For the Chevelle, the year of 1966 was big since it brought in a whole new curved look to the model. The 66 Chevelle front fender had a more aggressive design in which the top thrust forward to give it a more powerful look. The back of the 1966 was also a departure from the 1965. It had a higher shaping that many said gave it a distinctive coke-bottle look. Many people are simply enamored by the simple beauty of this classic muscle car’s design. In many muscle car collector circles, the 1966 Chevelle is considered one of the most loved classic muscle car designs in history.

With a new broad grille, this car had what that many people have come to revere in this automobile’s legacy. Furthermore, this car had the curved side windows as well as the “flying buttress” roof line in the hardtop models. This was also the year that the hardtop Sport Sedan became a part of the Malibu series. It continued to have the 300, 300 Deluxe, and Malibu trim.

The new innovation in car technology was very popular in 1966. In fact, 412,155 Chevelles were produced and of all the autos built, 72,272 were Super Sports. The demand was way higher than the 65 model year.

Of the types of body styles, there was the 2 door sports coupe, 4 door sports coupe, 2 door convertible, and the 4 door station wagon. No longer in the lineup was the two-door station wagon from the previous year. Sales was low for this car as it was discontinued for the 1966 model year.

A much higher performance SS 396 rolled off the assembly line with a standard 325 horsepower turbo-jet V-8 having an incredible engine displacement of 396 cubic inches. It came with a fantastic Super Sport option that had special fender moldings, twin simulated hood air-intakes, as well as a blackened out grill that had SS 396 badges. You could also see the Super Sport script on the rear fenders. Very nice looking. The SS package option in the 66 automobile also had the great looking mag-type wheel covers and nylon red striped tires. This was pretty much it for the SS options. Bucket seats were optionally available in this automobile. Most came with vinyl bench seats.

For those wanting the ultimate Chevelle in 1966, the L78 engine option was available. It was rated at 375 horse power and was basically the same 396 cubic inch engine as the L34 but it came with a hotter cam and a higher compression ratio. The extra horsepower allowed this Chevelle to do 0 to 60 in about 6.5 seconds.

Looking at the overall picture, the 1966 Chevelle was made much faster and more compact than the previous year’s model. The style still looks good today and is instantly recognized by enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike as a classic muscle car.

Hunting for Old Cars? Take a look at BuyOldCars.com which features numerous old cars like the 1966 Chevelle For Sale Check out the facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/BuyOldCars and the twitter page at http://twitter.com/BuyOldCars

What makes American muscle cars important today? What’s the best American muscle car in turns of power, price, and legend?

Some of these affordable yet modern American muscle cars will give car fans goosebumps when they hit the gas 0-60 in 4 seconds! The car world may be dominated by foreign companies, and some of these are of the best quality, but most affordable modern muscle cars come from the states. Why? We love them. We buy them.

There are always good American cars, but the problem has been options and keeping car lines continuing. If you want American muscle cars that are both affordable for the average person, loud and fast too, this article will detail three of the more important American modern muscle cars available.

Before we go there, what do modern American muscle cars need to be considered important? American muscle cars of quality should have some “amp” to them, roar loud like the corvette, and be fast, going from 0-60 in no time.

Oddly enough, the vintage cars we now call muscle cars were just V-8 engines put into small cars. The movement for better and better muscle cars drew definite interest from the automobile industry, and we’ve seen lines like the Pontiac GTO rise, fall, and rise again.

The Pontiac GTO was the first muscle car, but today we also have the Cadillac CTS-V and the Chrysler 300 Hemi.

In terms of the most affordable American muscle cars, there are still some options if you want to race a bit over the speed limit. These three have varying price ranges, but are high value for what you get.

The Chrysler 300 Hemi is a horsepower machine made from the old school with its big grille, but the engine and price are the real stories for this baby. She clocks in around 5 to 5.5 in 0-60 with her 340+ horsepower, and is one of the more affordable American modern muscle cars available, starting at about $23,000.

Next, let’s talk about the Cadillac CTS-V. The pros here are the incredible horsepower, the very best in modern American muscle cars. It’s got a supercharged 6.2 V8 engine, with some incredible horsepower numbers pushing 550. And you can go 0-60 in 4.3. The only clear con to this modern American muscle is the price tag, pushing $60,000.

Finally, we have the Pontiac GTO, the car that started it all. The story behind this classic is interesting. A car designer, sick of driving boring vehicles from work to home, put a big engine into one of his smaller cars. And the muscle car was created. Throughout its history, the Pontiac GTO has been top 5 in American muscles cars; the modern Pontiac GTOs are no exception. It actually has some non-American flavor to it, but an American engine with 400 and up horsepower. The GTO does have a shaky production run started and stopped over the years, but the price is right here, with most used models being sold for fractions of the stated value.

You’ve seen the prices of modern American muscle cars. You might cross out the Cadillac CTS-V, but it’s likely the best car here. For history, the GTO might get it. For sheer power, the winner is the Cadillac CTS. For a combination of price and power, you’ve got the Chrysler 300 Hemi. It’s almost a draw. For modern muscle cars, with the price and power just right, the Chrysler 300 Hemi is the winner.