A custom-built 1970 Plymouth Satellite sedan designed to honor one of the most unusual police pursuit vehicles in American automotive history is expected to cross the auction block at Mecum Indy in May. The car is a modern tribute to the legendary New Mexico State Police Plymouth Superbird known as the “Blackbird,” a heavily modified aero muscle car that once served highway patrol duties during the 1970s. While the original pursuit vehicle was a rare Superbird adapted for law enforcement work, the tribute vehicle uses a four-door Satellite platform styled to resemble the famous winged machine.
The tribute car was constructed as a detailed homage to the original pursuit vehicle rather than an exact replica. Builders began with a 1970 Plymouth Satellite B-body sedan and transformed the vehicle using a series of custom body modifications and law-enforcement-themed equipment. The goal was to recreate the unmistakable silhouette of the Plymouth Superbird while adapting it to a sedan platform that never carried that body style from the factory.
Externally, the car features many of the visual elements associated with the Superbird. A fiberglass aerodynamic nosecone has been installed at the front, along with fixed LED headlamps replacing the pop-up headlight system used on the original race-inspired body design. The vehicle also carries simulated fender scoops and the signature tall rear wing mounted to reinforced steel supports. These additions replicate the aggressive aerodynamic appearance that made the Superbird one of the most recognizable muscle cars ever produced.
The tribute build goes further than cosmetic styling. The car has been outfitted with working emergency equipment intended to echo the role of the original New Mexico State Police vehicle. A Whelen roof-mounted light bar with strobe lighting sits atop the car, while a Whelen siren and public-address speaker system are integrated into the build. A Motorola ISPERN radio has also been installed, reinforcing the vehicle’s law-enforcement theme.
Under the hood, the tribute car is powered by a 318 cubic-inch small-block V8 engine paired with an automatic transmission. While that setup is more modest than the high-performance big-block engines typically associated with the Superbird, the engine bay has been visually dressed to resemble the legendary dual-quad 440 big-block configuration often associated with Mopar performance vehicles. The visual treatment was intended to capture the spirit of the famous pursuit car rather than replicate its exact mechanical configuration.
Inside the cabin, the police tribute continues with several custom details. The interior features a Grant GT steering wheel, a functional partition separating the front seating area from the rear, and period-style electronics. An AM/FM push-button radio has been retained, along with a distinctive Road Runner “beep-beep” horn that references Plymouth’s muscle car heritage.
The tribute vehicle is designed to draw attention at car shows and enthusiast gatherings rather than serve as an exact historical reproduction. Still, the inspiration behind the build comes from a real and unusual chapter in American law enforcement history.
The original Superbird police pursuit car, nicknamed the “Blackbird,” reportedly entered New Mexico State Police service around the end of 1969. Historical accounts indicate that the car was acquired in Los Angeles by New Mexico patrolman Rex Sagel. The exact circumstances behind the department’s acquisition remain unclear, though one widely repeated explanation suggests the car may have been seized before entering police service.
Once in law enforcement hands, the vehicle underwent several modifications to prepare it for highway patrol work. Mechanics upgraded the engine by converting the factory 440 four-barrel configuration to an eight-barrel intake setup using components sourced from a Chrysler 300 letter-series vehicle. The car retained its Torqueflite automatic transmission, but its rear axle gearing was changed to 2.76 gears to improve high-speed cruising capability.
The modifications produced a pursuit vehicle that was not necessarily quick off the line but was capable of extremely high speeds once fully accelerated. With tall tires mounted on 15-inch wheels, the car was optimized for sustained high-speed highway travel rather than short bursts of acceleration.
The Superbird also received physical modifications required for police duty. The elongated aerodynamic nose was shortened slightly so fixed headlights could be installed, replacing the original retractable units that proved unreliable for patrol work. The new headlights were covered with Plexiglas to maintain airflow over the front end. A push bar was also installed under the nose for use in pursuit maneuvers.
During its service life, the car was used for high-speed highway enforcement and specialized assignments. The vehicle reportedly assisted in intercepting a Ferrari traveling at extremely high speed on a New Mexico highway, an incident that became one of the most widely circulated stories tied to the car’s reputation.
The Ferrari was reportedly clocked at 169 mph on radar, a speed that exceeded the 150-mph limit printed on the Superbird’s speedometer. The pursuit vehicle ultimately closed the distance and completed the traffic stop after several miles of pursuit.
The car remained in police service until April 1975, when it was retired from duty and sold through a used car lot in Las Cruces, New Mexico. A local buyer named Al Geiger purchased the former patrol vehicle for $1,600.
Geiger later described the car as slow at low speeds but exceptionally strong once it reached highway pace. He reported that the vehicle accelerated aggressively even at speeds above 80 mph and could sustain extremely high speeds across open desert highways.
Geiger owned the vehicle for three years before it eventually changed hands again. According to later accounts, the car’s trail went cold after it was reportedly abandoned in a parking lot near a highway. At some point the vehicle’s signature rear wing was rumored to have been removed, though the full details of what happened afterward remain unclear.
Today, the original police Superbird’s whereabouts remain unknown.
The tribute Satellite sedan now heading to auction does not attempt to solve that mystery, but it does recreate the visual spirit of the legendary patrol car. The vehicle is scheduled to appear at the Mecum Indy 2026 auction on May 14, after previously being withdrawn from a Mecum event in Kissimmee earlier this year.
For collectors and Mopar enthusiasts, the car represents a unique interpretation of one of the most unusual law enforcement vehicles ever associated with American highways. Whether viewed as a tribute, a conversation piece, or a show-ready novelty, the build captures the legend of a winged pursuit machine that once patrolled New Mexico roads at extreme speed.
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