featured front air variance, a back air dam, and a side skirt. It could tow up to 8,500 pounds.
Buzzing around in style
As far as color options, you could get the truck two ways. Black with a yellow stripe or yellow with a black stripe. Either way, the “Bee” was a vehicle you wouldn’t want to mess with.
Inside the Dodge Rumble Bee, you’ll find Luxury Touring Seats (SLT) with a center seat that can be conveniently converted into a console. There's also a trimmed yellow dash and yellow accents on the doors.
Cloth seats come standard, but upgrading to leather is also an option. According to HotCars
, “The seats wear bee decals, and the overall feel of the rumble bee when you sit behind the steering wheel is both style and power.” And MotorBiscuit notes that “the company briefly resurrected the Super Bee in 2012 and produced a limited number of Rumble Bees in 2015.” Though no formal announcement has been made as of yet, we hope this wasn’t the last time we’ll see a new Dodge “Bee” buzzing around town.