When you encounter a 1966 Dodge Coronet, you have to wonder how many of these things did Dodge kick out? They were everywhere years ago and are still frequently encountered today. I remember them in many applications but probably most often as a screaming yellow taxicab in their later years. Hardly a stranger to Barn Finds, this vintage Coronet is always worthy of a closer look. This example is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $8,691 with twenty-nine bids tendered so far. There is a better listing, here on Autotrader, where the price is $35,000 (yikes!) with a make an offer option.

To answer my earlier question, the number is 251K, a pretty healthy production number that spanned four trim levels, the top drawer 500, 440 – such as our subject car, Coronet Deluxe, and bringing up the rear, the plain-jane Coronet. Keep in mind, this example is a common two-door hardtop, 440 model – that’s the trim designation, not the engine size.

The seller goes to great lengths to determine the specifics of the engine, such as casting dates, etc. but keep in mind, this is not a muscle car variant, it’s just plain, pleasant transportation. Agreed, the VIN code’s fifth character of “E” indicates a 361 CI V8 but that would be a “B” block and what’s under the hood looks like a 230 gross HP, “Polysphere” 318 CI V8. It’s connected to a TorqueFlite, three-speed automatic transmission and the seller claims that it, “Starts right up every time in cold or hot weather, runs, drives, and sounds great“. He further states that the transmission shifts “great”.

Dodge nailed the lines of this Coronet perfectly. It is very representative of the era and is a look that never seems to age – it’s eternally youthful. While the metallic gold finish, which is claimed to be original, is flat, the body is straight and appears to be rust-free – nice stainless trim and chrome too. The original wheel covers and white stripe tires always help with period-correct authenticity.

The mileage is recorded as 35K but the seller makes to claim to that accuracy. The interior, however, does indicate signs of gentle, or minimum use. The black vinyl upholstery has maintained its youthful looks for 55 years and the instrument panel shows no sign of clouding or dust-infused instruments. Interestingly, there is an image of the brake pedal included, and the pad is not indicative of heavy use either. Ditto the carpet; the interior of this Coronet requires nothing.

So the eBay listing doesn’t indicate a reserve but the Autotrader listing flies with an asking price of $35,000 – make an offer. It would seem $35 large is pretty outsized regardless of this Coronet’s provenance and condition – it’s nice, but not $35K worth of nice. There is a video included where you can review this Dodge idling and it may be beneficial in helping to determine some of this Coronet’s virtues. I like this one, I wouldn’t change a thing, how about you?