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Charger vs. Satellite my theory... don't get mad!

Satellite was actually a Belvedere..there was once a Belvedere Satellite...I think 1966, but I could be wrong.


1965 actually..thank you Allpar. Discovery Channel..lol.
 
Satellite was actually a Belvedere..there was once a Belvedere Satellite...I think 1966, but I could be wrong.


1965 actually..thank you Allpar. Discovery Channel..lol.

Just an offhand question. When you get 'Lucky #4", you're not letting any family members drive it, are you?
 
My thinking is that it's too bad the Satellite morphed into a "family" car from what began as the upscale bucket seat version of the b-body. My car (65 Satellite with pics in "New guy from Michigan" thread) is far from a family car and even less than the 1966 Hemi, 4-spd. Satellites. But it is current day what it is current day. Still, I can't get enough of B-Bodies! ilm65

I agree... but, in my opinion, Plymouth was spending a lot of time promoting the Duster as an inexpensive car, quick since it was so light if you had the right drive train, and the oil embargo and gas crisis of 1973 or 4 kinda hurt the muscle car movement...

I've always wondered what would have happened to the Satty line had the gas crisis didn't hit, and Big Brother didn't put so much emphasis on crash tests and emissions requirements...
 
and I love discussions like this, I learn something new every day! But one thing that hasn't changed....

The Satellite is a far superior car than the Charger...
 
Pretty cool discussion.
At the end of the day, not even considering 4 door Satellites,
I still think is Satellites were called RoadRunners,
they would sell better and sell for more.

I also think second and third gen Chargers that are not the sports models, if called some name other than a Charger, would sell worse and for less.

But I am predjudiced with watching Tempest and Lemans sell for less than base Malibu/Chevelles, etc.

Are there other examples you can think of?
I know a 7 to 74 AMX, even an automatic with small V8, sells for more and better than an SST or base Javelin with a bigger engine, even with a four speed.

A Cutlass also, in my opinion, if it is the fast back type car like a 442, I always see sell for a premium over a non GS Skylark.

Basically, something about the name with the general public.

Sort of like how everyone in general tends to think that every Mustang, Camaro, Firebird, Challenger, or Barracuda was some kind of sports car, despite all the 6 cylinder models.
 
I have to agree...my first car was a 1968 Olds F-85, I was 16, and the biological father forced the car down my throat, so I wound up buying a car HE liked...

and everyone in school thought I was driving a Cutlass 442 for some reason, I don't think very many knew what an F-85 was, but it was a fast car..couldn't turn the corners worth a damn though. I watch the 442's, but rarely see an F-85 for sale anywhere.
 
My thinking is that it's too bad the Satellite morphed into a "family" car from what began as the upscale bucket seat version of the b-body. My car (65 Satellite with pics in "New guy from Michigan" thread) is far from a family car and even less than the 1966 Hemi, 4-spd. Satellites. But it is current day what it is current day. Still, I can't get enough of B-Bodies! ilm65

I'm a little fuzzy on this, did the Satellite take over the spot left by the Sport Fury when the Fury line went C body?



In '64 the Sport Fury was the top of the Belvedere line. In '65, Plymouth finally got the C body and gave it the Fury name. They needed a name to replace the 'Sport Fury' moniker from the previous year and the 'Satellite' was born.

I'm guessing that some time thereafter (anyone know exactly what year?) the marketing people decided that the 'Belvedere' name was beginning to sound a bit corny and ditched it in favor of using the Satellite name across the board. We had the Satellite (2 & 4 door), Sport Satellite and GTX to top off the lineup. Later on came the Sebring and Sebring Plus.

As far as Chargers were concerned? They were a car in and of themeselves. Yes, still a B-body but with a body style that was unique unto itself, and they never (well, until recently) made a 4 door version much like the Monte's and Riv's they were competeing against.
 

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I mostly agree with you with a couple of exceptions, or addendums (?)(mucking spellcheck).
The GTX was the upscale "Executive Hotrod" offering of the Satellite. It's base engine was the 440. Still not a direct (demographic) competitor for a Charger. It's Dodge relative was more in line with the Coronet R/T.
For the 68 model year, Plymouth developed the Roadrunner. A stripped down, no frills, street terror. (Still not competing with the Charger). Dodge didn't have a direct cousin to the Roadrunner, but after seeing the sales numbers on the Plymouth stripper, developed the Superbee. A stripped down Coronet.
Base models boasted 335hp 383s.

In 71, the game changed when the Charger became the sole 2 door B body in the dodge line up with the Coronet being the 4 door offering.

The GTX was not a Sat. it was a Bel. in fact the 67 had Bel. with the GTX under it on the front fenders.
 
My thinking is that it's too bad the Satellite morphed into a "family" car from what began as the upscale bucket seat version of the b-body. My car (65 Satellite with pics in "New guy from Michigan" thread) is far from a family car and even less than the 1966 Hemi, 4-spd. Satellites. But it is current day what it is current day. Still, I can't get enough of B-Bodies! ilm65

You guys are still mixed up on this. Sat's did not have buckets standard it was an option except on the Sport Sat. where they were standard. Same for the Coronets (sister car) the buckets could be ordered as an option but they were standard on the Coronet 500.
 
In '65 the Satellite was a package that included the bucket seat/console interior and a lot of exterior trim not found on any other models. It was the top of the Belvedere line but didn't have one Belvedere marking anywhere on the car. It was a Satellite, plain and simple. I'm almost 100% sure that the Poly 318 was the base engine for this model with the 273 being the first option. 361, 383 and 426 Street Wedge engines were also available. No /6 on the Sat.
 
In '64 the Sport Fury was the top of the Belvedere line. In '65, Plymouth finally got the C body and gave it the Fury name. They needed a name to replace the 'Sport Fury' moniker from the previous year and the 'Satellite' was born.

I'm guessing that some time thereafter (anyone know exactly what year?) the marketing people decided that the 'Belvedere' name was beginning to sound a bit corny and ditched it in favor of using the Satellite name across the board. We had the Satellite (2 & 4 door), Sport Satellite and GTX to top off the lineup. Later on came the Sebring and Sebring Plus.

As far as Chargers were concerned? They were a car in and of themeselves. Yes, still a B-body but with a body style that was unique unto itself, and they never (well, until recently) made a 4 door version much like the Monte's and Riv's they were competeing against.

You are all mixed on on most of what you have been stating in this entire thread.

There was no Bel. or Sat. in 1964. The Sport Fury was NOT replace but was turned into a C body when they began production in 65 and continued to be available through at least 71.

Sats and Bels were basically family cars through 71 as they were offered in 4 doors and additionally many people bought 2 door family cars as well. You can consider the RR and GTX as "sports" models but MOST people refer to them as muscle cars. The only TRUE sports model based on what Chrysler built it for, referred to it as, and marketed it as, was the Charger through 1970.

1971 changed everthing when they combined the Dodge B Body line of 2 door as Chargers, Charger SE, Charger Super Bee, and the R/T. Plymouth did it a little differently dropping the Bel but continuing the Sat in a 4 door and adding the Sebring in both a 4 door and 2 doors with various models as well as the RR & GTX in the basic Sebring platform.

Yes, starting in 71 The Sebring high end 2 door models became competing models for the other brand "luxury sport" models like the Monte Carlo etc. However the pre 71 Plymouths NEVER had anything that was considered a competitor for the luxury sports cars listed above and in previous posts INCUDING the Sport Sat. The Sport Sat was simply a competitor for cars like the Coronet 500, Chevy SS Chevelles, Ford Fairlane GT, etc.
 
When I see a RR/gtx or Satellite/SSP (2 door) I dont think family car ..thats for sure I just think awsome mopar ... I have a special spot for 69 RR
But you really have to think how many Satellite sebring plus's are left - not that many
 
The GTX was not a Sat. it was a Bel. in fact the 67 had Bel. with the GTX under it on the front fenders.

Bagged on twice on that statement. Nice.
I stand corrected....
The GTX was Plymouth's Gentleman's Muscle Car offering of the division's B Body.

Everyone happy now? I'm going back to bed.....
 
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You are all mixed on on most of what you have been stating in this entire thread.

There was no Bel. or Sat. in 1964. The Sport Fury was NOT replace but was turned into a C body when they began production in 65 and continued to be available through at least 71.

Sats and Bels were basically family cars through 71 as they were offered in 4 doors and additionally many people bought 2 door family cars as well. You can consider the RR and GTX as "sports" models but MOST people refer to them as muscle cars. The only TRUE sports model based on what Chrysler built it for, referred to it as, and marketed it as, was the Charger through 1970.

1971 changed everthing when they combined the Dodge B Body line of 2 door as Chargers, Charger SE, Charger Super Bee, and the R/T. Plymouth did it a little differently dropping the Bel but continuing the Sat in a 4 door and adding the Sebring in both a 4 door and 2 doors with various models as well as the RR & GTX in the basic Sebring platform.

Yes, starting in 71 The Sebring high end 2 door models became competing models for the other brand "luxury sport" models like the Monte Carlo etc. However the pre 71 Plymouths NEVER had anything that was considered a competitor for the luxury sports cars listed above and in previous posts INCUDING the Sport Sat. The Sport Sat was simply a competitor for cars like the Coronet 500, Chevy SS Chevelles, Ford Fairlane GT, etc.

You're right about there not being any Satellites in '64, I think I already said that. I think I also said that the Sport Fury was not 'replaced', the name was taken away from the B-Body and given to the new C-Body. Please re-read my post.

As far as there not being any Belvedere's in '64, well, a picture speaks a thousand words:

http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?t=13681

For what it's worth, I've seen plenty of '63 and '64 Belvederes and know the owners of these cars. There were also Savoy's back then. They were low trim level B-bodies.
 
Just some pics of my "adult-family car". Bob
 
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In '64 the Sport Fury was the top of the Belvedere line. In '65, Plymouth finally got the C body and gave it the Fury name. They needed a name to replace the 'Sport Fury' moniker from the previous year and the 'Satellite' was born.

I'm guessing that some time thereafter (anyone know exactly what year?) the marketing people decided that the 'Belvedere' name was beginning to sound a bit corny and ditched it in favor of using the Satellite name across the board. We had the Satellite (2 & 4 door), Sport Satellite and GTX to top off the lineup. Later on came the Sebring and Sebring Plus.

As far as Chargers were concerned? They were a car in and of themeselves. Yes, still a B-body but with a body style that was unique unto itself, and they never (well, until recently) made a 4 door version much like the Monte's and Riv's they were competeing against.

You seem to be somewhat selective in answering my posts.

They did not have a replacement name for the Sport Fury with the Sport Sat. it was an ADDED model for a new model with the Sport Sat. Everything changed in 65 with a seperation of B and C bodies.

As stated before they did not drop the Bel. name until 1971 when things changed again with new model names and changes in how some of the models changed to better address the competition.

Yes I was WRONG in that there WAS a Bel and Sat. in 64 when there was no seperation between the sizes of the cars between the 65 Bs and Cs.
 
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