From Six to Beast

This ’66 Chevy II went from mild-mannered six banger to ground pounding pro tour car

Owner: Joe Derouen • Gladewater, TX

Text and Photography by David W. Temple

In the compact car wars launched in 1960, Chevy’s rear-engined Corvair took a beating from the more conventional Ford Falcon. So, in ’62, GM fought back with the Chevy II – a basic, straightforward car with a squarish design and an emphasis on value.

In fact, Chevrolet’s compact matched Ford’s Falcon in many ways – unitized construction with a front subframe, multiple series with two and four-door sedans and wagons, nearly identical wheelbases (110 inches for the Chevy II and 109.5 for the Falcon) and economical engines. Chevrolet, however, made more options available, including factory air conditioning, power steering, and power brakes.