Plymouth Satellite, Plymouth GTX, and Plymouth Belvedere
Written by Jeremy. Primary source: The Complete History Of Chrysler Corporation 1924-1985 by Richard M. Langworth and Jan P. Norbye. This book does not appear to be in print. Some changes by Paul Roberts. Also see Running amok with a borrowed Hemi Satellite and reviews of a 1958 Belvedere model.
From Belvedere comes the Satellite
The Plymouth Belvedere, which had been around as a separate product line since 1954, spawned a Belvedere Satellite model in 1965, the same year its 116 wheelbase was promoted as a mid- size rather than a full-size. The line went from the Belvedere I to the II, and then to the Satellite. The body could be a hardtop or convertible; both had bucket seats. The front end was simple: a single headlight on each side, a grill divided into 4 thin rectangles laid horizontally (akin to the Fury).
In 1966, there was a re-skinning, and the 1965 Belvedere I Super Stock ($4671) was dropped. As a consolation, the top-of-the-line Satellite model got an optional Street Hemi -- for $1105 extra, with quarter miles in 14.5 seconds and 0-60 in 7. The Street Hemi ihad two Carter AFBs (4 barrels each) with 10.25:1 compression. Styling for the 66 was clean, and sleek. The rear bumper was smooth, with no cut outs for lights (just for the license plate). Taillights were sectioned horizontally. The front end grill work was softened a bit, with the 4 section grill changed to that of horizontal slats (tiered from the middle out). The 1966 Satellite hardtop coupe lists for $2695.
Lanny Knutson of the Plymouth Bulletin wrote about the 1966 models:
For 1966, the Belvedere's body was the first that Elwood Engel had a free reign in designing on this chassis without having to redo Virgil Exner's unpopular original 1962 design. The new 1966 Belvedere displayed the Engel trademark for long straight lines. Most notable were the straight knife edge fender lines running uninterrupted from front to back.
Like the 1965 Fury, the new Belvedere featured sculpted side panels and, like the 1965 Belvedere, and the 1966 carried on the themes of square surrounds for the single headlamps and a flatter, wider version of the distinctive triangular shaped C-pillars on the two-door hardtop. Plymouth advertising made much of the unique "ribbon style" taillights that wrapped around the knife edge crease that descended to the bumper.
Although its wheelbase remained at 116 inches, the new Belvedere's overall length was reduced by three inches, a reflection, perhaps, of its new status as a mid-sized car. It was still a bit larger than its Fairlane and Chevelle competitors, but while Plymouth was reducing, they were growing.
(See much more in our 1966 page)
GTX takes charge
In 1967, the GTX was the top of the line Belvedere. Petty won the Grand National championship in NASCAR this year, in a hemi Belvedere. I restored a 67 Satellite two years ago, for a friend of mine. There was a two tone paint option for this year, called something like the "Silver Ghost" option, or something like that. I remember his car having it. Another option was a 150 mph speedometer. The bottom 7 inches or so were painted silver, an aluminum trim was added, and you could get whatever color you wanted with it (I think). Though the Standard Catalog of Chrylser shows this as the first year for the 318 engine, the Motor Trend World Automotive Yearbook for 1967 notes a 60-pounds weight loss for that engine, indicating that it had been around in 1966 (we were alerted to this by BC’s Brock McLellan, whose family had a Canadian-issue 1966 Plymouth Belvedere II with a 318, complete with 318 script on the side and a 318 hood ornament). The answer is probably that they used the A-engine 318 until 1967, when they switched to the LA-family 318 - which was over 50 pounds lighter than the A (LA stands for “lightweight A.”) See this page for details. Also see our general 1967 changes pag.
 Randy Stevens' red 1967 GTX with 375 hp 440 Super Commando engine and 727 automatic transmission, power and a/c, 3.91 SureGrip posi rear. |
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Click here for a surprisingly detailed look at the 1967 Plymouth GTX. Belvedere, and Satellite.
1968 coke-bottle restyling
In 1968, the line was restyled. The most noteworthy difference was the roofline, which was changed to follow the Charger. 68s and 69s had flip out rear quarter windows as standard. The new "Coke bottle styling" was attractive and eye-catching, and quite a departure from past models.
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Muscle car performance and exterior were balanced with a plush interior. |
Sport Satellite
(With a nod to Dana Merian; information from the Standard Catalog of Chrysler). The Sport Satellite came out in 1968, just a year after the Satellite became its own model. Available as a two-door coupe, two-door convertible, and wagon, the Sport Satellite came with a 318 V-8 as well as cosmetic touches. Over 20,000 of these were made in 1968 alone. This series continued through to 1970. In 1971, the Satellite Sebring, Custom, and Regent Wagon were introduced instead (also replacing the Satellite GTX).
In 1969, the Roadrunner convertible was available for the first time. The Super Commando 440 came out (6bbl). Front ends on the Satellite/Belvedere followed those of the Coronet.
1970 brought a new grill and rear end treatment for the same basic body style on the Satellite line, and was the last year for the Belvedere, though the Satellite and Road Runner, ironically, carried on. The Sport Satellite package was available with either two or four doors.
1971 was the big body style change (akin to Roadrunner and Charger). The 340 was now offered on the Satellites, which included the Sebring and Sebring Plus (two doors), GTX, and Roadrunner. Sedans and wagons came in base and Custom models. Nice sedans got Custom Brougham. The top wagon was called the Satellite Regent. The new look for 1971 was a continuation of the "fuselage" style. It was aircraft and space motivated. Swoopy lines, and big loop bumper/grill pieces.
Mike Baker wrote:
In 1971 there was a model of the top of the line wagon offered, a 9 passenger (RH46) with woodgrain, Magnum 500 wheels, 383 4 barrel 4 speed with pistol grip shifter, bucket seats, and dual exhaust. I used to work at Kalamazoo (Mich.) Chrysler-Plymouth, did the final wash on this car when it was delivered to the customer, (a lady in her late 50s, she is still alive), and when it was traded in in 1975, there was an actual drawing as to which employee of the dealership would be able to purchase the car. This was a special order car, as she needed a station wagon, and did not want an automatic transmission. [New: Mike Sealey wrote that this “was a Satellite Regent. I would be astonished if more than one was built with a 4-speed, regardless of engine choice.”]
1972 saw the end of the GTX as its own model, as well as the real hi-po engines The base price for a Satellite Sebring Plus hardtop was $3127. $20 more got you the Road Runner with a standard 400 [not for everyone’s insurance or gas budget]. The 340 was an option that year as was the 440-4.
Dave Wilson wrote:
In 1972, the GTX, though dropped as a model line of its own, remained as a Road Runner option. Any RoadRunner ordered with the 440-4 engine in 1972-1974 was, technically, a GTX option package. If you look on the Heminet registration pages you'll see many RRs - including mine - listed with "Model variant: GTX" and often seen as RoadRunner/GTX which confused a lot of people (it still does). However, this didn't mean much more than having the larger 440 engine, heavier torsion bars to hold it up (0.92" diam. instead of the stock 0.88"), and getting three "GTX" emblems glued to the car - one for each fender and one on the trunk next to the "bird-in-circle" decal.
You should also note that, starting in 1972, engines were rated in NET horsepower instead of GROSS horsepower. The 1972 engines were not that much different than their 1971 counterparts - except for the electronic ignition. Unfortunately, Detroit did not disseminate this information very well and 1972 RoadRunner sales were the lowest ever. Sales went back up in 1973 and 1974, though not as high as their pre-1972 years.
1973 Plymouth Satellite, Road Runner, and GTX
Plymouth lopped off the loop bumpers in favor of the more conventional grille-over-bumper arrangement due to government requirements for energy absorbing bumpers.
The Satellite coupes received new front sheet metal. The window edge of the C-pillar was moved into a nearly vertical position. The lower body character ridge was eliminated. The taillights still resided in the rear bumpers, but as inset ovals.
The Road Runner had a large "power bulge" with simulated vents on the forward corners. Stripes on the sides identified the engine size. Although the separate GTX model was dead, its name lingered as the 440 engine package for the Road Runner, whose engine selection ran from the 318 through the 340, 400 and 4 and 6 barrel 440s - all of which had lower power than in prior years due to cobbled-together emissions work and insurance concerns.
The Satellite sedans were given a new grille inset for a more formal appearance. The backup lenses were altered into a rectangular pair per side. Flanking the license plate were heavy rubber bumper guards.
[Webmaster additions until the end of this section.] For reasons best known to Plymouth, the sedans and coupes had very different grille treatments (as shown in these illustrations); they looked even more different in person.
1973 shows a "woody" Satellite Regent station wagon (top-options). 5 mph bumpers went on the Satellite this year, and a new egg crate grill appeared. The 318 became standard for the Road Runner.
There was also a Satellite Sebring two-door hardtop package, which did not raise performance. The Satellite Sebring started at $3,024, and included dual horns, carpet, drip rail and wheel lip mouldings, a day/night inside mirror, front disc brakes, and bright body side moulding with black paint fill. A vinyl bench seat added $25; the light package (with a map light, glove box and ashtray lights, trunk light, fender-mounted turn signals, and ignition switch light with time delay) was a bargain at $31. Power disc brakes, always nice on a 3,000 pound vehicle, were $44, and floor mats an extra $14. The E44 318 was standard, but the TorqueFlite would set you back $211. Other options were tinted glass ($42), racing mirror with left remote ($16), rear window defogger ($31), three-speed wipers ($6), FM stereo ($209), power steering ($114), vinyl roof ($100), bigger wheels and tires (F78 x 14, $31), and those infamous full-size wheel covers that liked to move around and chop off the extra-long air valves ($27 — more than the remote mirror!). The total on my own 1973 Satellite with these additions, as purchased from Marong Chrysler-Plymouth in Orchard Park, NY, was a whopping $3,990 — not much of a bargain.
Standard features on all Plymouths and Dodges in 1973 included a driver's side mirror, two-speed windshield wipers and washers, energy-absorbing steering column, three-point front belts, sun visors, cushioned dash, recessed door and window controls, front head restraints, heater and defroster, four-way hazards, turn signals with lane change feature, dual hood latches, self-adjsuting brakes, and dual master cylinder brakes with warning lights. (Safety features back then weren't what they are today.) Electronic ignition was standard on most Chrysler engines; it had yet to be introduced on any other automaker’s products.
1974 Plymouth Satellites: the last year
1974 shows a Satellite Custom, as well as a Sundance option with Aztec Gold Metallic or Spinnaker White colors, a canopy vinyl roof, "premier" wheel covers, gold/black/white upholstery, and a sunburst roof stripe. The most popular seller was the Satellite Custom 4 door sedan, priced at $3329. However, due to poor overall sales, the Satellite ended mid-year.
Josh Breitag added: "I own a 1974 Satellite Sebring Sundance. Plymouth came out with three models of the Sebring in that year: Satellite Sebring, Satellite Sebring Plus, Satellite Sebring Sundance. The Sundance had different interior and came with decals of a sun. The Sundance has a 318 while the Sebring Plus came with a 360...Plymouth came out with this model (Sundance) for only one year."
Laramie9 provided this press photo of the Sundance:
