Bigger than a Ponycar and larger and more luxurious than a Musclecar, THE ORIGINAL DODGE HEMI CHARGER in 1966 turned heads and blew off the competition.
The biggest big news for 1966 was the 426 Dodge and Plymouth Street Hemi. After teasing us with on-again, off-again streetable 426 Hemi cars in 1965, the option was officially announced. Rated at 425 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 490 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm, the Street Hemi was, essentially, a detuned race Hemi with milder 276-degree solid-lifter camshaft, 10.25-to-1 compression and dual inline Carter AFB four-barrels. It boasted the same valve and port size cast-iron race Hemi heads and added new cast-iron long-branch exhaust manifolds. Since race heads did not have provisions for exhaust heat crossover, heat was piped from an exhaust header to the intake manifold.
Early plans focused on making the 426 Street Hemi available in full-size models. I actually drove a prototype ’65 Dodge 426 Hemi Polara in June 1964. I remember telling an engineer: “The only Hemi Polaras you’ll sell will be to the California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies!”
Mopar Supercar enthusiasts, drag racers and stock car racing fans rejoiced when the Street Hemi was announced. With the engine available as a production option, NASCAR’s Bill France reversed his 1965 Hemi ban. On Sunday, February 27, 1966, Richard Petty won the Daytona 500 in his Petty Blue ’66 Plymouth and David Pearson’s Cotton Owens ’66 Dodge placed third. Both were Hemi powered.
We evaluated a number of candidates for Hi-Performance CARS Magazine 1966 Top Performance Car Of The Year honors, including THE ORIGINAL DODGE HEMI CHARGER. Citing Street Hemi availability and unique, four-place fastback styling, Managing Editor, Fred Mackerodt, and I chose the all-new Dodge Charger. “When you combine the 426 Street Hemi’s impressive horsepower and torque with the engineered suspension and handling package, you end up with one of the most roadable middleweights in production”
We tested Poly Red and Poly Silver 426 Street Hemi and 383 four-barrel Chargers at the Chelsea Proving Ground and lived for a couple of weeks with a Poly Silver prototype Street Hemi with 383 badging. My personal favorites were the automatic Street Hemi and four-speed 383, rated at 330 horsepower. “The Street Hemi will propel a Charger to 60 mph in approximately 5 seconds and trip the quarter-mile clocks in the high-13s at speeds close to 108 mph.” Times for THE ORIGINAL DODGE HEMI CHARGER were based on driving well-tuned, factory-prepped Chargers at the Chelsea Proving Grounds, and we didn’t expect off-the-showroom examples to match that performance.
In addition to its performance and styling, we really loved the Charger’s interior. “There are four matching vinyl-covered contoured buckets, many yards of carpet and vinyl trim and the neatest set of gauges we have ever laid our eyes on. With the rear seats folded flat, the rear armrest flipped over to pad the console and the storage panel dropped, it looks as though the Charger is a rolling billboard for a carpeting company! There’s carpeting from the backs of the front buckets to the rear bumper.
For more about THE ORIGINAL DODGE HEMI CHARGER and 1960s and 1970s Musclecars, check out https://www.amazon.com/Day-One-Automotive-Journalists-Muscle-Car/dp/0760352364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493561421&sr=1-1&keywords=Day+One+by+Martyn+L.+Schorr