Photography & Review by Dave Nicholson
History
From the mid 1960’s through the early 1970’s, America’s top automotive manufacturers produced some of the most powerful street machines unlike anything the world had ever seen before or will ever see again. It was the era of the muscle car, a decade of V-8 powered high-performance lust. Cars like the original 1964 GTO and 1964-1/2 Mustang paved the way for others to follow while cars like the 426 Hemi powered Mopars and the 1970 Chevelle SS454 LS6 set new benchmarks for performance and are considered by many today to be milestones of their time. The Chevelle featured several milestones of its own in its 10-year reign as one of America’s most popular, best selling muscle cars of the era. One such landmark came in 1966.
When the Chevelle debuted in 1964, the Super Sport model, with its 220-horsepower 283-cubic inch small-block engine, wasn’t as impressive as its big-block powered A-body sibling at Pontiac. By the summer of ’64, the popularity of the GTO was booming, leading GM to reverse their 330-ci limit for A-bodies. Chevrolet took advantage of the General’s about face and in February of 1965, Bunkie Knudsen introduced RPO Z16, a loaded to the hilt Malibu SS powered by Chevrolet’s new MK-IV L37 375-hp 396-ci “Turbo-Jet” big-block.
Although the Z16 Chevelle embodied what power hungry enthusiasts had been hoping for, it was more of a high-profile promotional piece. Of the 201 Z16’s that were built, a majority of them were presented to VIP’s, journalists, and various celebrities, all in an effort to gain as much publicity as possible. The Z16 wasn’t necessarily out of the reach of the ordinary consumer, but you had to be blessed with rather deep pockets to afford one of these rare supercars. The Z16 package tacked on an additional $1501 to the $2600 base price for a 1965 Malibu Super Sport. It certainly wasn’t the affordable muscle car that the 1964 GTO was.
1966 was a year of change. The Super Sport model returned, but this time, no longer was it just an option package on the Malibu, but a separate model altogether in Chevy’s lineup. Available as a couple or convertible, the boxy look of the previous year was gone. The 66 Chevelle featured all new sheetmetal with subtle Coke-bottle contours along the otherwise clean bodylines. A rearward sloping C-pillar and a new wraparound front grille with a forward leaning slant gave the Chevelle a look of motion, even when sitting still. While Chevy showed a tasteful reserve in their design of the Chevelle, they sure weren’t timid about flaunting the Super Sport’s virtues. Block letter Super Sport badges decorated the rear quarters and 396 Turbo-Jet cross flag emblems flanked the front fenders while bold SS 396 badges were positioned in the blacked out grille and rear cove panel.
Gone were the small-block powerplants, at least in the Super Sport models. In standard trim, the 1966 Chevelle SS 396 was equipped with the L35 MK-IV big-block which produced 325-hp. Not as stimulating as the 375-horse 396 that powered the fully loaded 65 Z16, but in 1966, the name of the game was “bang for the buck”. Chevrolet wanted the high-performance Chevelle to appeal to as broad an audience as possible and the $2,775 sticker price for a base SS 396 went a long way to securing a stronger street presence for the bowtie branded A-body muscle car.
Optional equipment was relegated to where it belonged, on the options list. If it was more power you were after, the 1966 Chevelle Super Sport could be ordered with the optional L34 396-ci V8 which produced a more impressive 360-hp. Later in the year, Chevy introduced the L78 396-ci big block which was rated at 375-hp, putting the Super Sport back in reach of the legendary Z16. The standard heavy-duty 3-speed manual transmission could be replaced with one of several optional 4-speed manuals - the M22 Rock Crusher being the rarest with only 12 produced - or the 2-speed Powerglide automatic. Buyers could additionally opt for such items as Strato-Bucket seats (RPO A51), a center console with an integrated clock and storage compartment (RPO D55), and a few different decorative wheel covers to replace the standard steel wheels with dog dish caps. Even when loaded with several options, the SS 396 didn’t cost much more than $3500.
The 1966 Chevelle SS 396 may not have been as fast, as comfortable, or as good in the handling department as the 1965 Z16 was, but it was everything a muscle car was supposed to be – quick, good looking, and affordable. An impressive 72,272 Super Sport models were produced in 1966 and from 1966 through 1969, Chevy would sell almost 280,000 SS 396 Chevelles. Today, the SS Chevelle is revered as one of the muscle car era’s best, highly sought after by collectors from all around the world. Collectors of a smaller scale have enjoyed a wide array of Chevelle replicas of various shapes and sizes for quite some time, but RC2’s Authentics 1966 Chevelle SS 396 marks the first of this model year in high detail 1/18-scale diecast.
The Model
Just as Chevrolet offered their customers a palette of 15 unique exterior colors to choose from for the 1966 Chevelle, RC2 is releasing their first round of 1/18-scale SS 396 A-bodies in two classic hues, Tuxedo Black and Regal Red. The regular issues of both variants feature red interiors while the limited edition “chase car” versions feature black interiors and black vinyl tops. If neither color combo lights your fire, Matco Tools is offering a limited edition of RC2’s Authentics 1966 Chevelle SS 396 in Lemonwood Yellow with a black interior. Supercar Collectibles also has a pair of limited editions, one in Tuxedo Black with a white interior, and the other - my personal favorite - in Aztec Bronze with a fawn (beige) colored interior.
RC2 has assembled each Chevelle with the typical Authentics-level fanfare – opening hood and doors on real aspect hinges, opening trunk, working suspension, and a rotating driveshaft – as well as a healthy dose of realistic detail, like the true-to-life strips of chrome that highlight the front grille surround, drip rails, and front and rear window frames. In 1966, Super Sport Chevelles also received chrome moldings with blacked-out ribbing along the rocker panels and lower body area behind the rear wheels, as depicted on the 1/18-scale replica, together with bright trim around the wheel well openings. Filling those arches are authentic reproductions of the optional RPO-N96 5-spoke mag-style wheel covers wrapped in redline tires. The Regal Red Chevelle is outfitted with the optional P01 bright metal wheel covers and my fingers are crossed that we’ll see the standard steel wheels with “dog-dish” caps on a future release.
All in all, RC2 has done a commendable job capturing the exterior look of the 1966 Chevelle SS 396. Aside from the A-pillars which are slightly thicker than they should be, the shape of the body is nearly spot-on. Great attention has also been paid to the Chevelle’s various emblems, like the 396 Turbo-Jet cross-flag and block letter Super Sport tampos that have been properly scaled and positioned. The pair of photoetched SS 396 badges located in the Chevelle’s accurately blacked out wraparound grille and rear taillight panel are the nicest renditions of this insignia that I’ve ever seen in 1/18-scale, painted in bright white and trimmed in a microscopically thin lining of chrome. There’s also a photoetched block letter Chevelle emblem centered in the blacked out rear cove that, in conjunction with the SS badges, give the mid-range Authentics ’66 Chevelle a high-dollar presence. The model also faithfully captures the SS Chevelle’s exclusive hood with its twin power domes and chrome plated vent inserts.
Beneath the hood is an attractive miniaturization of the L34 360-hp flavor of the 396-ci MK-IV big block, as opted for by nearly one third of Chevelle buyers in 1966. The Authentics power-plant is practically picture perfect, fully wired with a genuinely painted block and cast-iron intake manifold mounting a 4-barrel carburetor beneath a chrome plated open element air cleaner lid, an all-new feature for 1966. The engine is further assembled with heater hoses, a painted alternator with the proper mounting hardware, a pair of chrome plated valve covers, and a cross-flag 396 Turbo-Jet 360HP decal atop the air cleaner lid. Surrounding the Chevelle’s big-block are the usual details that define an engine compartment, like the Brand-X battery with cables and painted terminals, a painted fluid reservoir, and a factory correct brake master cylinder, but it’s details like the painted insulation under the hood and the accurately molded inner fenders that make this one special.
Just as special is the red interior of the Tuxedo Black and Regal Red ‘66 Chevelles. In scale form, red interiors have a reputation for looking toyish or unrealistic, but that’s not the case with RC2’s Authentics A-bodies. The coloring and texture of the simulated vinyl is abundant in realism. The white, black, and fawn colored interiors of the other Chevelles have the same look and feel, and except for the white & black interior of the Supercars Tuxedo Black Chevelle, everything from the headliner, carpeting, and rubber floor mats to the front and rear seats, dash, steering wheel, door panels, and door locks are accurately color keyed. As austere as it sounds, the cabin is actually quite attractive with a number of chrome accents to dress it up, from the “Body by Fisher” door sill plates to the strands of brightwork that accentuate the door panels to the decorative trimmings on the steering wheel.
Additional spaghetti-thin strands of chrome adorn the dash, which, for me, is the real highlight of the Chevelles interior. RC2 accurately captured the unique concave shape of the lower half of the dash which is home to the speedometer, radio, and a Super Sport emblem on the passenger side just above the opening glovebox. The top section of the dash is properly blacked out with two pair of chrome plated knobs on the drivers’ side, simulating the cigarette lighter as well as the ignition, wiper control, and headlight knobs. On the underside of the dash, next to the steering column, is the original knee-knocker tachometer and on the other side of the column is an incredibly thin turn signal stalk. The optional center console has been authentically reproduced, trimmed in chrome with the integrated clock up front, a sealed storage bin in back, and a chrome plated gear pattern plate next to the shifter. Other features include a dome light, posable sun visors, and the optional Strato-Bucket seats with detailed stitching and lap belts with chrome plated hardware. Altogether, it’s one of the most detailed interiors ever to be featured in an Authentics model.
Inside the opening trunk, you’ll find the customary details, like a full-width patterned trunk mat, a spare wheel wrapped in a redline tire, and “caution” and “jack instruction” labels on the underside of the trunk lid. The Chevelle’s chassis features even more detail. Aside from the aforementioned working suspension and rotating driveshat that spins smoothly in union with the rear wheels, the chassis includes a sizeable collection of painted parts, like the front sway bar, steering linkage, rear shocks, and gas tank which have the correct metallic look. The driveshaft, 12-bolt differential cover, and rear axle have a slightly darker metal appearance and the dual exhaust system has a realistic stainless steel finish. The chassis is also a good place to find some of the engines hidden details, like the painted fuel filter and oil filter as well as the wired starter motor which mounts up to the Chevelle’s accurately molded and painted bell-housing and manual transmission assembly.
Collectors of 1/18-scale diecast models have been pleading with the different manufacturers for a considerable length of time to produce a replica of the 1966 Chevelle SS 396 and thanks to RC2, those appeals have finally been answered. With it’s long list of details and features, I’d say it was well worth the wait, and like the original, the Authentics 1966 Chevelle SS 396 offers one heck-of-a-lot of bang for the buck. Except for the standard Tuxedo Black rendition, these Chevelles have limited production quantities – 1,254 in Regal Red, 1,400 for the Matco Tools Lemonwood Yellow version, and approximately 612 each of the Tuxedo Black and Aztec Bronze Supercars editions, both of which are close to selling out. If you’re a Chevelle enthusiast like me or are simply a fan of muscle cars in general, then don’t let this milestone in RC2’s Authentics series pass you by.
RC2 Authentics
#39311 1966 Chevelle SS 396
Tuxedo Black
RC2 Authentics
#39311 1966 Chevelle SS 396
Tuxedo Black
