9781422273982

This Plymouth Belvedere is not particularly impressive, but under the hood is a different story. It has a 426 Hemi engine.

the latter version rated at that infamous 425 hp, with a true figure of over 500 hp. Installed in radically lightened B-body Chryslers, the Hemi soon made a name for itself, especially in drag racing, where it rapidly achieved near-complete domination. The engine itself was lightened with aluminum heads in 1965. So, before it set foot anywhere near a road car, the Hemi was already well known by the driving public and, crucially, the sort of public that bought hot cars. It was only a matter of time before the two were put together, when for 1966 Chrysler announced the street Hemi as an option for certain models. It was obviously detuned from racing spec. The compression was lowered to a more moderate 10.25:1, and there were a milder hydraulic lift cam and twin four-barrel Carter carburetors. Quoted power was still 425 hp at 5,000 rpm, with 490 lb ft (664.4 Nm) at 4,000 rpm. The Hemi road era had begun, but it was a low-key start. One could hardly miss the flashy Pontiac GTO or the imposing Ford Fairlane, for these were muscle cars with presence. But the Dodge Coronet and Plymouth Belvedere/Satellite were inoffensive-looking sedans. They were the sort of thing retired insurance salesmen would drive, or maybe a great aunt, as likely to rip away from the traffic lights in a plume of tire smoke as they would fly to the moon. There was a “426 Hemi” badge, but blink and one missed it, it was so small. But despite their dowdy exteriors, these were the fastest, most powerful cars on the market in 1966. Moreover, looks certainly did not bother Car and Driver , which tested a Satellite Hemi in 1966. This just missed a test of six “Super Cars” the previous month, but C&D made no bones about what the outcome would have been if the Hemi had made it in time. “Without cheating, without expensive NASCAR mechanics, without towing, or trailing the Plymouth to the test track, it went Hemi Muscle Cars 11