1964 Plymouth Belvedere HEMI 2,391-Mile Survivor Benchmark Certified - 1 of 18

No Reserve. Few automobiles capture the birth of the 426 Hemi legend more authentically than this extraordinary 1964 Plymouth Belvedere 426 Race Hemi two-door hardtop, VIN 3241275619, a remarkably preserved example showing approximately 2,391 miles. This car belongs to an exceptionally small group of 35 steel-front-end Belvedere hardtops constructed with Chrysler's new 426 Race Hemi during the 1964 model year, with only 18 receiving the heavy-duty TorqueFlite automatic transmission. The factory FCA production record identifies this car as a genuine Belvedere built at Plymouth's Lynch Road plant, finished in PP1 Ruby Red over M1R Red cloth-and-vinyl upholstery, with body style 322 two-door hardtop, 12.5:1 Maximum Performance 426, three-speed TorqueFlite, Weather Jet heater, front retractable seat belts and 8.00x14 whitewall tires. Scheduled for production June 8, 1964 and shipped July 21 to the Syracuse, New York region, it represents one of the rarest configurations produced during the 426 Hemi's historic debut year. The significance of that debut cannot be overstated: only months before this Plymouth was built, the new 426 Hemi announced itself to the world by powering Plymouths to a 1-2-3 finish in the 1964 Daytona 500, led by Richard Petty.

At its heart is a period-correct high-compression 426 Race Hemi, factory-rated at 425 horsepower, backed by a period-correct heavy-duty 727 TorqueFlite three-speed automatic and Chrysler 8_-inch rear axle. MMC Detroit documented a May 1964-dated 2468330 Hemi block and June 1 engine assembly stamping, together with the correct Chrysler/Prestolite transistor ignition, cast-iron Race Hemi exhaust manifolds, fuel pump, Carter carburetion with 3861 blue tags, 2468045 intake dated April 7, chrome valve covers, water-pump housing, correct-style alternator and Race Hemi air cleaner; the report does note a correct-style starter carrying a later 1965-dated solenoid housing. The TorqueFlite is identified as the correct E2466121 727 HP unit, while the rear suspension retains its correct 8_-inch carrier, #742 third member, heavy-duty leaf springs, Arma Steel yoke, driveshaft, U-joints, drums, pinion snubber and cast axle bumper. The chassis inspection similarly confirmed the correct front and rear frame structure, suspension pieces and 776/777 torsion bars. Just as importantly, this car retains details restoration cannot easily duplicate: MMC notes the steel hood with original scoop, stamped steel wheels, original trim, original glass including lightweight side glass, trunk-mounted battery, correct trunk mat and jack hardware, original-style splatter finish, visible factory body-dip line and surviving inspection markings.

What elevates this Belvedere beyond rarity alone is its extraordinary level of preservation and documentation. David Wise and MMC Detroit describe it as an ?authentic, rare, largely unrestored? Race Hemi, calling it one of the nicest examples they had encountered in years and specifically designating it a ?Benchmark? vehicle against which others should be judged. Its authenticity file includes the factory IBM Production Car Record and production track sheet, an FCA historical production record, period paperwork and drag-racing material, while period photographs preserved in the Wise report further connect the car with its competition-era past. The underside of the hood carries the signatures of notable Chrysler performance figures Jim Thornton, Tom Hoover and Dick Maxwell, a remarkable connection to the engineers and racers responsible for Chrysler's competition program. In November 2019, the Plymouth also received MCACN Vintage Certification, where it was documented at just 2,342 miles; roughly six years later, Wise recorded only 2,390.3 miles. For the collector seeking an early Hemi automobile that has not been erased and recreated through restoration, this Ruby Red Belvedere offers something substantially harder to replace: one of only 35 factory Race Hemi hardtops, one of just 18 automatics, extraordinary surviving factory detail, exceptionally low displayed mileage and Benchmark-level preservation from the very first year of the legendary 426 Hemi. MILEAGE: 2391. VIN: 3241275619.

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