1966 Chevrolet Malibu: Expensive than Chevelle

The first Chevrolet Malibu appeared back in 1964 as an expensive version of the mid-size Chevelle. The RWD vehicle featured a clean design, a beautiful chrome grille, paired with four round headlights, and a higher-quality, than the standard Chevelle, interior.

Source: Seven Hills Motorcars

In the 60s, the US economy completely recovered and even prospered after the Second World War. Naturally, this had an impact on the financial situation of the country, which had a lot of resources for if not a luxurious, then quite a prosperous life. In addition, the 60s were a golden age for the automotive industry: financial well-being and affordability of goods (for example, a gallon of gasoline cost only 30 cents) inspired almost all automakers to produce iconic automobiles one by another.  It was the perfect time for GM to launch a new model, the Chevrolet Malibu, named after the Pacific Coast city, which was the center of beach culture in the 60s.

The origins

Source: Barrett-Jackson

This mid-size vehicle first appeared in 1964 in the Chevrolet line. It was a special top modification of the more affordable Chevelle model. Produced on an RWD drive platform it had four body modifications: sedan, coupe, convertible, and two-door station wagon. The sedan modification (later an independent model) got its name from a city located in the vicinity of Los Angeles. It was constantly updated, receiving more exquisite exterior, interior, and advanced technical specifications. The basic automobile had a 3.2-liter eight-cylinder engine. Engines with the capacity of 3.8, 4.1, 4.6, 5.4, and 6.5- liters were also offered. The vehicle’s engines were paired with a 3- or 4-speed manual transmission, as well as a 2- or 3-speed automatic one. In 1968, the second generation was introduced. In addition to stylistic changes in the exterior and the interior, the automobile received new power units.  5.0, 5.7, 6.6, and 7.4 liters engines replaced 3.2 and 4.6-liter ones, but the transmissions remained unchanged. The third generation officially appeared in 1973. Moreover, Malibu was replaced by the more expensive and fancy Laguna and stopped being a top-end model of the Chevrolet line.  Later, the company stopped the production of the convertible and Chevelle, making the Malibu the basic version in the company’s lineup. In 1978, it became an independent model and was offered in three modifications – a sedan, station wagon, and coupe. In addition to the United States plants, the model was produced at the Canadian, Mexican, and Venezuelan factories.

The 1966 model year

Source: AutoEvolution

The automobile of 1966 release was large enough, exceeding 5m in length.  For comparison, its modern successor is 60 mm shorter. The base car of 1966 had a frame body structure, optional single-point seat belts, and a 3.2-liter (120 hp) in-line 6-cylinder engine mated to a 3-speed manual or an optional 2-speed automatic transmission! In 1966, the company introduced a new sports modification – SS or SS 396, as it was renamed later. The car was equipped only with a large-block V8 Turbo-Jet 396 6489 cm3 engine, with one 4-barrel carburetor. It had 4 available modifications – L35 (325 hp), L34 (360 hp), and L78 (375 hp). L78 was paired only with a 4-speed manual transmission. The SS 396 package also included a revised front suspension with stiffer springs and a reinforced anti-roll bar, a black grille and bucket seats split by a shifter console, and chrome door sill moldings. In 1966, about 72,300 SS modifications were sold.

Did you know?

Source: Kimballstock

A 1966 Chevrolet Malibu appears in the spray booth at the very beginning of the  “Need For Speed”  film, directed by Scott Waugh in 2014.

Contact us if you have this or another classic car to sell.