UPDATE – This relatively rare 1966 Plymouth “Fancy Fury” (only 12,058 VIP 4-Door Hardtops were produced) is listed for sale again, nine months after it was featured back on April 30, 2025. It’s in great shape inside and out, and has the desirable 383-cubic-inch V8 under the hood with only 54,000 miles on it. As in April’s listing, the seller doesn’t include photos of the engine or undercarriage for some reason. The VIP is still located in Toms River, New Jersey, and is posted here on craigslist for the same asking price of $19,500 or best offer. Thanks to Mitchell G. for spotting this Hoi Polloi Plymouth and sending it our way. Maybe it’ll get a new owner this time around in honor of its 60th birthday. Let’s hope so. Here’s last year’s article from fellow Barn Finds writer, Russ Dixon.
FROM 4/30/2025 – In 1965, Ford launched the LTD as a luxurious version of the Galaxie 500. Chevrolet quickly followed suit with the Caprice, a gussied-up version of the Impala. Since “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” (and to remain competitive), Plymouth joined the party in 1966 with its VIP, a fancy Fury. The seller has a well-preserved first-year VIP with perhaps just 54,000 miles, hailing from Toms River, New Jersey. It’s available for $19,500 and has received a lot of new parts in the past three years.
The VIP moniker stood for “Very Important Plymouth” rather than what you thought it meant. The car was a dressed-up Fury to draw in buyers who wanted more personal comforts but lacked the budget to buy a Chrysler New Yorker or Imperial. It didn’t sell nearly as well as its competition, so the VIP was retired in 1969 while the LTD and Caprice kept on going and going. Chances are that buyers just didn’t envision anything with a Plymouth badge as truly being a luxury car. Some 12,000VIPs were produced in 1966.
In its first year, the VIP was sold only as a 4-door hardtop with a 383 cubic inch V8 as standard, exactly like this car. We assume none of them left the lot with anything other than a TorqueFlite automatic transmission. This beauty has its original interior and vinyl top, but we assume the paint was refreshed at some point. Since Ford advertised that its LTD rode quieter than a Rolls-Royce, did Plymouth come anywhere close to that with the VIP?
New or newer parts on this Mopar include tires, brakes, shocks, and a heater core. Also, the factory A/C is said to have been upgraded to modern standards. Since the seller is willing to consider trades, we wonder if a dealer is involved in the sale (the photos also show it in the company of other classic vehicles). When was the last time you saw a ’66 VIP (or a Fury for that matter)?
“Hoi Polloi” . . . . “Glamour Puss”
They’re sure flying today at BF!
After 9 months there is a pretty clear message it’s overpriced. It doesn’t matter how nice it is unless there is someone willing to pay at loose to the asking price, there might not be a strong enough following for this particular make and model.
Steve R
My dad had a Fury 2 in fawn beige but it developed a howl in the rear end that I swear only he could hear. So multiple trips back to the dealer and even the Chrysler rep couldn’t find any issues. Dad was always a mopar guy but after that he he bought a 1968 Impala and never looked back.
Hoi polloi=common people
Sounds like something high-falutin’ but it’s not
4 dr hardtop is not a 4 dr “sedan.”
I always liked Plymouth VIPs. They never sold as well as the Caprice or LTD, but I still like them. This is a very nice one. Too bad it doesn’t have power windows and seat. Anyway, I think it’s over priced by about $11,000. However, it would make a nice addition to someone’s collection. How many are there left? It’s a shame we don’t have automobiles like this for sale at the dealer show rooms today.
Beautiful car. If only more pics were posted. IMHO, there’s no such thing as too many pics. There is such thing as too few pics.
These aren’t my absolute favorite year for Furys but it’s still a very beautiful car. As nice as it is I think his asking price might be weighing him down with regards to selling it.
There were two Fury III’s in our family, a 1965 4 door sedan and a 1966 4 door Hardtop. They were nice looking barges. Both had the usual equipment for the era, 318 cid V8 PS/PB/AT/AC/PW and AM radio. Both logged over 100K miles with only routine maintenance and new tires before the tin worm took it’s toll.