In the 1960s, Chevrolet, Ford, and Plymouth matched each other car-for-car in the full-size market. Plymouth added the VIP luxury car in 1966, bringing the roster to the Fury I, Fury II, Fury III, Sport Fury, and the VIP. The “Very Important Plymouth” competed with the Chevy Caprice and Ford LTD, though its sales paled by comparison. This 1966 Mopar was in storage for 26 years, likely due to a seized 383 cubic-inch V8. Needing some cosmetic attention, too, this Plymouth is available here on craigslist for $4,000 (firm) and can be seen in Running Springs, California.
In 1965, Ford perceived the need for a luxury version of the Galaxie 500 for those buyers who didn’t want to step up to a Mercury or a Lincoln. So, the LTD was born, and it was an immediate hit. Ford even had the confidence to advertise that the LTD was quieter than a Rolls-Royce (was that ever proved or disproved?). Chevrolet quickly responded with the Caprice, an upscale Impala. Plymouth jumped in a year later with the VIP, which stuck around until 1969. Lackluster sales didn’t give it the staying power of the Chevy or Ford.
The seller’s car is one of 17,216 built in 1966, of which 30% were 2-door hardtops (the other 70% had four doors). The last time this Plymouth was on the road was 1999 (did it spend Y2K in the barn?). The motor may have given up the ghost at 92,000 miles, which is where the odometer rests. The gas tank was drained way-back-when so there is no gunk for the seller to clean out when hooking up a replacement (period-correct?) V8.
Other than a couple of small dents, the body looks good, while the medium blue paint has begun to fade away. So, restoring the exterior of this Mopar shouldn’t be overly complicated. The interior has already been refreshed (recently or some time ago?). The front bumper has been rechromed, while the back one is original. The sale will include like-new passenger side trim.
The overall condition of the ViP is pretty good because a waterproof cover was used over the years. There seems to be no indication of any woodland creature invasions. The seller is in no hurry to sell at a discounted price as he/she is willing to leave the ad listing up for two months. If there are no takers, the Plymouth goes back undercover. One question: Why dog dish lub caps on a luxury car? Thanks for the cool tip, Tony Primo!
Full wheel covers were standard on VIPs. The poverty caps are 70s/80s Mopar police spec. Probably installed by some teenager desperate to make the car Grandma gave him cool.
This one is really clean! Very minimal body work and a fresh paint is all the body needs. This would be great if you had a similar good running car that’s rotted to transplant the drive line into.
VIP! Very Important Plymouth? IMO the 67 and 68 VIPs were the BEST, especially the two doors with smoother roof replacing the odd wedge style. I’d gladly pass on this one, but of course I have to once again comment on the wonderful days of aspirational names. Now, like the vehicles we’re given bland basic names on bland basic vehicles. Of course we do have BLOATED SUVS and crossovers at BLOATED prices 🙄
VIPs are rare and collectible, typically equipped with power options and other upgrades, including a vinyl top. Hard to differentiate this from a Fury lll.
Side by side, the differences were obvious, as was the case with the LTD vs. Galaxie 500 and the Caprice vs. Impala.
In my opinion, the poor sales performance relative to the Caprice and LTD had nothing to do with the lack of a premium ambiance, but a marketing disadvantage that those models didn’t have. Over at GM you only found Chevrolet dealers dualed with one of the General’s mid-range makes in the smallest markets in the mid to late ’60s. A Ford/Mercury dual was slightly more common, but still the exception rather than the rule in most markets. But at Chrysler, almost every Plymouth dealer was also a Chrysler dealer. So, while the Caprice rarely shared space with Catalinas, Delta 88s, or LeSabres, and most LTDs weren’t sitting next to a Montego, almost every VIP ever built sat on the showroom floor with a Chrysler Newport. While the VIP was a nicely finished car, a Plymouth at a Newport price was a tough sell.
The hubcaps look good
Lub caps. Good one.