1965 · Plymouth · United States
The Satellite Debuts
The Belvedere became Plymouth's intermediate line, with the bucket-seat, V-8-only Satellite hardtop and convertible at the top and the 426 Street wedge as its hottest regular-production engine.
United States · researched through 2026-09-22
For 1965 Plymouth moved the Fury to a full-size body and kept the Belvedere as its 116-inch-wheelbase intermediate, with the Satellite as the line's top trim: a hardtop (R42) and convertible (R45) in series AR2-P, both coming with bucket seats, a console, and a 273 V8 as standard equipment, with no six offered on the Satellite at all. The production table lists 23,341 Satellite hardtops and 1,860 convertibles, adding to a stated 25,201 model total; a separate Belvedere II hardtop and convertible carried 24,924 and 1,921 units respectively, though those two Belvedere II rows combine six-cylinder and V8 production together rather than separating them out.1
Five engines were catalogued for the year. The 273 V8 came standard at 180 hp and 260 lb-ft; a 383 Golden Commando four-barrel offered 330 hp and 425 lb-ft as a $153 option; and the 426 Street wedge, at 365 hp and 470 lb-ft, was the most powerful engine generally available, priced in a $515-$545 range. Beyond the Street wedge sat two 426 Hemi versions, a single four-barrel rated 400 hp and a dual four-barrel rated 425 hp, both explicitly listed in the fact sheet as not available to the general public rather than merely absent from the ordering literature.1
The two Hemi engines nonetheless carry price ranges in the sources consulted: $1,100-$1,150 for the single four-barrel and $1,800-$1,850 for the dual four-barrel, both figures noted as including the transmission rather than the engine alone, a bundling that helps explain why those prices run so far above the $515-$545 Street wedge. No documented count of 426 Street wedge or either Hemi's installations for 1965 was found, so this record cannot say how many of the 25,201 Satellites, if any, left the factory with one of those three big-block options rather than the standard 273 or the optional 383.1
The four-speed manual, available with the 361, 383, and 426 engines, ran $188, and TorqueFlite cost $211 with any V8 other than the 273. Among the smaller options, a tachometer restricted to the Satellite cost $50, air conditioning ran $346, and a Basic Radio Group cost $86 against $129 for a Transaudio AM/FM set or $59 for the plain Transaudio radio alone. An adjustable steering wheel, at $46, required both automatic transmission and power steering to be ordered first, while a $5 crankcase vent system was specific to California cars.1
Overall length ran 203.4 in on sedans and hardtops with a shared 116.0-inch wheelbase, and shipping weight ran 3,220 lb for the Satellite hardtop against 3,325 lb for the convertible. Fifteen exterior colors were charted, from Gold and Black through Light Turquoise, Ruby, and Medium Tan, though no source states whether that list exhausts every color offered across the wider Belvedere line or only those specific to the Satellite, and none of the fifteen carries a metallic or premium-cost designation in the source consulted. No interior trim, performance figures, or engine-installation counts survive in the sources consulted for 1965, leaving production, prices, the five-engine lineup, options, paint, and these few specifications as the whole of what this record can document for the Satellite's debut year.1
Fact sheet · 1965 · United States
The numbers
1965 Plymouth Belvedere Satellite — The Belvedere became Plymouth's intermediate line, with the bucket-seat, V-8-only Satellite hardtop and convertible at the top and the 426 Street wedge as its hottest regular-production engine.
Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-22.
Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belvedere Satellite 2-door hardtop (R42)1 Satellite · 2-door hardtop · not stated | 23,341 | not stated (production table), model-year | Reported |
| Belvedere Satellite convertible (R45)1 Satellite · convertible · not stated | 1,860 | not stated (production table), model-year | Reported |
| Belvedere II 2-door hardtop (R32)1 Belvedere II · 2-door hardtop · not stated Six and V-8 combined. | 24,924 | not stated (production table), model-year | Reported |
| Belvedere II convertible (R35)1 Belvedere II · convertible · not stated Six and V-8 combined. | 1,921 | not stated (production table), model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belvedere Satellite model total1 Satellite · not stated | 25,201 | not stated (production table), model-year | Reported |
No documented count of 426 Street wedge or Hemi installations was found.
Prices when new
| Model | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Belvedere Satellite 2-door hardtop1 | $2,612 | factory price (list, per production table), 1965 model year |
| Belvedere Satellite convertible1 | $2,827 | factory price (list, per production table), 1965 model year |
Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| 273 V-81 273 cu in · 2-barrel | 180 hp @ 4,200, 260 lb-ft @ 1,600 (SAE gross) | standard in Satellite | Not yet sourced |
| 383 Golden Commando1 383 cu in · 4-barrel | 330 hp @ 4,600, 425 lb-ft @ 2,800 (SAE gross) | optional, $153 | Not yet sourced |
| 426 Street (wedge)1 426 cu in · 4-barrel | 365 hp @ 4,800, 470 lb-ft @ 3,200 (SAE gross) | optional, $515-$545 | Not yet sourced |
| 426 Hemi (single 4-bbl, NASCAR)1 426 cu in · single 4-barrel | 400 hp @ 5,600, 465 lb-ft @ 3,800 (SAE gross) | listed as not available to the general public | Not yet sourced |
| 426 Hemi (dual 4-bbl, acceleration)1 426 cu in · two 4-barrels | 425 hp @ 6,000, 480 lb-ft @ 4,600 (SAE gross) | listed as not available to the general public | Not yet sourced |
Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.
Transmissions
| Transmission | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Four-speed manual, floor shift1 | optional with 361, 383 and 426, $188 | Not yet sourced |
| TorqueFlite automatic1 | optional, $211 with V-8s other than the 273 | Not yet sourced |
Options and packages
| Code | Option | Price | Installed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
426 Street V-8, 365 hp1 | $515 | Not yet sourced |
|
Sure-Grip positive traction axle1 | $39 | Not yet sourced |
|
Tachometer (Satellite only)1 | $50 | Not yet sourced |
|
Air conditioning1 | $346 | Not yet sourced |
|
3-speed automatic transmission with V-8 other than 2731 | $211 | Not yet sourced |
|
4-speed manual floor shift with 361, 383 and 426 V-8s1 | $188 | Not yet sourced |
|
383 4-bbl 330 hp Commando V-81 | $153 | Not yet sourced |
|
426 415 hp single four-barrel Hemi V-8 (price range 1100-1150; includes transmission per fact sheet note)1 | $1,100 | Not yet sourced |
|
426 425 hp dual four-barrel Hemi V-8 (price range 1800-1850; includes transmission per fact sheet note)1 | $1,800 | Not yet sourced |
|
Crankcase vent system (California)1 | $5 | Not yet sourced |
|
Electric clock1 | $16 | Not yet sourced |
|
Bumper guards, front and rear1 | $31 | Not yet sourced |
|
Power brakes1 | $43 | Not yet sourced |
|
Power steering1 | $86 | Not yet sourced |
|
Four power windows1 | $102 | Not yet sourced |
|
Radio Group, Basic1 | $86 | Not yet sourced |
|
Transaudio AM/FM radio1 | $129 | Not yet sourced |
|
Transaudio radio1 | $59 | Not yet sourced |
|
Retractable seat belts, front and rear1 | $30 | Not yet sourced |
|
Adjustable steering wheel (automatic and power steering required)1 | $46 | Not yet sourced |
|
Tinted glass, all windows1 | $40 | Not yet sourced |
|
Tinted windshield1 | $22 | Not yet sourced |
Paint
| Code | Color | Built |
|---|---|---|
A |
Gold1 | Not yet sourced |
B |
Black1 | Not yet sourced |
C |
Light Blue1 | Not yet sourced |
D |
Medium Blue1 | Not yet sourced |
E |
Dark Blue1 | Not yet sourced |
H |
Copper1 | Not yet sourced |
J |
Light Turquoise1 | Not yet sourced |
K |
Medium Turquoise1 | Not yet sourced |
L |
Dark Turquoise1 | Not yet sourced |
P |
Ruby1 | Not yet sourced |
S |
Ivory1 | Not yet sourced |
T |
Medium Red1 | Not yet sourced |
W |
White1 | Not yet sourced |
X |
Light Tan1 | Not yet sourced |
Y |
Medium Tan1 | Not yet sourced |
Color names are the factory's. We don't show color swatches, because a screen color is no guide for a restoration.
Specifications
| Measure | Value | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase1 | 116 in | all |
| Overall length1 | 203.4 in | sedans and hardtops |
| Shipping weight, Satellite hardtop1 | 3,220 lb | R42 |
| Shipping weight, Satellite convertible1 | 3,325 lb | R45 |
Identification
- Series and body numbers
- Satellite series AR2-P; body R42 = hardtop, R45 = convertible.1
Identification
Read a 1965 Plymouth VIN
The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:
Same model year
Also in 1965
- Buick Riviera The Gran Sport arrived with the dual-quad Super Wildcat 425 and a 3.42 axle; 3,354 of 34,586 Rivieras had it.
- Buick Skylark Gran Sport, GS and GSX Buick's first Gran Sport was a Skylark option with the 401 'Wildcat' V-8 rated at 325 hp; a production tabulation counts 15,780.
- Buick Wildcat Second-generation B-body Wildcat on a 126-inch wheelbase in standard, Deluxe and Custom series; the 1965 total is disputed between published lineages.
- Chevrolet Chevelle and Malibu SS The Malibu SS continued with 327 options, and late in the year RPO Z16 put a 375 hp 396 into 201 Chevelles.
- Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova The 327 V8 appears in the source engine table; several body-style counts are unavailable. Enthusiast-compiled production: 122,800 cars; Super Sport 9,100.
- Chevrolet El Camino SS No factory Super Sport El Camino is documented for this year; the record carries the host El Camino production as context.
- Chevrolet Impala SS The record Super Sport year: 243,114 built, as the 409 gave way to the 396 mid-year.
- Chrysler 300 letter series The last letter car: a slab-sided restyle on a 124-inch wheelbase, one 360 hp 413, no cross-ram, and an illuminated grille medallion; 2,405 hardtops and 440 convertibles.
- Dodge Coronet R/T and Super Bee The 1965 performance Coronets were competition-only Race Hemi lightweights, not showroom muscle cars, and even their number is published two ways.
- Ford Fairlane A restyled small-block Fairlane whose performance ceiling was the 271-hp K-code 289 High Performance V8, offered with the Sports Coupe.
- Ford Falcon Sprint The last Sprint moved to the 289 V8 and a new V8 front suspension; the club records 2,806 hardtops and 300 convertibles.
- Ford Galaxie A new full-size body with the LTD added above the Galaxie 500 XL; the 427 continued in Q-code (410 hp) and R-code (425 hp) form.
- Ford Thunderbird A mild update of the 1964 body kept the 300-hp 390 as the standard engine; production fell to 74,972.
- Mercury Comet and Cyclone The Cyclone was the performance Comet hardtop: vinyl roof, chrome wheels, bucket seats and console, tachometer and a 225-hp 289 as standard.
- Mercury Marauder and S-55 The last year of the first Marauder generation: 74,590 Marauder-roof cars across Monterey, Montclair and Park Lane, per mercurystuff.com.
- Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds The 4-4-2 package moved to a 400 cu in V-8 rated at 345 hp, the name was reread as 400 cubes, 4-barrel, 2 exhausts, and production rose to 25,003.
- Oldsmobile Starfire A 425 V-8, Turbo Hydra-Matic and a rarely ordered four-speed; 15,260 built.
- Plymouth Barracuda and 'Cuda The first full-year Barracuda introduced the Formula S package and the 235-hp 273 Commando, and production reached 64,596.
- Pontiac Catalina 2+2 and Super Duty The 2+2 gained a standard 338 hp 421 and reached 11,521 cars, its best year.
- Pontiac GTO Ratings up to 335 and 360 hp, and GTO production more than doubling to 75,352.
- Pontiac Grand Prix New 121-inch body and a 333 hp standard 389; 57,881 built.
- Pontiac Tempest and LeMans The LeMans adds a four-door sedan and the four-barrel 326 is rated at 285 hp.
- Rambler and AMC Marlin AMC's six-passenger fastback, introduced in February 1965. Its best year was 10,327 cars.