When Plymouth introduced the street-going 426 Hemi for 1966, it was only available for the B-body series. However, Plymouth had a handicap or two that prevented enthusiasts from gravitating to its cars.
Image courtesy of Jim Campisano
First were the available models. Plymouth would install the Hemi only in the Belvedere I, II, and Satellite. The Belvedere I offered the only two-door sedan of the bunch (almost like an overgrown Valiant), while the latter two were available as a hardtop or convertible. The Belvedere especially had a dowdy name that lacked the dedicated performance image of the GTO, and it seems the Hemi engine alone was not enough to compete on image.
Image courtesy of Jim Campisano
Then there was the cost of the Hemi, which was over $900 for the engine alone (you still had to order the transmission and maybe more). Sure, when the Hemi was ordered for the $2,371 Belvedere I V-8, the car was priced in line with a GTO. The latter was fancier and fast, but not faster. Order a Hemi Satellite hardtop and you’d get more style, but you also were paying over $300 more than the Belvedere. That was pricier than the Goat, plus the Hemi featured a limited warranty that did not make it more attractive.
Image courtesy of Jim Campisano
Nonetheless, following the rule of thumb that appears to be consistent in the early years, going fast and looking good were more popular than going faster and looking like a librarian. As such, the Hemi Satellite was much more popular than the Hemi Belvedere I — in fact, a 383 Belvedere I was rarer than the Hemi version! Either way, a Belvedere I with either of those engines could be considered a proto-Road Runner but without the image. And, starting in 1967, Plymouth figured out the image thing and introduced the Satellite-based GTX. The rest, as they say, is history.
But in the early days of Hemi history, that was how you rolled. And, quite frankly, the austerity of this ‘66 is quite attractive to many, including to owner Merrit Pennington. Muscle Car Campy looks to be in love with the car, too. If you check out Campy’s other videos, you may find more with which to fall in love.
