Plymouth may be out of business for about 20 years, but its vehicles are alive and well. Fans of this famous brand still have many options on the table, and the Belvedere series is one of them.
The Belvedere lineup is well known to car enthusiasts, not only Plymouth fans. It was present on the market between 1954 and 1970 as the brand-new hardtop body style succeeding the Plymouth Cranbrook line that lingered from the 1951 model year. Sedans, station wagons, and convertible body styles quickly appeared with the Belvedere nameplate, representing "beautiful sight" or "fair view" in Italian.
Initially, the Belvedere was a full-sized car, but in 1965, it became an intermediate model lineup until it was replaced by the Satellite in 1970. Today, we chose to take a closer look at the unit preceding the introduction of an intermediate-sized Belvedere.
The 1964 Plymouth Belvedere is not often mentioned these days, but it was quite popular at the time of production, and many drivers have nice things to say about its performance and durability. Let's explore it together.
The Plymouth Belvedere Series: A Brief Overview Of The Full-Size Models
As mentioned, the Belvedere was first introduced in 1951 as a two-door pillarless hardtop. Plymouth used such a body for the first time that year to compete with the Chevrolet Bel Air and the Ford Victoria, both fierce rivals.
The 1951 Cranbrook Belvedere bore the straight-6 engine that produced 97 horsepower and had a long wheelbase. Nothing changed for 1952 except for the enhanced color scheme and optional overdrive. The following year, a shorter wheelbase was introduced alongside a one-piece windshield, flush rear fenders, and a lower hood line. Did we mention the engine was tweaked to produce 100 horsepower? The Belvedere was starting to change.
In 1954, the Belvedere nameplate finally got its own series. Available as a convertible, two-door station wagon, and four-door sedan, the Belvedere stood as a distinguishable model. It even sported small chrome tail fins on the rear fenders, got an automatic transmission, and packed a larger I6 engine rated at 110 horsepower.
But the real change came in 1955 when Plymouth revised all its cars. The futuristic styling continued through 1956, particularly in a more dramatic rear-end with large tail fins. The most notable upgrade, however, was a V8 engine with 180 horsepower.
The improvements continued more or less until 1960 when the lineup got a new six-cylinder engine and a unit body construction (marketed as Unibody). A sleeker body was definitely more distinctive, but the sales were not the best at this point.
A Downsized Star: A Detailed Look At The 1964 Plymouth Belvedere
Much to everyone's surprise, Plymouth downsized the full-size lineup for 1962, when big models were extremely popular among the public. But though the sales suffered, the Belvedere was still recognized as a great and economical performer. It was even seen in drag racing.
Finally, the 1963 and the 1964 Plymouth Belvedere appeared on the market. They used the same platform as the previous model but sported an enhanced styling, so they appeared longer and wider than the 1962 unit. The 1964 Plymouth also had a new roofline that many people seemed to like back in the day, as sales improved significantly throughout the year.
Indeed, with the sleek and low body, a thin and rounded grille, and the elongated rear end, the 1964 Plymouth Belvedere was a stylish ride. Things were no different inside. Although the Belvedere was not particularly luxurious, the interior was still intuitive and beautifully simple.
What's even more important, the brand introduced the 426 Chrysler Hemi engine for the 1964 model year. Models equipped with this engine were so high-performing that they proved very successful in the NASCAR's 1964 Daytona race.
The Belvedere received a couple more updates until its discontinuation in 1970, continuing to be successful in racing and popular among those looking for an intermediate car to drive on a budget. But the name was still dropped in the end.
Can You Find The 1964 Plymouth Belvedere On Sale Today?
We have good and bad news for you. The good news is that you can find the 1964 Plymouth Belvedere on sale today. The bad is that you may have to be ready to spend some savings on it. Most of these models available for sale on the used car market these days come with a price tag between a whopping $40,000 and $80,000.
Naturally, the total price of the 1964 Plymouth Belvedere depends on the car's condition, the miles on the clock, the number of owners, and other similar factors. But however you take it, this car won't come cheap.