V21 is the matte-black hood paint treatment that turned the bright-red 1970 Super Bee into the bumblebee. A flat-finish black panel sprayed across the hood, often with thin pinstripes outlining the panel, sometimes with twin sport stripes running fore-aft. Recognized at fifty paces. Frequently bundled with N96 Air Grabber on cars where the buyer wanted the full visual hammer.
On Phil's 1970 V-code Super Bee the V21 treatment is original-spec. On a regular Coronet 440 the V21 was an option; on the Super Bee it was standard. The treatment also appears on Plymouth GTX and Road Runner with model-specific stripe variations. From 1972 the hood treatment options consolidated and V21 was largely superseded by per-model stripe packages.
On the fender tag the V21 callout appears in the option block (typically rows 2 or 3). Absence of V21 on a Super Bee fender tag does NOT mean the hood was repainted — the bumblebee tail stripe (V8X / V8W) and the body decals are the more reliable identity signals.