A 1966 Dodge Coronet 500 with a factory Hemi engine appeared on eBay with no reserve and a $30,800 opening bid. The auction ended without a single bid despite a configuration that typically attracts American muscle car collectors. The opening amount did not represent a final valuation, since bidding could have pushed the price higher if anyone had entered the auction.
Nobody bid $30,800 for this factory Hemi Dodge Coronet
The accompanying documentation supports an unusual combination of Bronze Metallic paint and tan vinyl interior. The paperwork includes the original production sheet along with material from Chrysler vehicle expert Galen Govier, who inspected the car in 2010. At the time of that inspection, his registry showed no other example with the same combination of color and mechanical specifications.
That finding only applies to the cars documented in the registry at the time, so it does not prove that Dodge built just one. Still, it adds useful context to the car’s history, especially because its appeal does not come from a Hemi engine installed later in an ordinary Coronet. The listing identifies this example as a factory Hemi car.
Its 426-cubic-inch V8, or roughly 7.0 liters, works with a three-speed automatic transmission and a Sure Grip limited-slip differential. The Street Hemi used two four-barrel carburetors and carried a factory rating of 425 hp under the SAE gross standard of the period, a figure that does not compare directly with the net horsepower ratings used for modern vehicles.
Dodge brought the Coronet name back for 1965 after an absence dating to the late 1950s. Initial sales exceeded 209,000 units across multiple trims and engine configurations. The arrival of the Street Hemi in 1966 added a far more expensive option than the engines found in ordinary versions, helping make Hemi-equipped examples much rarer.
The two-door Coronet in the listing received a repaint during work completed in 2010 and retains an interior with bucket seats, a center console and an AM radio. It has manual steering and manual brakes. According to the listing, the current owner bought the car in 2017 and has since performed maintenance while using it sparingly.
The five-digit odometer shows around 8,000 miles, but the car’s actual mileage remains unknown. The Coronet ultimately went unsold because the auction closed without receiving a single bid. With no reserve in place, the $30,800 opening bid would have been enough to buy the car if someone had placed it and no higher bids followed.
