1966 Plymouth Belvedere

The redesigned Plymouth Belvedere drove onto the American car scene in 1966 with crisp sheet-metal lines, a square body, and complimentary chrome trim. The new styling was joined by the 426 Hemi added to the options list. This first-year powerplant was introduced in part to legalize it for NASCAR and NHRA Stock Eliminator racing. The 425 horsepower code-A102 Hemi engine featured 10.25:1 compression, 2x4 inline carburetors, dual exhaust, and race-design durability. The immense chrome air cleaner covered dual inline 4-barrel carburetors, and it used the racing-port hemispherical cylinder heads, extreme-duty short-block components, and dual exhaust. Just 79 examples were built with the A833 New Process 4-speed mated to the Street Hemi.

The Hemispherical-head engine was not a new concept. It had been used by a number of manufacturers including Duesenberg, but Chrysler had utilized a Plethora of resources in its development, particularly during World War II. The 331 cubic-inch FirePower V8 engine with 180 horsepower was introduced in 1951 and by the 1970s, the Hemi name had long replaced the FirePower moniker. Chrysler was at the forefront in engineering developments, muscle car wars, and racing. The pinnacle of performance was witnessed in the Road Runner, Barracuda, GTX, and Fury. However, it was the bread-and-butter Belvedere that attracted buyers due to its versatility, durability, affordability, and a long list of options. They were considerably less ostentatious than the performance-marketed Plymouths and catered to a wide range of eager buyers.

The body styles on the Belvedere included a 2- and 4-door sedan, 6- and 9-passenger station wagon, convertible, Satellite Hardtop Coupe, and a Satellite Convertible. The 225 cubic-inch Slant Six or 273 CID V8 were the base powerplants mated to a three-speed manual transmission. Trim levels included the Belvedere I, Belvedere II, and the Belvedere Satellite. Standard equipment included nameplate identification, heater, defroster, front seat belts, blackwall tires, and an oil filter. The Belvedere II had an additional full-length chrome spear along the bodyside centerline. The interior was given carpeting, upgraded upholstery, and front foam cushions. The Satellite had bucket seats and console, vinyl trim, wheel covers, less side trim, and nicer trunk treatment. Over 683,450 Plymouths were produced in 1966 with 189,252 of those being Belvederes, accounting for 28% percent of total production.

Within the 1966 Plymouth model lineup, both the Plymouth and Satellite rested on a 116-inch wheelbase platform, larger than the 106-inch wheelbase platform of the Valiant, but smaller than the 119-inch wheelbase platform of the full-size Fury and VIP models.

The Belvedere I was offered as a sedan ($2,315), two-door sedan ($2,275) and a six-passenger station wagon ($2,600). All of the Belvedere wagons rested on a 117-inch wheelbase platform and had an overall length of 270.1-inches. The addition of the base V8 engine boosted the base price by approximately $95. 31,063 examples were sedans, 9,381 were two-door sedans, and 8,200 were station wagons.

The Belvedere II sedan was priced at $2,400 with six-cylinder power and $2,500 with the base V8. The hardtop coupe was priced at $2,430, the convertible at $2,645, the six-passenger wagon at $2,700, and the nine-passenger wagon at $2,800. Again, the base V8 engine increased the base price by approximately $95. The most popular body style was the sedan with 49,911 sales followed by 36,644 hardtop coupes, 8,667 of the nine-passenger wagon, 4,726 of the station wagon, and 2,502 of the convertible.

The Belvedere Satellite, which came solely with eight-cylinder power, was priced at $2,700 for the hardtop coupe and $2,900 for the convertible. A total of 35,399 examples were hardtop coupes and 2,759 were convertibles.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2019