What does 1966 mean to you? Are there any special memories, or maybe was it before your time?
My dad was one of four boys, but growing up in an orphanage meant he lost the sense of family connection. The brothers seemed to largely go their own ways after the orphanage days, and had a catch up every few years. I think I only met Uncle Fred once. I remember Dad had nothing to do with his younger brother Jack for years on end (they never agreed on politics); their wives eventually forcing a reconciliation. Uncle Ted was the one we saw most of.
He was a butcher in Ballarat, lived in a sprawling lakeside house, and had three children. The first time I met him, he was driving a 1966 Bel Air sedan. That was a fancy car in 1966 Australia. I remember going for a picnic in his Chevy; me, my parents, him and his wife, and his three teenagers. I remember being amazed at the space, the power (283), and the size of the trunk – I could lie down in there without touching the sides. Dad’s old Falcon seemed an anticlimax after that. He thought Ted was a bit of a showoff, getting such a big car. Looked very impressive in the parking lot though.
This is not my uncle’s Chevrolet. My ’66 is an Impala SS hardtop painted in an early-seventies Holden colour, Cyan Blue. And it has a big block; nine-year-old me thought the 283 was fast!
Maybe the Chevelle would have been a better size for Australia? I’m sure my uncle could have fitted his brood into one of these, just maybe not us as well. And I’m sure it would’ve towed the horse float just fine. Just ignore the SS396 hood on this one, nothing to see here…
Regular readers will know coupes have never sold well here, but from the mid-sixties to the seventies the Americans in Big Three management would keep trying. As a kid, American coupes seemed impressive, even when only seen in magazines, and ‘intermediate’ was still a bigger-than-usual car in our terms. This one was a flip front drag car/street machine restored to stock.
Or I could show you the original kit. Why not!
Of course the was the El Camino too. While on the surface a larger ute on a full chassis might seem to be a natural for here, in hindsight this would probably have cut too much into Holden ute sales. Just as well I was never a product planner! I’ve shown the rusty one recently; here’s another built in the Aussie country Feral Ute style.
Coming down another size we have the Nova. GM was a strange corporation. They had similar sized product in the US, Australia, Germany and England, yet all were different. This Nova is two inches longer and wider than the 1966 (HR) Holden, which was thought to be pretty big already. No doubt there is some similarity in engineering concept, and perhaps some parts interchangeability but as far as I know these were all designed separately. How that would change!
You know how popular these are for modifying. This one’s conservative mechanically, but those colours! Datsun Safari Gold, gold interior…
While we’re looking at GM, here’s that Buick Wildcat. I remember seeing a sixty-something Buick once, and being amazed at all the shiny stuff inside and out.
And speaking of Buick, the Riviera gained a new body for 1966. Love at first sight. There were a lot of very attractive cars around at this time. This is an excellent AMT kit from 2000, when they seemed to be at the top of their game, releasing new kits of cars that had been unavailable for decades.
The Pontiac GTO is a car I sort of have an association with. As a kid I had a diecast one of these, made in Israel. To my eyes, it’s a much nicer-looking car than the ’64-5.
But for those lazy summer days, an Olds 442 convertible would be just lovely. Colours from an HR Holden Premier.
No Cadillacs, I’m afraid. Only the old Johan annual models out there, and they really don’t appeal to me.
Enough of GM. Let’s look at Ford. Er, I’ve built rather a lot of these.
They went to a lot of trouble (and no doubt expense) restyling the new-for-1965 car. It seems pretty much a reskin aft of the B-pillar, adding faux hips and a more integrated roofline. Anyone else think the trunk looks too long for the rest of the car?
The Fairlane was rebodied for 1966, and much better looking. Unfortunately, AMT got the roofline wrong on their new-for-‘92 Fairlane GT kit. I had to enlarge both the front and rear windshields upward by 2-3mm, but couldn’t fix the excessive upward curvature in the roof. Going by pictures I’ve seen, the roof should be flatter.
AMT revised the kit to offer a 427 car, but didn’t fix the roof. A neighbour’s daughter had a Fairlane sedan this colour.
While looking at Ford, we have to consider the Mustang. Don’t we? Down here in Australia they made a big thing about the ‘Mustang-bred’ Falcon, and imported some to show off, so we all knew pretty well what a Mustang was.
I believe they seemed to be everywhere in North America.
Let’s take a look inside:
And let’s throw in a Shelby in passing.
Moving across to the Mercury side of things, there’s this Park Lane, a rerun of the old kit from 1966. Being an older kit it had a lot of parts for a custom or drag version, but really, on a 1966 Mercury? It’s such a staid-looking thing. Why would you?
This brings us to Mopar. The pickings are pretty slim for 1966 I’m afraid. Things will improve, I promise; by the end of the sixties and into the early seventies my Mopar models outnumber Ford and GM put together. Patience, padawan.
Here’s a Revell 1967 Charger that I backdated to a 1966. Not much difference; wheel covers and console. Did I miss anything that would show on a model?
And that’s it. Somewhere I have a 1966 Barracuda mid-engine dragster (‘Hemi Under Glass’) that I’m re-engineering as a normal Barracuda, by using a 1969 Barracuda floorpan. I have about ten of these Frankenstein sort of projects part-built; 37 Ford bus, ‘51 Chev limousine, LWB Mustang II…. This kind of thing takes a lot of deep thought and fabrication, and I keep getting distracted by easier things.
But we’re not finished with 1966 just yet. For AMC fans, I offer this Marlin:
And for fans of those funny-shaped imports, here’s a 1966 Beetle!
That’s it for 1966. We’ll look at 1967 another time, but I’ll try and throw a curve ball in between now and then. No, it won’t be the Cressida. See you then.
Great collection of builds and makes… You’ve put your heart in them… I was 15 in 66 and admiring them all.. Was a great time in the USA for awesome cars.. If you come across a 63 Mercury comet S22 Convertble I would love to buy it from you.. They’re kind of a hens teeth proposition.. Was my first car in 69 and I currently own a similar one purchased over two years ago… Can’t wait for your next tour through time.
Thanks Tom. From down here we certainly thought your cars were awesome!
Regarding the S22, AMT did the Comet convertible as a curbside (no engine) snap-together kit. There are vintage kit dealers that may have one of those – but as always beware of charlatans.
It might be a long search though. I did have a friend in that business who helped me gather some oddities, but he’s retired now. Two US companies I can personally recommend would be Spotlight Hobbies and Model Roundup; Spotlight also deals in built-up models, so you may get one that’s been assembled. I have bought built-up kits from them for rebuilding.
Neither has one at the moment, but this is what you’re looking for, it’s kit no 4310. Best of luck!
The promise of more Mopars to come puts me remembrance of Carly Simon’s “Anticipation”, LOL! Every time I see that Buick Wildcat, though, WOW! Such a beauty!! 🙂
Thanks. I thought of you when putting together this feature, and kept checking back to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. Things will be looking up for 1967, and by the time we reach 1971 it’s like GM and Ford are also-rans.
I’m glad you’re not one-eyed and can appreciate the Buick too. They’re impressive looking cars, but somehow I really nailed that one.
Here’s a preview of 1967.
Peter, to me, you represent the gold standard for model building in quality and quantity. Nice work on these!
1966 was a big year for me. I had to switch schools because we moved from one flat to another a few mile away. It was good because the new school was bigger and had more facilities like gyms and different types of classrooms (art, shop, music), and my new teacher was very welcoming and accepting of a new kid in her class. However having to leave old friends behind and make new ones was difficult to me the introverted kid. I did make lots of friends over time, and stayed with this group right through high school.
Hey Lee, that’s amazing. Thank you. But there are guys out there doing way better than I can. Guys who do all the underhood wiring, ones who open and hinge the doors and trunks, ones who make the windows wind up and down, even one who makes working convertible tops. Okay, they’re a minority, and some of this stuff is few and far between, but it’s out there, it happens. I have my own little specialty, my own niche as it were. But there are other good replica stock builders too. Again, thank you.
Unlike most people in my neighbourhood, we never moved. The school you moved to sounds a dream! Moving to high school was somewhat traumatic for me for a number of reasons, mostly arising from being autistic I now realize, but at least I had some of the same friends.
Here’s an upcoming Mopar for you. 🙂
I turned 6 years old in 1966, and was becoming very car aware as my Dad had purchased a new family car, not too dissimilar to the first car that you discuss in this piece.
Our car was a 1966 Chevy Impala 2-door hardtop with the fastback roof line like your Cyan Blue model, only our car did not have the SS package OR a 396!
Dad, while he liked a flashy looking car, he was more practical when it came to drivetrains in those days. This car had the 283 with the Power Glide transmission. It was Firethorn Red with a black interior like the car pictured below, only he had the standard Impala wheel covers that I liked very much. This was a sharp looking car…
That would have been one very nice car, Rick. Looks good in that dark red. And from the way Uncle Ted’s Bel Air moved when fully laden, the 283 and PG combo was nothing to sneeze at. Truth be told, probably as much power as most folk needed. Marvellous days back then, when you could specify a car with the equipment you wanted. The style you wanted with just as much power as you needed, and hold the extra glitz. Unless you bought used, but even then there was a lot of variety.
Ah, 1966. I was born then. My folks took me home from the hospital in a new Impala SS. 396 with a four speed.
That sure beats being taken home in a 1954 Morris Oxford!
Absolutely, amazing work Peter! Always a pleasant surprise, when your posts appear. What a wonderful hobby you have chosen. And thank you again, for all the work you have gone to, sharing your collection and thoughts with us. Great colour choices here. I especially like the Charger in silver. The Nova in turquoise. And the Wildcat in blue. All cars here, have very flattering colour selections.
I continue to appreciate your regular comments. You have a strong marketing sense, in being able to critique the advantages and weaknesses of cars. And why they succeed or fail. Especially, with regards to styling and design. Including solid viewpoints regarding US-based autos.
Thanks Daniel. Barring unforeseen circumstances, you can count on me ‘being here’ every two weeks. I have a regular fortnightly commitment to my writing group in the ‘off’ weeks, when I write poetry or fiction, stuff that’s not about cars – mostly!
I don’t comment on other posts as much as I used to, as nowadays I’m having trouble putting my thoughts into words in time to reply, like my brain’s running at a slower clock speed or something – that’s under investigation. My typing is getting worse, but that’s the neuropathy; it’s a nuisance, but at least I know what’s going on. And sometimes I just plain get distracted by other stuff around that needs doing. Like the garden’s a mess….
That Charger. Something went wrong between my camera and the computer, and most of the photos I took of it turned out in black and white! It is indeed silver; I chose that on purpose to accentuate the highly sculptured form of the body, as though it was in bare steel. The interior is red though, as it needed a bright colour; the soft curved form of seats to accomodate the human form in contrast to the hard straight sharpness of the body. Let’s see if I can find – ah, here we go!
Great slide show. Beautiful cars. I noted more than a few of these autos are presented in your gorgeous signature style. Very easy on, and inviting to, the eye.
Ah, thank you. My style isn’t a conscious thing, but sometimes it shows more than others; indeed it was many years before I realised I even had a style.
Certain eras of cars really speak to me, like my growing-up and teenage years. And certain cars within those years more than others. Others I build because they’re historically significant. They’re less likely to have that ‘signature style’. I don’t consciously set out to do a better job on a particular subject, it just happens I guess.
As always, more to come. After writng this story I went through a box in the shed and found this ’66 Thunderbird.
She’s beautiful.
Hey Peter, another awesome collection of amazing builds, myself I wasn’t born in 1966, but I’m a huge fan of the plethora of singles released by young garage rock bands all across the USA and to a much lesser extent Australia. The B+S style Ute is very cool, the four post bullbar and whip aerials are spot on, the only suggestion I’d humbly make would be painting those wheels white like the Sunraysia style wheels so popular in the late eighties oh and it seemed to me those B+S utes either had white, yellow or blue duco, your paint job is way better but…
Thanks again for posting.
Newt you’re quite right about the wheels on that ute. I was living in Kerang when I built that, and saw plenty every night when the supermarket closed (6pm!) and the blokes came into town to take the girls out. Initially I tried it with white painted wheels, but with the amount of chrome and aluminium elsewhere it just didn’t look right. Same with the graphics, they were a personal choice.
Still living in the country, but further south now and closer to a city, and I don’t see so much of this style nowadays. Might be different around Deni, but I haven’t been up that way for years.
Here’s those wheels you’re after. 🙂
Outstanding collection, as usual! The mid 1960s are one of my favorite periods for automotive design, and not just the design, but the colors as well. The blues, greens and teal compliment the low-key designs so well.
Typically I prefer models that look as stock as possible, but I’ll make an exception for that Nova ute in full Australia regalia… I love it. Do the words on the side (Haulin’ O’Halleran?) have any significance?
Thanks Eric. Growing up in these years I was aware of the change of shape from the early to late sixties (fins to boxes), the increasing trend toward metallic colours, the disappearance of bodyside two-toning, a trend away from ornamentation in general and toward subtlety. Not that I could have put it like that at the time, of course. As a kid it was the outward form that got all my attention; though I knew engines were getting more powerful (Dad’s 67 Falcon accelerated faster than his ’62), I was years away from experiencing that. Certain colours grabbed my attention as though I ‘felt’ them somehow. Strange.
That ute is actually an El Camino. Guess that goes to show the Chevy likeness across the range and how much the stuff I added catches your eye and takes it away from the underlying size. No there’s no significance to the name, it was just in my spare decal box. Such a ute wouldn’t typically bear a name, or even graphics as Newt pointed out above – but I felt it needed something.
I think I was overthinking the El Camino, and figured that it was some kind of special Australian model that was new to me, underneath the brush guard.
My first automotive design loves were the ’63 Riviera and ’66 Toronado, and like you, I couldn’t have expressed it at the time, but the subtlety of those designs really struck a chord to me.
Peter, your presentation of this part of your collection makes a great case that ’66 had a lot of magic where U.S. cars were concerned! This seems to be a time of true artistry in car styling – comfortably removed from some of the more gariah excesses of the ’50s, and before some of the bleak realities of the ’70s. With the exception of the Marlin (which I love anyway, bless it), the aesthetics of the Detroit Four were on-point.
Beautiful handiwork as always!
Thanks Joseph. Although I wanted to be a car designer as a kid, in retrospect I’m glad I didn’t pursue that with some of bleak times (good word, Joe!) that lay ahead. And the more I’ve learnt about myself over the years, the more I’ve realized I would have been a fish out of water. It’s hard enough being a square peg in the round-holed world I’ve experienced. I could never have conformed to the expected corporate norm. It would have broken me.
That being said, although shapes got simpler, the sixties show an underlying concern for subtlety and form that began to disappear in the mid-seventies. Design became so simplified you desperately needed to check those option boxes to get a decent looking car. And some companies never did seem to get the hang of proportioning a downsized car. Never mind, that’s for anothe rtime.
Your modeling skills far exceed mine, and I enjoy seeing your posts. I have one Mustang that’s survived the years, which I modified and painted the same color as my high school best friend’s ’65. He ran Mopar wheels on it with staggered tire sizes, and we made many memories in both his Mustang and my ’71 Vega. Sadly, he passed at 40 due to alcoholism. Miss him a lot.
I also built that same Beetle model, painted black to match my former ’64. The bus next to it is painted like my ’71, “The Mayfield Belle,” which is documented in my first article published here at CC.
Thanks Ed. I’m not sure how many Mustangs I built; I suspect the pics above don’t show all of them.
My initial reaction was “How cool to have a friend who owned one!” but then I realized of course you’re in America where these were common as dirt. But it’s so lovely to have the memory when you’ve lost the friend. The Mopar wheels are certainly a different look.
1966 – What a year! I turned 14, went from the 8th to the 9th grade at school, really got into popular music on AM radio, and was in my third year of car model building.
The mid-60s are peak in my view for American car styling, especially from General Motors, curvaceous and expressive but without excessive ornamentation. Your models are outstanding, and my favorites include the Buick Wildcat (as mentioned before), Pontiac GTO, Olds 442, and Chevy Impala. Also love the various shades of blue, teal, and green in so many of your cars from this year.
I still have most of my models from 60 years ago and just photographed this one today — it’s an MPC 1/25 kit of a 1966 Pontiac Bonneville. I painted the exterior silver with a clear coat to give it some shine. Note the 8-lug wheels. The interior was brush painted light blue. The level of detail is not up to yours; notice that I didn’t highlight the window trim in brightwork. I did manage to apply aluminum foil to the ribbed rocker panel trim though.
Thanks 210delrey. I started detail painting on Matchbox cars – they all got silver window frames – then 1/32 Airfix models, so by the time I ‘graduated’ to 1/24-1/25 I already had the brush skills for some of the ridiculously fine stuff. Seeing my mother doing photo retouching showed me what was possible; I just applied it to a 3D surface, using her worn-out brushes at first.
That Bonneville looks lovely with that blue interior. With a light colour like your silver the lack of window trim isn’t as obvious as it would be with a dark colour. I quite liked the ribbed lower body trim on these – like the rear fender trim on ’57 Bel Airs, it’s a difference in both colour and texture. You did well to foil it back then; these days it’s easy with purpose-made thin adhesive-backed foils. You’d have to have found a thin enough foil, and found an adhesive that would go on smoothly and not in clumps or strings – but you persevered (or lucked out?) and it looks great.
Excellent work as usual. I think the blue Wildcat is my favorite.
If one was inclined to be really picky, the ’66 Chargers didn’t come with the little turn signal indicators on the front top of the fenders. On the other hand, those are such a Mopar trademark, that I suspect some folks have added them to cars later.
Ah Dan, thanks. Somehow that Wildcat really seems to strike a nerve whenever I show it (online). Guess I somehow nailed the ‘essence of Buick’.
I knew somebody here would pick up on something I missed with that Charger! I was thinking to myself “converting this Charger can’t be this easy, surely?” and totally overlooked the turn signal indicators. Never mind.
Plenty more Chargers to see in the upcoming years!
In 1966 I was a senior in high school driving my ’55 Ford sedan. It was a great car and I had a lot of fun with it. After graduation I sold it to a friend and bought a ’62 Fairlane that I thought would be more reliable for commuting to college. Wrong! It was a nice car but the 170 six just wasn’t up to a teenage driver like my bullet proof 272 Y block had been. I always liked Mustangs and would have really liked to own one then but couldn’t afford it. After college and Army basic training I bought a ’67 Mustang that I owned for several years. In 2008 I finally got my dream car, a ’66 Mustang coupe. After I had owned it for a while I realized that it was in my high school colors. It is one of my two forever cars along with my ’79 Malibu.
Here we are with some friends after my 50th class reunion.