The Chevelle was redesigned in 1966 and the body was much more curvaceous than before. The new front fenders trusted forward at the top and gave the car a much more aggressive stance. The rear fenders bulge upwards giving the rear of the car a classic “Coke-bottle” look. Today, the design is one of the classics of the muscle car era.
The 1966 Chevelle came in several body styles including a two door sports coupe, a four-door coupe, a two door convertible and a four-door station wagon. The unpopular two-door station wagon of the previous year was discontinued. The original base price for the two door sports coupe was a little less than $2400, the convertible came in at about $2600 and the super sport started at $2700. As usual, these were the most affordable of the midsize General Motors offerings. The public liked the new Chevelle and in 1966, 412,155 Chevelles were built, and 72,272 of those were Super Sports. This was a large increase over the 1965 Chevelle.
1966 Chevelle SS 396
The high-performance 1966 Chevelle SS 396 came with a standard 325 hp turbo-jet V-8 with a displacement of 396 cubic inches. The Super Sport option also included twin simulated hood air intakes, fender moldings, and a blacked out grill with SS 396 badges. Special mag-type wheel covers along with nylon red striped tires rounded out the option list. There was also Super Sports script attached to the rear fenders. The interior came with all vinyl bench seats and bucket seats were optional. Car and Driver magazine reported that the1966 Super Sport 396 handled very nicely and was a ball to drive. They went on to say the engine was one of the most advanced designs in the world and produced tremendous power.
For those wanting more performance a 360 hp, 396 cubic inch engine was available. Along with the engine came dual exhaust, and upgraded suspension and better performance. With the L34 engine, the 1966 Chevelle Super Sport to go from 0 to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds and do the quarter mile in 15.5 seconds according to Motor Trend magazine.
For those wanting the ultimate Chevelle in 1966 the L78 engine option was available. It was rated at 375 horse power and was basically the same 396 cubic inch engine as the L34 but it came with a hotter cam and a higher compression ratio. The extra horsepower allowed to Chevelle to do 0 to 60 in about 6.5 seconds.
Overall, the 1966 Chevelle was smaller and faster than the previous model. The design still looks good today and is instantly recognized by enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike as a classic muscle car.
