The Chevrolet Caprice and Caprice Classic were full-sized automobiles produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors in the United States and Canada from 1965 through 1996 model years and in Mexico from 1977 through 1983.
Throughout its life, the Caprice was the most expensive and luxurious model in the Chevrolet full-size car range, which during its lifetime also included the Biscayne, Bel Air and Impala. Its exit without replacement after the 1996 model year would leave the Ford Crown Victoria as the only traditional full-size American sedan.
1965-68
The Caprice began life in mid-1965 as a luxury trim package for the Impala four-door hardtop sedan, in response to the successful Ford LTD series. This included a stiffer suspension, higher-grade cloth and vinyl seat and door trim (as well as thicker, higher-grade carpeting), walnut trim on the dashboard and door panels, pull straps on the doors, extra convenience lights, special full wheel covers and an optional vinyl top. The name for the Chevrolet Caprice was coined by Bob Lund (Chevrolet's General Sales Manager) after a classy restaurant he frequented in New York City. However, some say the Caprice was named after Caprice Chapman, daughter of auto executive and influential Indy-car official James P. Chapman.
The Caprice was very well received during its abbreviated first year in 1965. For 1966, the Caprice was expanded into a full top-line series to also include a two-door hardtop with a squared-off formal roofline (in contrast to the Impala/SS coupe's fastback roof) and a station wagon with simulated wood exterior trim – the first Chevy "woody" wagon since 1954. A V8 engine was installed in every Caprice. While features such as an automatic transmission, power steering, white sidewall tires, and vinyl top were extra-cost options, virtually every Caprice was sold with them. It is interesting to note, however, that a few Caprices were ordered with the optional 4-speed manual transmission, few or no power accessories, and the 425 hp (317 kW) 427 cubic-inch Turbo Jet V8. However most customers frequently ordered more civilized, but still powerful V8 engines such as the 325 hp (242 kW) 396 cubic-inch Turbo Jet V8 to handle multitudes of luxury options such as air conditioning, power windows, Cruise-Master speed control, power seats and stereo radios; several automotive history books noted that a fully-optioned Caprice rivaled the appearance, comfort and convenience of the Cadillac DeVille (which ironically was based on the Caprice and other B-body GM cars, but on a larger and more expensive C-body).
The 1966 Caprice received only minor detail changes from its 1965 predecessor that included a revised grille and new rectangular taillights which replaced the Chevrolet-traditional triple round tailights used in full-sized cars each year since 1958 with the exception of the bat-winged '59 model. New options for 1966 included the automatic "Comfortron" air conditioning system on which the driver could set a constant year-round temperature reading and a "Tilt and Telescopic" steering wheel that could be adjusted vertically in six positions as well as be telescoped further out from the steering column for improved driver comfort.
The Caprice sedan and coupe came standard with a luxurious cloth and vinyl bench seats with a folding center armrest in the rear seat. Optional on both models was a Strato bench seat which combined bucket-style seatbacks and center armrest with a bench cushion for six-passenger seating. Coupes could also be ordered with an all-vinyl interior featuring Strato bucket seats and center console with floor shifter, storage compartment, courtesy lighting and full instrumentation at the front end of the console that was integrated with the lower instrument panel – in essence a more luxurious Impala SS in a formal-roofed bodyshell. Station wagons featured an all-vinyl bench seat interior.
The 1967 Caprice received a heavier restyling with more rounded bodylines along with revised grilles and taillights, optional front fender corner lamps which illuminated with the headlamps and a revised instrument panel with round instruments along with a new steering wheel. Also new this year was a dual-master brake cylinder along with optional front disc brakes, with other new options including a stereo 8-track tape player, power door locks and a fiber optics monitoring system. The same seating selections continued as before with revisions to trim patterns plus the new addition of all-vinyl upholstery as a no-cost option for conventional and Strato bench seats in sedans and coupes. Engines/transmission offerings were a carryover from 1966 except that the 425 hp (317 kW) 427 cubic-inch Turbo Jet V8 was no longer listed on the option list, leaving the 385 hp (287 kW) 427 as the top power offering. Also the three-speed Turbo Hydramatic transmission previously only offered with the 396 and 427 cubic-inch V8s was now available with the 275 hp (205 kW) 327 cubic-inch Turbo Fire V8.
A minor facelift was made on the 1968 Caprice that included a new grille with taillights set into the bumper and optional hidden headlamps, along with ventless front windows on coupes. Federally-mandated side marker lamps became standard on all US cars that year; the Caprice carried over the optional white corner marker lamps at the forward edge of the fenders in addition to the now-required amber parking lights which were illuminated with the headlights. Also, a new 307 cubic-inch Turbo Fire V8 rated at 200 hp (150 kW) replaced the 195 hp (145 kW) 283 small block as the standard engine. Inside, the instrument panel was revised with a return to the horizontal sweep speedometer and a revised three-spoke steering wheel. The horizontal sweep speedometer made adding an optional instrument cluster as was found on the Super Sport models a difficult proposition; this was solved by narrowing the speedometer within its opening and flanking it with engine-turned instruments in the place of warning lights. The fuel gauge, placed next to the speedometer within its own pod in the base models, was moved to its new place next to the speedometer. A tachometer took the place of the fuel gauge in the large opening left by the fuel gauge.