1965 Pontiac GTO

Technically the GTO wasn't a separate model yet, but rather an option package on the midsize Pontiac Tempest, and 1965 was its second model year.

Cosmetically distinguished from the original '64 most readily by its vertically-stacked quad headlamps, the GTO's crisp lines blended right in to the mid-Sixties Pontiac lineup.

Unlike the two ornamental fake intakes on the previous model year, the 1965 had a single bulged scoop in the center of the hood. However its two chrome nostrils were similarly non-functional, although a dealer-installed cold air intake kit was available.

Pontiac called its acrylic lacquer paint "Magic Mirror" back in '65 and this Goat is finished in Starlight Black.

It was available as a convertible, a hardtop coupe (like the car in the photo) or a pillared sport coupe. The base engine was a four-barrel 389 cubic inch pushrod V-8 making a claimed 335 gross horsepower, with a triple deuce 360 horsepower Tri-Power 389 as a $115.78 option (that's $1,227 in 2026 dollars.)

The car came with a Hurst-shifted three-speed manual as standard, with optional four-speed manual (in either close- or wide-ratio flavors) and two-speed automatics.

Car Life tested a well-optioned 1965 hardtop coupe with the Tri-Power motor, four-speed manual, and 3.90:1 Safe-T-Track rear axle and clocked a 5.8 second sprint to sixty and a 14.5 quarter at 100mph. Fuel mileage in the 3,590-lb car during the test was in the 11-14mpg range and top speed was measured at 114.

Total price, all optioned up, was $3,579, which is about $38k in current bucks.

The one in the photo was snapped in August of 2026 using a Nikon Zfc and a Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

1965 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport

The 1965 model year debuted a whole new generation of full-size Chevrolets. Gone was the X-shaped frame, replaced with a conventional perimeter frame. Dubbed the "Girder Guard" frame by Chevy, this allowed a lower central transmission tunnel and floor.

The new Impala retained the iconic six round taillights of the outgoing fourth-generation cars, and gained almost three inches in length, although wheelbase remained largely unchanged (the new cars was actually a hairsbreadth shorter.)

Midway through the '65 model year the old W-series Turbo Thrust big block went away, replaced with the new 396 cubic inch Turbo-Jet V-8, which would provide the basic Chevy big block architecture through 1990.

While regular Impalas could be had in a variety of shapes, pillared and hardtop, coupe or sedan or convertible, the Impala Super Sport only came as a convertible or a hardtop Sport Coupe like the Mist Blue example in the photos. While boring people could order a Super Sport with any Impala powerplant, including the 140hp Turbo-Thrift 230cid inline six... we've seen '65 Impalas with 283 and 327 small blocks on these pages before ...the "396 Turbo-Jet" fender badges tell us this Impala is ready to party.

Most 396 Impalas had the hydraulic lifter 325hp version of the motor, but for maximum performance a solid-lifter 425 pony variant was available. Motor Trend tested a 325hp 396 backed by a three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic in a Caprice hardtop sedan. With a 3.08 rear end the big Chevy managed an 8.9 second time to sixty and a trip through the quarter in 16.7 at 85mph on the way to a top speed of 103.

The one in the pictures was photographed with a Canon EOS R5 and an RF 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 IS zoom lens in June of 2026.

1965 Buick Electra 225 Convertible

Buick was the second-tier brand in the General Motors "Ladder of Success" hierarchy, just behind Cadillac, and the Electra 225 was at the top of the Buick heap.

The Electra had been introduced in 1959 and was named after Texas socialite Electra Waggoner Biggs, sister-in-law of GM President Harlowe Curtice, replacing the Roadmaster nameplate as the flagship offering from Buick.

1965 marked the debut of the third generation of the Electra, available as a pillared sedan, two- or four-door hardtop, or a convertible, like the Bamboo Cream one in the photos here.

Several versions of the "Nailhead" Buick V-8 could be had, with the 401 cubic inch 325 horsepower motor as standard equipment. For more money, the buyer could opt for the 340 horsepower 425 cubic inch V-8 with a single four-barrel or a dual-quad 425 rated at 360 horses.

Buick advertised these engines by their torque output, calling them the Wildcat 445, Wildcat 465, and the Super Wildcat. All three were backed by the Super Turbine 400 three-speed automatic (Buick's house name for the TH400 Turbo Hydramatic.)

This example was photographed with a Sony a77 and a Sony Zeiss 16-8mm f/3.4-4.5 zoom lens in May of 2026.

1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible

1965 marked the first model year of the Corvair's second generation. While it retained the basic air-cooled, rear-engined flat six layout of the first generation, the styling was completely refreshed and way ahead of its time, with clean, attractive looks.

The lineup began with the fairly spartan Corvair 500, moved up through the Corvair Monza, and was crowned by the Corvair Corsa.

The middle-of-the-lineup Monza could be had as a hardtop coupe or sedan or as a convertible, like the Regal Red example in the photos.

Base engine in the Monza was the 95-horsepower version of the 2.7L Turbo-Air 164, with 110- and 140-horsepower versions available as options. The 140-horse version had four single-throat carbs and dual exhausts, and the car in the photos has a lone tailpipe, so it's got either the 95 or 110 pony motor. The fact that it has optional wire wheels with knock-off hubs and a four-on-the-floor would have me betting it's got the optional engine.

This one was photographed in May of 2026 using a Canon EOS R and an RF 70-200mm f/4L IS zoom lens. It had just sold at the Mecum auction.

1965 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Luxury Sedan

The 1965 catalog proclaimed that Oldsmobile was "The Rocket Action Car!" and it marked the eighth generation of the full-size Oldsmobiles, which had debuted originally as a 1941 model.

The Ninety-Eight was the larger and more luxurious version of the full-size Olds, riding on a 126" wheelbase, which was stretched a full three inches over that of the more demure 88.

For '65, the Ninety-Eight was available as the hardtop Holiday Sports Sedan, the pillared Luxury Sedan and Town Sedan, the hardtop Holiday Sports Coupe, or a convertible. 

The badge on the C-pillar marks this Provincial White example as a Luxury Sedan, which would have come standard with power windows, an illuminated vanity mirror for the rear seat, and other plush touches.

Under the hood, the standard powerplant was the 425 cubic inch Oldsmobile Super Rocket V-8 rated at 360 gross horsepower, with a 10.25:1 compression ratio necessitating premium fuel. Optionally, the buyer could get the 370hp 425 cube Starfire V-8. Either way the motor was backed with the three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic Drive automatic transmission. Contemporary tests tended to turn in 0-60 times in the mid nine second range.

This one was photographed in June of 2022 using a Nikon D7100 and an 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II zoom lens.

1965 Ford F100

The fourth generation of Ford's F-series pickup trucks were produced from the 1960 through the 1966 model years. The 1965 models, like the faded Light Turquoise F100 in the photo above, saw an entirely new frame slid under the existing body design, featuring a "Twin I-Beam" swing-axle front suspension in place of the previous solid axle. This basic chassis would remain in use through the '79 model year.

For '65, the F100 could be had with two flavors of inline six: a 150hp (SAE Gross) 240 cubic inch inline six, or a longer stroke 300cid version of the same motor rated at 170 horsepower. The V-8 badge on the hood indicates this one has the 208hp 352-cube "FE"-series big block V-8, which was the most powerful engine that had been offered in an F-series truck up to that time.

This one was photographed using a Canon EOS-1D Mark III and an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens in April of 2024.

1965 Ford Mustang

The 1965 model year, which went into production in August of '64, marked the first full year of production for the Ford Mustang and the slogan was Total Performance.

The base engine gained thirty cubes, as the 200 cubic inch Thriftpower OHV inline six replaced the 170 cubic inch version, bumping horsepower by fifteen, to 120 SAE gross. Gone was the 260 cubic inch Fairlane V-8, replaced as the entry level eight cylinder by a 200hp two-barrel Challenger 289 cube small block.

Performance options were two different four-barrel 289 small blocks: The 225hp Challenger Special or the 271hp "K-code" Challenger High Performance V-8 with solid lifters and a 10.5:1 compression ratio. All engines except the Hi-Po 289 could be had with three- or four-speed manuals or the three-speed Cruise-O-Matic. The K-code came only with the four-on-the-floor.

Also new for '65 were an alternator to replace the generator found on the '64½ cars, and optional front disc brakes. The fastback 2+2 body style also appeared this year. The Wimbledon White hardtop coupe in the photos has tri-bar fender emblems with the "289" at the top, but no 289 "V" badge up by the nose, so it's hard to be sure what was originally going on under the hood.

Car Life tested a coupe with the 225hp Challenger Special 289 and Cruise-O-Matic and managed an 8.5 second zero-to-sixty time with a 16.8 second quarter mile run at 84 mph on the way to a top speed of a buck ten. Price as tested was $3,152 in 1965 dollars, or about $32,275 in 2025 money.

The one in the pics was snapped with a Nikon D7100 and a 16-80mm f/2.8-4E zoom lens in June of 2022.

1965 Chrysler 300L

The "letter series" Chrysler 300 began as a high performance coupe spinoff of the New Yorker in the mid 1950s. From the 1962 model year on, the 300 badge was used as a line of sporty coupes and sedans from Chrysler with the letter series continuing as a limited production performance version. Sometimes called "The Banker's Hot Rod", the letter series Chrysler 300s were expensive, exclusive, and had explosive performance by the standards of the day.

The 1965 model year saw all the Chryslers get a serious restyling, and the 300 was no exception. Period ad copy described the 300 as "The sports-bred Chrysler. A brawling, hustling brute of a car with a heritage ten years deep."

The Formal Black '65 300L in the photos represents the last of the letter series cars, since plans for a '66 300M never materialized.

The 300L came with bucket seats split by a center console and a heap of luxury options as standard equipment.

For 1965 the only engine option was the 413 cubic inch "Golden Lion" Chrysler V8 with a single 4bbl, 10.1:1 compression, and dual exhaust, rated at 360 SAE gross bhp. The standard transmission was a 3-speed Torqueflite automatic, and the Hurst-shifted 4-speed manual, like the one in this car, was a no-cost option. The cars came with a 3.23:1 final drive ratio standard.

Only 2,845 examples of the Chrysler 300L were produced for '65, and only 108 had the four-speed transmission, making the car in the picture a rarity among rarities.

Motor Trend tested a 300L with the automatic and recorded an 8.8 second zero-to-sixty run and a 17.3 quarter mile at 82 miles per hour. Top speed was noted at 106 and the 4-wheel power drum brakes took 176 feet to haul the 4,660 pound test car to a stop from sixty. Price as tested was $5,931, or just short of sixty grand in today's money.

This one was snapped while parked with an Olympus E-5 and a Zuiko Digital 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II zoom lens in October of 2022. The picture in motion was taken in November of 2023 using a Canon EOS-1D Mark III and an EF 28-70mm f/2.8L zoom lens.

1965 Plymouth Belvedere II

The Belvedere nameplate first arrived in 1951 as a name for the hardtop coupe version of the Plymouth Cranbrook, a response to Chevy's Bel Air and Ford's Victoria, both of which had launched the previous year. For '54 it replaced the Cranbrook as the name for all full-size Plymouths.

For the next decade or so, it was used as a trim level designation for full-size Plymouths, initially for the top-of-the-line model, above the Plaza, but then as the second tier behind the Fury.

The Fury and Belvedere nameplates parted ways for good in 1965, with the Fury growing back to a proper full-size car on a 119" wheelbase and the Belvedere badge continuing on the 116" wheelbase as the midsize offering from Plymouth.

The Belvedere could be had as the el-strippo Belvedere I and the top-shelf Satellite, with the mid-tier Belvedere II between them.

The Belvedere II came in several body styles: wagon, pillared sedan, convertible, or as a hardtop coupe like the Dark Blue Metallic one in the photos.

The base engine would have been the classic 225 cubic inch Mopar Slant Six inline making 145 horsepower, or the 180 horse 273 LA V-8. Optional was the 2-barrel 318 V-8 rated at 230 SAE gross horsepower.

The Commando V8 badging on the front fenders tells us that this car has one of the sportier optional engines. There was the 2-barrel Commando 361 V-8, with an output of 265 horses, as well as the 4-barrel High Performance Commando 383, which put out 330 horses. Last came two versions of the 426 "Wedge" big block V-8: The High Performance Commando, which had a 4-barrel carb, a 10.3:1 compression ratio, unsilenced air cleaner, and 365 ponies, or the Super Commando 426 which is only referenced in the sales brochure with a note of "Not recommended for general highway driving. Full specifications available from your Plymouth dealer on request."

These photos were snapped with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II and an EF 28-70mm f/2.8L zoom lens in October of 2020.

1965 Ford Galaxie 500 Convertible

Just as the full-size Chevy of the era had three tiers of plushness, from Biscayne to Bel Air to Impala, its 1965 competitor at Ford had the Galaxie 500, the Galaxie 500 XL, and the Galaxie 500 LTD. (Ford also had the spartan, fleet-oriented Custom and Custom 500, which were only available as pillared two- and four-door sedans.)

We've seen a '65 Galaxie 500 XL convertible on this blog before. Even though the badges have been removed from this Silver Blue ragtop, the placement of the mounting holes reveals it to have been a base Galaxie 500.

The badges low on the front fenders, though, indicate it didn't have the base 240 cubic inch inline-six or the 289 Challenger V-8. Those badges came with the Thunderbird big block V-8s, in either the 352, 390, or 427 size. These gave a wide range of power outputs, from the two-barrel 250 hp 352 through the 300 horsepower 390 four-barrel to the dual-quad 427 horse big block thumping out 425 SAE gross horses.

This one was photographed in October of 2020 using a Nikon D700 and a 24-85mm f/2.8-4D zoom lens.

1965 Volvo 122S Wagon

The five-door station wagon version of Volvo's 122S (sold elsewhere as the Amazon) debuted on our shores as a 1963 model.

It was powered by Volvo's 1.8L overhead valve inline four, with a pair of sidedraft SU carbs and an 8.5:1 compression ratio, producing 90 SAE gross horsepower. Transmission choices were initially either a 3-speed or 4-speed manual gearbox, although starting in 1967 the Borg-Warner BW35 three-speed auto, previously only available in the sedans, was offered in the wagon, too.

The front-engine, rear-wheel-drive Volvo 122S was no bolt of lightning. Road & Track tested a 1966 122S sedan with the Borg-Warner slushbox and recorded a zero-to-sixty time of 15.8 seconds and a 20.6 second elapsed time in the quarter mile with a trap speed of 67 miles per hour, with the car eventually wheezing all the way to 90mph. But they were way ahead of their time in occupant safety, build quality, and features like standard front disc brakes at a time when those were still bordering on racing exotica.

The tailgate was a clever two-piece arrangement. The glass hatch folded upward while the tailgate itself folded down. If you were carrying an oversized load, the license plate holder was hinged along the top edge so that it could be folded down to where it was visible with the tailgate lowered.

Base price on a Volvo 122S wagon for '65 was $2,860, which is just shy of $28,000 in current dollars.

This one was photographed in July of 2024 using a Nikon D700 and 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G zoom lens.

1965 Chevrolet Impala Convertible

While Super Sports, like the '65 Crocus Yellow L30 hardtop we saw back in August, get all the attention, a regular 1965 Impala is nothing to sneeze at, either.

'65 was the first model year of the Impala's fourth generation. It saw the car move from the old X-shaped frame to a new perimeter frame structure to aid in achieving those Sixties Detroit goals of Longer, Lower, and Wider.

The fender badges tell us that popping the hood would reveal a Turbo-Fire 283 cubic inch small-block V-8. Rated at 195 SAE gross horsepower, it featured a Rochester 2-barrel carb and a 9.25:1 compression ratio. It was no rocket, but it was definitely up to some chill top-down cruising in your 3,765 pound boulevardier.

This super clean Regal Red example was photographed with a Nikon D7100 and 16-80mm f/2.8-4E VR zoom lens in April of 2022.

1965 Ford Mustang 2+2 GT

The Falcon-based Mustang that inaugurated the sporty compact genre named after it, "pony cars", was initially offered as a notchback coupe and a convertible. Those two body styles were joined in its first full model year of production by a fastback coupe that Ford called the "2+2". 

That designation can be seen on the fender badges of the Raven Black 1965 2+2 GT parked on College Avenue in the SoBro neighborhood of Indianapolis back in early April of 2018.

The arrangement of bars surrounding the "corralled pony" on the grille mark it as a GT, and specifically a '65, as the 1966 grille lacked the vertical bars in the center. Amber fog lights were apparently less common than clear ones. This one lacks the rocker stripes usually found on GTs, but some came without them and some owners removed theirs. The rear valance with exhaust cutouts and the grille lead me to believe it's a real GT and not a base fastback LARPing as one.

The GT only came with a choice of 3- or 4-speed manual transmissions. Under the hood was either an "A-code" 225 horsepower 289 4-barrel Challenger V-8 or the "K-code" HiPo 289 Challenger rated at 271 SAE gross horsepower.

The K-code motor had numerous differences, from the special crankshaft and harmonic balancer all the way up to the un-silenced air cleaner. It had a bigger carb, hotter cam, solid lifters, and a 10.5:1 compression ratio and a host of little details garnered from Ford racing motors of the era.

Car and Driver tested a '65 fastback with the K-code motor and four-speed and reported a 0-60 time of 5.2 seconds and a blistering quarter mile run of 14.0 seconds at 100mph through the traps.

While this may sound sus, it was running on sticky (for the time) optional 15" semi-race rubber and, more importantly, swinging a set of 4.11:1 gears in the diff. While a 4.11 rear end would make for extremely unpleasant cruising at anything much over 50mph, it'd launch that thing like an F-18 Hornet off a steam catapult.

The photo above was taken with an Olympus OM-D E-M5 and an M. Zuiko Digital 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO zoom lens.

1965 Ford Galaxie 500 XL Convertible

1965 saw the debut of an all-new Galaxie at Ford. It had much more sharply-creased styling and vertically-stacked quad headlights.

It was available as a two-door coupe or convertible, as well as pillared or hardtop sedan, with each version coming in several levels of trim. In 1965 you could get your Galaxie 500 converible in either the regular flavor or the more bling-y Galaxie 500 XL form. The badges on the rear fenders of this '65 ragtop in Vintage Burgundy tell us it's an XL.

The base motor in an XL convertible was the then-new 289 2-barrel small block V-8, called the "Challenger" in Ford ad copy and rated at 200 SAE gross horsepower. The next step up was the 250-horsepower 4-barrel Thunderbird 352 cubic inch FE big block V-8. Power-hungry buyers could opt for the 300 horsepower 390 or the 425 horse 427 "side-oiler" big block.

The smaller two engines only came with the 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic slushbox, while the 390 could be had with an auto or a four-on-the-floor, and the hairy 7 Liter only came with the manual.

While the car magazines of the time all focused on the wild-eyed 427 monsters, the majority of Galaxie XL ragtops had the base motor or, like this one, the 352 FE mill.

This one was photographed with a Canon EOS-1D Mark III and an EF 28-70mm f/2.8L zoom lens in July of 2022.

1965 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport

Check out this immaculate 1965 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport coupe parked out in front of Good Morning Mama's on 54th Street while its owner was inside enjoying a delicious brunch.

In Crocus Yellow with a black vinyl roof, this thing sure is a looker. While the late third generation "six-four" Impalas get all the love, I think the more flowing lines of the early fourth gen cars make them the best looking Impala SS of them all. That sloped rear window blending into the sculpted rear fenders is an aesthetic improvement over the more vertical rear window on the '64.

Despite what you might think, not all Impala SS's came with V-8s. The base motor on the 1965 Super Sport was the 140 horsepower 230 cubic inch "Turbo-Thrift" inline six. Next up on the option list was the 2bbl L77 283cid V-8, rated at 220bhp.

The "327" fender badges and single exhaust outlet tell us that the buyer of this car sprang the ninety-five bucks for option L30: which was Chevy's 327 cubic inch "Turbo-Fire" V-8 with a 4-barrel Carter WCFB carburetor and 10.5:1 compression ratio for a rated output of 250 SAE gross horsepower. (For $138, they could have gotten the higher-compression dual-exhaust 300bhp L74 327.)

Car Life magazine road tested a '65 Impala SS coupe with the L30 327 and a 2-speed Powerglide and measured a 0-60 time of 9.8 seconds and a 17.8 second quarter with a trap speed of 81 mph. Top speed was clocked at 107.

Dig those groovy taillights!

These pictures were snapped in March of 2024 using a Nikon D700 & 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G zoom lens.