(First posted 5/24/2017) While most people are familiar that GM of Canada manufactured unique Pontiacs, the Chevrolets sold in Canada also had some special variations. I recently wrote an overview of the Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport, and mentioned that Canada kept the Malibu SS around after 1965. Let’s look at GM of Canada’s Malibu SS and a few other Canadian only variations in Chevrolet’s A-body line.
US Market 1966 SS396
The 1966 model year was the year that introduced the SS396 in the US market. However, GM of Canada was not set up to manufacture the SS396, so it did not produce any for the Canadian Market. Being that Canada was a smaller market, GM of Canada simplified the Chevelle line. The US Chevelle line had the 300, 300 Deluxe, Malibu and the SS396, whereas Canada only had two series, the 300 and Malibu. Canada was only about 10% of the population of the US, and its buyers were on average thriftier than US customers. Nevertheless, that didn’t mean that the performance car market wasn’t starting to heat up north of the border as well.
Canadian Market 1966 Malibu SS – can you spot the differences?
So GM of Canada came up with its own solution for a performance option on the Chevelle. They offered an option package called the “Sports option.” This was under option code A51, which was the bucket seat option code for US market cars. In Canada, selecting A51 Sports option got you a set of bucket seats, a console (for Powerglide or 4-speed), wheel covers, unique Malibu SS ornamentation and trim, and a clock. Sound familiar? It was basically the same upgrades that buying a 1965 Malibu SS got you over a Malibu. In fact it was so close, GM of Canada decided to use 1965 Malibu SS nameplates on any car equipped with the sports option.
The 1966 Malibu SS also used the ribbed rocker panel moldings and matching rear quarter extension from the US market SS396. The cove on the rear panel of Malibu SS cars was painted argent silver instead of black on the SS396. The Malibu SS did not get the blacked out grille or the domed hood from the SS396, instead it used standard Malibu fare. This sports option was available with any engine including the sixes. Since the A51 option code was normally for bucket seats but in Canada it was replaced by the sport option, it also meant that the only way to order bucket seats was by selecting the sports option. There were no bucket seats available in the Malibu.
Now you ask what about the 396 engines? In US market cars the only way to get a 396 was by purchasing an SS396. While Canada didn’t have any SS396’s, you could in fact get the 396. To get the 396, the A51 sports option was a mandatory option. So that meant that it was also limited to Malibu coupes and convertibles. Furthermore, Canadians only got one of the three 396’s the US market received: the 360 hp L34. Ordering a 396 engine didn’t give the Malibu SS any other special badging to make a Malibu SS396, it was trimmed the same as a Malibu SS with a 283. The one giveaway was the cross flagged emblem on the front fender which identified the 396 under hood.
Things were not much different in Canada for the beginning of the 1967 model year. There was no SS396 model and the A51 sports option would transform your Malibu into a Malibu SS. Again the 396 was only available if the A51 option was selected and the 350 hp L34 (rated 10hp less than 1966) remained the only 396 available. While the US market saw the introduction of the TH400 for the SS396, Canadian brochures show the Powerglide as the only automatic available, even with the 396. However, there is some unconfirmed information that suggests that Canadian 396 cars could actually order a TH400.
There were some minor trim revisions. The Malibu SS wheel covers now had an ‘SS’ center emblem, and used the wheel opening moldings and ribbed rockers from the SS396. Otherwise, the Malibu SS was much like a Malibu, including the non-blackout grille and the flat hood. For 1967, there was no special paint in the rear panel cove to distinguish a Malibu SS from a Malibu. The lower stripe used on the SS396 in the US market was optional on a Canadian Malibu SS and for the first time red line tires were available.
source: Chevellestuff.net
The whole thing came to an end in approximately December of 1966. By this time GM of Canada had tooled up to produce the SS396 series. As GM started to produce SS396 cars, the sports option was removed from the options list. As a result, option A51 reverted back to being a bucket seat option. This meant you could order bucket seats in any Malibu without making the car an SS. The console became a separate option as well. The SS396 cars manufactured in Canada had some minor differences initially. Early cars off the line reportedly didn’t get the SS396 hood, or blacked out grille. Some also had the rear cove painted argent instead of black.
Many hard-core Chevelle enthusiasts will tell you that there is no way a 1966 or 67 Malibu V8, model 136, ever left the factory with a 396. They will say that the 396 is only correct in an SS396, model 138, and having a 396 in a 136 Malibu means it’s fake. Well, now you know this is not true if it was a Canadian built car with the A51 Sports Option.
While the Malibu SS was one unique Canadian Chevelle model, there were others too. From 1965-67, GM of Canada produced two different convertible models. In the US market the only way to get a Chevelle convertible in 1965 was buy a Malibu convertible. In Canada, you could buy a Malibu convertible or a Chevelle 300 convertible. This model was essentially trimmed like other Chevelle 300’s and it offered Canadians a cheaper way of getting that rag top.
1966 Chevelle 300 Convertible
So why would GM of Canada in the Great White North offer more convertible options? I can only speculate, but I would think to help improve convertible sales. GM of Canada operated as a separate entity from the GM in the US at this time. So they were responsible for their own tooling and profitability. By offering a cheaper convertible, I believe GM hoped that it would appeal to thrifty Canadians who wanted a rag top but just couldn’t afford the top of the line Malibu Convertible.
1967 Chevelle 300 Convertible
In the end, I am not sure how much of difference it made, since the model was eventually dropped from the roster, and it seems they were produced in very small numbers.
Note the 300 Deluxe Emblems
In 1970, there was only a minor difference between the US and Canadian market Chevelle lines. For the beginning of the 1970 model year, US market Chevelles no longer had a base model, the sole line was the Chevelle Malibu. While in Canada both the Malibu and the base model remained available, with the base models still called the “300 Deluxe.” The base models were reintroduced in the US midyear, but were renamed simply “Chevelle.” There weren’t that many differences between the US and Canadian base model cars, but the 300 Deluxe in Canada did have its own emblems on the fenders. It also used the upgraded Malibu style grille with the Chevy bowtie in the center. Otherwise, both the Canadian 300 Deluxe and the US Chevelle were very similar.
For 1971, both US and Canada base model Chevelles were called “Chevelle.” Nevertheless, partway through the model year, GM of Canada reintroduced the 300 Deluxe. This was basically a trim upgrade package for base model Chevelles. Buying the 300 Deluxe package upgraded the grille to a Malibu style grille, added Malibu rocker moldings, carpet in place of the rubber floor and the same “300 Deluxe” emblems used on the 1970 Chevelle 300 Deluxes. The 300 Deluxe model option continued to be offered in 1972, but was available for the full model year. These cars are very rare, most of them long since destroyed by the harsh Canadian climate.
So there you have it, some other Canada-only cars that the US market didn’t get. Although the variations are small, GM of Canada was pretty resourceful in adapting US market cars to the Canadian market. I had a very difficult time finding any real life examples of these cars, so if anyone sees one of these Chevelles in the flesh, it would be great if you’d to share them on CC.
This looks like the 66 Malibu a guy in my home town imported used in the late 70s it had a 327 and four speed probably not original and was quite fast in a straight line, The car got backed into a tree at fairly high speed and wrecked last heard there was a rear cut being imported to fix it but Ive no idea if the project was ever completed,
Living up near the border, Canadian versions of U.S. cars have long held a fascination for me. Here’s a super rare 1964 Beaumont Sport DeLuxe that I saw at the Saratoga Auto Museum’s concours in 2012. It’s the equivalent of the Malibu SS. Display card said it was one of just 65 built. Of the seven said to have survived, this was one of only two in the U.S.
In keeping with it’s true muscle car identity, it featured a Chevrolet big block. Pretty sure it was a 396 although it might have been a 402.
Model-specific trim would make one of these real tough to restore properly if any of this stuff was missing….
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That’s actually a ’67. I’ve known of 2 ’67 convertibles but neither were SDs. An SD396 was a great sleeper, since it would have used the flat hood and exactly the same badging as a 283 or 327 car. Very nice.
Of course it is, T.O.M. I blame the early hour of my post and Fat Finger Syndrome for the typo.
And actually, as a Beaumont, it was marketed as a Pontiac in Canada, not a Chevrolet. I will now return to my bed and pull the covers up over my head in shame for such a boneheaded error. 😉
Although Pontiac dealers sold Beaumonts, it was considered it’s own brand.
Pontiac badges appeared nowhere on the car.
H’mm. Did not know that.
Beaumont was sold by Pontiac, but was its own Brand.
As Roger said, the Beaumont was it’s on brand. Initially, in 1962 the Acadian was released as it’s own brand, and it was basically a badge engineered Chevy II. Beaumont was used as a trim level for the Acadian. Then in 1964, the Acadian Beaumont became rebadged Chevelles, while the rebadged Chevy II’s were were Renamed the Acadian Canso and Invader. For 1966, the Acadian name was dropped and all the A- body cars were just Beaumonts, and Acadians were strictly rebadged Chevy II’s. Both Acadians and Beaumonts were sold by Pontiac dealers but were not Pontiacs.
The Sport Deluxe, was the equivilant to the Malibu SS, and later the SS396. The sport deluxe followed the Canadian Chevy offerings. Maybe I should do a write up on the Acadians and Beaumonts sometime later on if there is enough interest.
Though not a Pontiac, the Beaumont logo was strangely similar to Pontiac’s arrowhead, and the grille shape looked quite Poncho-ish too.
The whole “adjunct make” thing is a unique quirk of Canadian marketing, and one which seems very odd from an American perspective. For all practical purposes, the Acadian and Beaumont were Pontiacs. The Acadian was Pontiac’s compact, just like the Chevy II/Nova was Chevrolet’s compact, and the Beaumont was Pontiac’s mid-size, just like the Chevelle was Chevrolet’s midsize. There was no real reason why they couldn’t, or shouldn’t, be Pontiacs. But they weren’t.
Another example of this is the Meteor, sold by Mercury dealers. There was no reason why it couldn’t be a Mercury. It served a similar purpose to the Plodges sold by Canadian Dodge dealers, but those cars were badged as Dodges. (To be fair, the Plodges had Dodge front clips, while Meteors originally had a Ford front end with a different grille, so the Plodges were perhaps more identifiable as Dodges than the Meteors were as Mercurys.) Eventually, in the 1960s, things reached a point where Mercury sold smaller car lines that were badged as Mercurys (like the Comet and Cougar), the full-size Mercurys, then the Meteor (which by now used the full-size Mercury body with a different grille), which was slotted in between the smaller Mercurys and the full-size Mercurys. But somehow, the Meteor still wasn’t a Mercury.
Ford Motor Company also did this with the Monarch (badge-engineered Mercury sold by Ford dealers from the late 1940s to the early 1960s) and Frontenac (badge-engineered version of the early Falcon sold by Mercury dealers). GM did this a couple of times with imports; you could kind of put the Envoy into this category (badge-engineered Vauxhall Victor sold by Chevrolet dealers, while actual Vaxhualls were sold by Pontiac dealers), although Envoy later became more of real make with the addition of a second model, the Envoy Epic (badge-engineered Vauxhall Viva). For a couple of years in the early ’70s, after all other Vauxhall products had been eliminated from the Canadian market, Pontiac dealers also sold the Vauxhall Firenza as just the “Firenza”.
Chrysler also had the Valiant as a standalone brand from 1960 to 1966. That made more sense, as Canadian Valiants in that era were sold in identical form by both Plymouth and Dodge dealers.
North American manufacturers dabbled with this a little in the U.S., but to nowhere near the extent as in Canada. The Valiant was also just a “Valiant” in the U.S. for its first year, 1960, even though it was sold only through Plymouth dealers. I’ve always wondered if that was just due to uncertainty over whether compacts would be marketed as part of their parent brands or as distinct brands (GM and Ford marketed them as part of their parent brands, and Chrysler fell in line for 1961).
Another example is the 1961-62 Comet, which was badged only as a “Comet”, not a “Mercury”, although I have to admit that I wasn’t aware of that until I began hanging out on this site. It seems pretty widely known that the 1960 Valiant was just a “Valiant”, but the status of the 1961-62 Comet seems much more obscure. Every reference book I’ve ever seen has treated the 1961-62 Comet as a Mercury, and I have to wonder if the main reason it wasn’t badged as a Mercury was simply its origin as a planned Edsel model (“Comet” has the same number of letters as “Edsel” and fits in the same space, “Mercury” doesn’t.)
I suppose it was a matter of prestige dilution – GM Canada wanting to keep Pontiac fullsize-only to make it look superior to Chevrolet and FoMoCo preferring Mercuries to be at least ever so slightly more than a Ford with a different badge.
In the case of Meteor it could also be lineup simplification – regular Mercuries and Mercury-badged Fords could have made for a too contested lineup, something GM did not mind when selling both “Cheviacs” and full-blooded Pontiacs together in the 1970s.
Was not marketed as a Pontiac although it sold through Pontiac agencies and it’s own agency.
My little sister has a 70 Malibu 2 door hardtop she bought more than 35 years ago. That car gets the garage all year long while her Subaru wagon sits outside. Even with “just” a 307 and Powerglide it’s a nice car.
I did get to drive a co-worker’s 69 SS396 with Powerglide 1 rainy day. Again, a nice car with more muscular acceleration than my sister’s Malibu.
Of the 68 through 72 Malibus, my favorite is the 70. The 64 through 67? I can take or leave, except for a 64 or 65 2 door wagon.
Good write up, and one of the few that gets the facts on our little known Chevelle variants right. There quite a few dirt cheap ’66-’67 Malibu SS cars around in the late ’70s, almost all with 283 powerglides. There were even a couple of sixes around.
A friend had a factory 327 in his ’66, also with a powerglide, another had a ’67 with a 327 4 speed. Red on red yet. We didn’t realize how rare these cars were at the time and flogged/butchered them mercilessly.
Factory 396 cars were little more than rumours. The only ones I ever saw were brought up from the states, and in those days a car had to be 15 years old or older before Canada Customs would let you bring it in under most circumstances.
The more desired car among my crowd was the Beaumont, with it’s GTO inspired dash and “better” looking grille treatment. I briefly had a ’67 Sport Deluxe with a 283 powerglide, with big plans to build my own SD396, but it was too rusty to save in those days.
We used to prowl the wrecking yards in Washington state for big block hoods of both years, but demand was already building and they could go for a couple hundred bucks!
Sure wish I’d kept some of the stuff that passed through my hands or those of my friends…..
I came across several internet sources that claimed that there were 499 Malibu SS 396 cars made in Canada for 1966. I couldn’t find a reliable source to back it up so I didn’t put it in the article. While they were rare, there are a few surving Canadian Malibu SS cars with 396. It seems many of them have been altered with US SS396 parts, which IMO, is a shame.
Here is one example, with some incorrect US parts:
That car is pretty much set up like we used to do, with a big block hood and what looks like early rally wheels. Blacking out the grille was popular too. After reading this, I’m wondering if some of the big block cars that were around back then actually were factory installed. Information on Canadian specific cars was sketchy back then, and we always assumed any Malibu SS with a big block was a transplant. Not that it mattered much, the only thing that did was who won. Matching numbers meant you were bracket racing.
Two of the cars of my youth are still owned by old friends from back then, and the guy with the 327 powerglide ’66 is working on bringing the car back to stock. He even still has the 275 horse 327 with a Carter AVS that came out of it back in ’82 when we installed an L-79 spec 327 and TH400.
We all laughed at him for keeping every old part that came off back when as we transformed it into a pretty mean street car, but he’s having the last laugh now.
The other car is a rusty, beat up but honest to god disc brake 4 speed ’69 SD396 Beaumont that hasn’t been touched in almost 30 years. I’ve tried more than once to get him to sell, but no way. Not sure who’s wife would be more PO’d if I ever succeed…
I enjoyed your article. These cars were a big part of my life once upon a time.
“I came across several internet sources that claimed that there were 499 Malibu SS 396 cars made in Canada for 1966”
Could these be SS cars equipped with the 396 V8, but not really “SS396” cars? Or 1967 model year SS396 cars built during calendar year 1966?
That number is for 1966 Malibu SS cars equipped with the L34 396 engine.
How much would a correct 66 red 300 deluxe convertible none matching 289 go for? This car I saw this past Friday but will not disclose its location due to the fact that I am seriously considering buying it. The car was restored maybe 5 years ago.
Again what is this car price range
And how can I check to see if it’s the real deal
I agree with your last comment on the 1966 chevelle malibu ss , I bought one new from SMP saskatoon sk. took delivery mid Dec. 1965 It was a malibu ss 396/360 4speed with sport options, after selling the car in July 1967 (dum dum) I found the car 50 yrs. later but new owner has not decided to sell it yet, but still hoping to be able to buy it back. all original except for the motor,hood and one paint job.
I have a REAL1966 396 Malibu SS and the only thing I changed on the car was the hood I know I should not have but I like the SS396 hood I still have the flat hood, It has wheel opening molding I don,t know if someone put them on there or not.Thanks Mike DeFazio , Saint John N.B.
Hello I have a 66 Malibu SS and looking for some measurements for placement of the rear MalibuSS emblems on rear quarters, if you have them measurements I would appreciate the help.
I have a 1966 Chevelle Malibu SS 396 which I bought new in 1966, sold it 2 1/2 yrs later, but after 52 yrs I found it and bought it back, it’s about 75 % original except for the motor 502 GM crate engine, when I get out of winter storage iI can send you measurements for the malibu ss emblems they are in the correct placement.
Thats a amazing story and that would be great if I could get rear emblem measurements from you.
As far as I can tell these emblems are in the correct factory installed place, do not see any hole repair on inside of trunk. RR fender–the tip of the the M is 9/16″ from end of fender (not light housing) top of M is 3 3/8″ to upper fender crease, bottom M is 6 3/4″ to bottom fender crease. Emblems should be in stalled level. LR fender–the SS is 1 1/16 from end of fender, top of circle on ss is 3 5/8″ to upper fender crease and bottom of circle on ss is 5 7/8″ to lower crease in fender, hope this is helpful. Gord
All these hardtop beauties make me almost cry. How far the OEMs have fallen, style-wise.
Thing is, today’s cars are sooooo much better in every way, save style. I sure would like to see a return to the hardtop, at least in two-door form. Why let M-B have all the glory?
Because not even regular coupes sell well.
One of my favorite Instagram accounts, @carindustryanalysis, recently posted a global top 500 sales list for 2022 – and only three coupes, Challenger, Mustang and 4-Series, made it.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CrxhdcJM6G_/
This fills in a number of holes in my knowledge (memory, actually). And I’m utterly smitten with that red ’66 300 convertible. I want! I realize now that’s what I’ve always been wanting on some level: a stripper convertible. Or one could say: a genuine stripper. 🙂
a topless stripper if you please.
In the U.S., Buick and Pontiac both offered convertibles in their lower-line A-body series (there was a Special convertible from 1964-67, and a Tempest Custom convertible from 1964-69), while Chevrolet and Oldsmobile restricted their convertibles to the upper-line Malibu and Cutlass series. Now that I stop and think about it, I guess it was Chevrolet’s practice to do this in all of their product lines, across the board. Any product line that had a convertible usually made it available only in the top model or trim level – Impala, Malibu, Monza, Nova.
Another A-body variation like this: in Bill’s last article it was noted that 1969 was the only year the Chevelle SS ever came as a pillared 2-door model. This was due to the SS becoming an option package that year, which could be ordered on both the Malibu and the 300 Deluxe. All previous versions of the Chevelle SS had been based exclusively on the Malibu, which only came as a hardtop. But the other three GM divisions offered a choice or hardtop or pillared 2-doors in their upper lines, at least initially. As a result, their A-body “muscle cars” were also available in pillared form, at least initially.
At first glance, it seems surprising that Chevrolet would have offered the pillared 2-door style on a more restricted basis than the others. Chevrolet was the most downscale GM brand, and this body style presumably would have had greater appeal to downscale buyers. A possible explanation is that the pillared Chevrolet 2-doors in the 1964-67 styling generation were different from the others. They were referred to (and body style coded) as “2-door sedans”, and had a roofline that was more squared off and sedan-like than the 2-door hardtops. The other divisions’ pillared 2-doors were referred to (and body style coded) as “2-door coupes” and had essentially the same roofline as the 2-door hardtops. Just as the full-size 2-door sedan body was offered as a Biscayne and Bel Air but not as an Impala, the mid-size 2-door sedan was offered as a 300 and 300 Deluxe but not as a Malibu.
Thanx for all this information .
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I only had one Malibu, a ’65 300 Deluxe ex cop car, I fell asleep and wrecked it, what a great mid sizer it was too .
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Any of the Canadian models look great to me .
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-Nate
1970 SS Chevelles made in Canada have a black bar through the middle of the grill rather than the body colored one on US made SS’s.
Yes you are correct. For the most part the Canadian cars and US cars were the same after 1967. Besides the grille differnce you mentioned there were other minor differences, most often related to how the Oshawa plant manufactured the cars.
Interesting to note then some RWD 1966-67 Chevelles who was exported to RHD markets came CKD from the Oshawa plant and kept the 1964-65 dash. https://www.flickr.com/photos/45904802@N08/8135713023/
Passed a faded green ’66 Malibu sedan in traffic today. Needs some love, but it was all there. Made me smile to see it.
My father had one for a long time. I’d guess around 20 years or so. It was a 66 Malibu SS, and was originally a 283/Powerglide car, but at some point gained a 327 and a turbo 350. Originally white, he repainted it dark blue and added the fancy hood. The interior was the same as the one in the brochure above. I’ll try and upload a few pictures.
Interior
Nice car and thanks for sharing the story Marc. Looks like the interior was in good shape.
“[In 1966] The US Chevelle line had the 300, 300 Deluxe, Malibu….whereas Canada only had two series, the 300 and Malibu.”
In the Chevelle’s first year, 1964, I believe the U.S. had only the 300 and the Malibu, with no 300 Deluxe, whereas the other three GM divisions building A-bodies all had three basic trim levels. In 1965, Chevrolet fell in line in the U.S. by adding the 300 Deluxe. I assume GM Canada just stuck with the original lineup.
“For the beginning of the 1970 model year, US market Chevelles no longer had a base model, the sole line was the Chevelle Malibu. While in Canada both the Malibu and the base model remained available, with the base models still called the “300 Deluxe.” ”
Based on this, the 300 Deluxe apparently appeared in Canada at some point. When was it introduced? Did it replace the base 300, or were the two ever offered simultaneously? In the U.S., the base 300 was dropped after 1968, being reduced to just a single pillared coupe body style for its last year.
For 1964 and 1965 the US and Canadian Chevelle line-ups were the same. It’s only in 1966 when they start to differ with the Malibu SS (A51 cars) and no longer have the 300 Deluxe series. For the 1968 model year, Canadian Chevelles were offered in the same model variations as the US cars again. This meant there was the SS396, Malibu, 300 Deluxe and 300 (coupe).
1969 the 300 was dropped in Canada just like the US and the line-up was the same between both countries. It’s only in 1970 when things change again,
I hope this answers your questions.
“So GM of Canada came up with its own solution for a performance option on the Chevelle. They offered an option package called the “Sports option.”…In Canada selecting A51 Sports option, got you a set of bucket seats, a console (for Powerglide or 4-speed), wheel covers, unique Malibu SS ornamentation and trim and a clock. Sound familiar? It was basically the same upgrades that buying a 1965 Malibu SS got you over a Malibu. In fact it was so close, the GM of Canada decided to use 1965 Malibu SS nameplates on any car equipped with the sports option.”
Before this, in 1964-65, was there a distinct Malibu SS model, like in the U.S.?
If I follow correctly, in 1966-67, there were Chevelles in Canada that were badged as “SS” cars. Unlike the U.S., however, 1) These cars were actually Malibus ordered with the “Sports option” (and even carried Malibu badging), not a distinct “Chevelle SS” model, 2) In terms of equipment, they were more like the 1964-65 Malibu SS than the 1966-67 U.S. Chevelle SS396; 3) They did not come standard with the 396; they came with the same engine lineup as other Malibus, except that the 360 hp version of the 396 was available as an option only in the SS/Sports option cars; 4) even when equipped with the 396, they weren’t badged as “SS396”, just “SS”.
“The whole thing came to an end in approximately December of 1966. By this time GM of Canada had tooled up to produce the SS396 series.”
That would have been with the 1967 model year in progress. Did the SS396 replace the earlier SS/Sports option cars in mid-year, or did Chevelles come both ways for a time?
For 1964 and 1965 the model line-ups for US and Canada were the same, including the Malibu SS.
On the 1966-67 Malibu SS cars, you are correct on all 4 of your points.
Initially in 1967, GM of Canada produced the Malibu SS (with A51 option code). But when they started producing the 138 series SS396, production ended on the Malibu SS cars. This was when A51 option reverted to being a bucket seat option rather than the sports package. So for the 1967 model year, early Canadian cars were Malibu SS cars, but the remainder of the year Canada produced SS396.
I hope this answers your questions. If not, let me know.
Hey folks, I am a fortunate owner of a 66 Malibu SS 396, car was delivered by Jenner Motors in Edmonton where it still resides.
Good day all, I am the very fortunate owner of a 1966 Chevelle 300 Convertible. At some point, it looks like a previous owner attempted to turn it into a Malibu or Malibu SS clone but stopped short of the badges. I’m grateful as they are difficult to find! Its a legit 13267 car. photos attached.
Hi Robert…
This is one of only a handful of 1966 chevelle 300 convertibles that I have seen..
I also own 1 of these had it for 34 years..
Where are you from?
I am from Manitoba
Hi from Yellowknife, NWT, CA, this is my 66 Malibu SS 396 4sp I had back in ’86. Only pic I have of it still in a wedding.
I have a funny story on how I aquired this car. In the winter of ’85 a bud of mine was going to jail for dui. He had a ’71 chevelle 396 4sp car he didn’t drive in winter. He needed money for jail and I jokingly told him I would give him $200 for the car. He agreed and said if I ever sell it that I have to sell it back to him. He went to jail and a couple months later i traded it across for the ’66. I got the car as you see it plus the original SS hood. I drove it winter and summer as back then it was just a 20 year old car. I sold it in ’88 for about $1500. I hate myself.
The guy that bought it from me and still current owner down in Alberta wants 60,000 for it.
My 66 Chevelle SS had the A51 option bucket seats factory 4sp 327 325hp
Hi from Ontario Canada
I have owned a 66 Malibu SS396 – A51, M20, L34 since 1997, I have the GM of Canada documentation that indicates a total 499 coupes and convert produced in Oshawa, I will post a pic and build sheet
Hi Mike, post a pic of your Chevelle when you have a chance. I’d love to see it and the build sheet. Thanks for commenting.
Hi Vince,
I am looking at buying a 67 Malibu SS Convertible. I have done as much research as possible and do believe it to be just that. The POP shows it as a A51, L34, M20. It is a 396, 350 hp but not a matching numbers car. The POP shows it being built on the 2nd shift September 27 1966. Also shows it was painted with enamel in Butternut Yellow with 763 = imitation black leather built in Oshawa Canada.
It does not now have the flat hood (it has been replaced) but does come with the NOS wheel mold and NOS wheel cover with SS emblem in the center. Also the steering wheel has the correct SS center.
All this being said, there are no comps that I could find. If you have any info I would appreciate you sharing it. The car was restored in Tx.
I know this car. It first saw it on the old defunct chevelles.ca website more than 20 years ago. The car was in Manitoba and then bought by a Texan. He (Larry) consulted me by phone several times around 2011 when he was restoring the car.
The A51 Sport Option was cancelled when the 138-series SS396 started rolling off the line in Oshawa, along with the 738-series Beaumont Sport Deluxe, on November 21, 1966 based on the earliest known 738 example.
Accordingly, the carryover A51 Sport Option only happened during the first 3 months of 1967-model production. Not a lot of orders came in for L34-powered convertibles going into fall and winter, as only eleven rolled off the line. ELEVEN! You think a Z-16 is rare…
Back then Canadians typically bought low-option cars. To witness, look at a 300 convertible. A/C wasn’t even offered on Canadian Chevelles until the 1968 models, though a handful of ’67s were exported with it. That is why, in my opinion, convertible sales were as big as they were per capita in Canada, all things considered.
As for the flat hood A51 Malibu SS coupes for ’67, all built prior to the end of November ’66 I don’t think it is precisely known even by V.V.S. how many rolled off as ’67s, and of those how few had the L34 with the SS396 chassis stuff. Figure that 499 of the 1966 models were L34 coupes, perhaps a reasonable guess might put it between 100~200 cars during the abbreviated 67 Malibu SS run.
The picture of the red, flat-hood D96 stripe ’67 Malibu SS convertible that the author posted and attributed to chevellestuff.net was actually created by me and I gave it to Dale to use at his chevellestuff website. I actually create a lot of renderings of that type. I’m still tweaking a ’67 Malibu SS convertible rendering that would be brochure worthy, but here’s my cleaned-up version of a typical ’67 Chevelle 300 convertible:
Who ever it may concern: In Dec 1965 I purchased a new 1966 chevelle malibu ss from saskatoon motor products, sask’t sk. The major options were A51, L34, M20 own the car for about 2 half yrs. sold it, & bought it back 52 yrs later still sbout 75-80 % original.
A “72 Chevelle sdn” used to always inhabit a driveway near junior high school.
They had it up into the mid “80’s” as I recall.
Always assumed it was a “Malibu”; never saw any the weren’t by “the mid 70’s”.
One day, I saw the car at a supermarket.
First time I was close enough to note the “Chevelle” moniker.
Up close, could see the “drooping headliner” too.
The car was about 7-8 years along a that time.
I’m not sure whether Chevelle aficionados are aware that in Mexico, the 1981 Malibu was basically the same as the U.S. Malibu, but there was a base model called Chevelle. I don’t know whether GM of Mexico offered the Chevelle from 1978 through 1980, but it is what I call a UBI, “Useless Bit of Information!”