Chevrolet produced the Bel Air from 1950 through 1981. The 1966 Chevy Bel Air was part of the sixth generation, introduced in 1965 and produced through 1970. It had an overall length of 213.3 inches with the same wheelbase size of 119 inches as the Fifth Generation. They had round taillights mounted high, curved window glass, and a new stamped grille with a lower extension below the bumper. Bodystyles included a 2- and 4-door sedan, and a 6- and 9-passenger station wagon. In Chevrolet's lineup, the 1966 Bel Air was positioned above the entry-level Biscayne and distinguished by full-length bodyside molding, Bel Air script and Chevrolet emblems. They also had a deck lip molding and roof drip gutter moldings. While the Biscayne was priced from $2,380 to $2,770 with six-cylinder power, the Bel Air ranged from $2,480 to $2,950. The Bel Air two-door sedan was priced at $2,480, the four-door sedan at $2,530, the six-passenger station wagon at $2,835, and the nine-passenger version at $2,950. With the addition of the base V8 engine on either the Biscayne or Bel Air, the price rose by approximately $100. Chevrolet built approximately 83,200 examples of the six-cylinder Biscayne and 39,200 with V8 engines compared to the 72,100 examples of the six-cylinder Bel Airs and the 164,500 V8-powered Bel Airs. The combined 236,600 Bel Air total does not include the station wagon sales. A total of around 18,100 six-cylinder station wagons and 167,400 full-size V-8 Chevrolet station wagons were built in 1966. The interiors of the Bel Air were done in cloth and vinyl and included a glovebox lamp, glove compartment lock, dual sun visors, carpeting on the floor, and front door courtesy/dome lamp switches. The base overhead valve six-cylinder Turbo-Thrift engine displaced 250 cubic inches and delivered 155 horsepower. A new 427 cubic-inch V8 engine offered 390 hp or 425 horsepower depending on the configuration. The standard V8 engine was the 283 CID V8 with overhead valves, 9.25:1 compression, a downdraft two-barrel carburetor, five main bearings, and delivered 195 horsepower at 4,800 RPM.
By Daniel Vaughan | May 2019
Chevrolet gave the 1967 Bel Air flared rear fenders and a new grille for the 1986 model. The 1968 Bel Air received mandatory safety equipment that included shoulder belts for outboard front-seat occupants and side marker lights. The 1969 models gained new fender and body lines along with new front and rear styling updates which were carried through to 1970. By this point, the Bel Air had grown to a length of 219.9-inches and the station wagons measured 217.7 inches. The standard size was still the 250 with 155 horsepower and the standard V8 in full-size Chevrolets was the 350 CID with 250 hp. An all-new generation of styling arrived in 1971 and would continue through 1975.
By Daniel Vaughan | May 2019
Related Reading : Chevrolet Bel Air History
From 1950 through 1952, Chevrolet hardtops in the Deluxe model line were dubbed the Bel Air. It took a few more years before it would become its own distinct series. In 1953, the Bel Air became its own model and was applied to Chevrolets top-of-the-line model range. By 1955, the cars were offered with an optional V8 engine which greatly improved the cars performance. In 1953 Chevrolet....
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Chevrolet
Similarly Sized Vehicles
from 1966
Similarly Priced Vehicles
- Ford Mustang ($2,415-$2,650)
- Chevrolet Corvair Series ($2,100-$2,700)
- Chevrolet Nova Series ($2,200-$2,500)
- Pontiac GTO ($2,780-$3,080)
- AMC Marlin ($2,601-$2,601)
- Studebaker Cruiser ($2,545-$2,680)
- Alfa Romeo Giulia ($2,930-$4,890)
- Pontiac Catalina ($2,760-$3,600)
- Datsun Fairlady 1600 ($2,545-$2,545)
Average Auction Sale: $30,771
Chevrolet Monthly Sales Volume
March 2023
398,141
Recent Vehicle Additions
Performance and Specification Comparison
Price Comparison
$2,025 - $2,500
$2,050 - $2,760
$2,100 - $2,700
$2,185 - $2,965
$2,200 - $2,500
$2,300 - $3,000
$2,400 - $2,770
$2,700 - $3,200
$2,994 - $3,297
$4,080 - $4,290
Bel Air Specification Comparison by Year
Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
236,600
119.00 in.
6 cyl., 250.00 CID., 155.00hp
8 cyl., 283.00 CID., 195.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 220.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 275.00hp
8 cyl., 396.00 CID., 325.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 390.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 425.00hp
8 cyl., 283.00 CID., 195.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 220.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 275.00hp
8 cyl., 396.00 CID., 325.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 390.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 425.00hp
$2,480 - $2,950
119.00 in.
6 cyl., 250.00 CID., 155.00hp
8 cyl., 307.00 CID., 200.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 250.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 275.00hp
8 cyl., 396.00 CID., 325.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 385.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 425.00hp
8 cyl., 307.00 CID., 200.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 250.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 275.00hp
8 cyl., 396.00 CID., 325.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 385.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 425.00hp
$2,630 - $3,240
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