Photo Gallery

07/20/09

1966 Dodge Coronet 440 Deluxe 4-door Hemi Car.

This car resides in the collection of William DiGilio.  Over many years of collecting automobiles, William has sought out and purchased some of the rarest factory produced high performance American muscle cars in the world.  The automobile William is most proud of owning is this unique 426-hemi car.

Between 1964-1971, approximately 11,000 cars were factory produced with the 426-hemi option.  All of those cars, whatever year, make or model, were two door cars (including the less than 200 convertibles), except for five cars.  This is one of those cars, a 4-door hemi car. Three were made for American customers and two others were exported (1 to Canada [DiGilio also owns the Canadian car], 1 to Finland [a 1967 Plymouth Belvedere]).  This is one of the cars ordered by an American customer, another American ordered 4-door hemi car resides in Don Garlits' museum, the third resides with a man named Scott in Minnesota.

WHY WOULD ANYONE ORDER A 4-DOOR HEMI CAR?

In 1966, Floyd Cline went to Spencers Dodge in Wichita, Kansas and told salesman Hub Rainbolt he wanted the most powerful engine option available, at the time a 426-hemi; and he wanted it in a 4-door car.  Floyd requested a 4-door car because his 79-year old father rode in the back seat of the family car most of the time when traveling with Floyd and his wife, and rather than having Floyd's father fuss with climbing over a pulled forward front seatback of a 2-door car in order to get into the back seat, Floyd wanted his father to have easy access to the back seat through his own rear doors.  Salesman Hub Rainbolt ordered the car, and Chrysler delivered.

Never could Floyd have expected his car to hold such historical significance.

The documentation for this car includes its broadcast sheet, window sticker, certicard, fender tag, original title and the envelope it was mailed (postmarked 1966), and the original receipts for title and registration fees paid in 1966.

If you would like to find out more about this automobile, feel free to contact William DiGilio by email at hemi4door@yahoo.com or williamdigilio@yahoo.com.

View of the Front Passenger's Side

View of the Engine Compartment