Chevrolet Caprice

The Chevrolet Caprice first stood on its own as a Chevy nameplate for the 1986 model year and would come to identify more than a decade's worth of traditional full-size Chevrolet cars.

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The Chevrolet Caprice delivered affordable luxury. The
1986 Caprice sedan is pictured above. See more
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This article chronicles the years in which Caprice was the singular big Chevy and gained distinction as one of the few old-style body-on-frame full-size cars still made in America.

In reality, these Caprices were extensions of the big-Chevy design that had debuted for 1977. These cars variously wore Impala, Caprice, and Caprice Classic badging, and you can learn about many of them by checking out our Chevrolet Impala article.

In the pages of this article, you'll discover how the Chevrolet Caprice proudly upheld a Chevy tradition, offering a wide range of trim and equipment, from a workaday V-6 sedan to the luxurious and grandly named Caprice Classic LS Brougham.

The Caprice was among the last body-on-frame big cars.
This is a 1996 Caprice.

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1986 Chevrolet Caprice

The 1986 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Sedan
offered luxury style at a low price.

The 1986 Chevrolet Caprice was the model to finally unseat the Chevrolet Impala. First appearing in 1958, the Impala nameplate finally bit the dust in 1986. Once the top series in the full-size Chevy line, it had been overshadowed by the Caprice for the previous two decades and was finally retired.

Taking its place was a base Caprice sedan, topped by a Caprice Classic coupe, sedan, and wagon, which, in turn, were topped by a new Caprice Classic Brougham sedan. The last was a plushly equipped model added to appeal to fans of the old rear-drive Buick LeSabre and Oldsmobile Delta 88, which had switched to a smaller front-wheel-drive platform for '86.

Standard power for coupes and sedans came from the 4.3-liter V-6 introduced for '85, now rated at 140 horsepower, up 10 from before. Optional on those bodies and standard on wagons was the 165-horsepower 5.0-liter V-8 that had long been a Caprice mainstay.

The V-6 came only with a three-speed automatic transmission, while the V-8 came only with a four-speed automatic. Dropped for '86 was the unpopular -- and unreliable -- 5.7-liter diesel.

Even the base Caprice now topped $10,000, while the new Caprice Classic Brougham listed at $11,429. Still, sales continued to impress, holding fairly steady at just over 245,000.

Despite higher prices in 1986,
the Chevrolet Caprice Classic Sedan still sold well.

1986 Chevrolet Caprice Facts

Model	Weight range (lbs.)	Price range (new)	Number built
Caprice	3,535-4,095 (approx.)	$10,243-$11,819 (approx.)	245,012

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1987 Chevrolet Caprice

The 1987 Chevrolet Caprice Classic
Brougham LS Sedan got only minor tweaks.

The 1987 Chevrolet Caprice marked the 11th year since the full-size Chevy had enjoyed its new "downsized" design, but the big car continued as popular as ever.

Though a good chunk of production went into police and taxicab service, there were still plenty of buyers who equated size and weight with value and safety. But these cars really were big inside as well and provided higher towing limits than most front-drive rivals.

A very mild facelift graced the Caprice this year, consisting only of new composite headlights and the return of a stand-up hood ornament.

Minor internal engine modifications, including roller valve lifters, boosted horsepower of the 5.0-liter V-8 to 170, up five from before. The 4.3-liter V-6 stayed the same at 140 horsepower. Newly optional for wagons was a low-compression Oldsmobile 5.0-liter V-8 that put out 140 horsepower.

A three-speed automatic was the only transmission offered with the V-6, while a four-speed automatic was the sole offering with the V-8s.

As if the top-line Caprice Classic Brougham sedan didn't already include enough adjectives in its name, a new Caprice Classic Brougham LS sedan took over top honors for 1987. The base Caprice line added a wagon to the existing sedan, and the Caprice Classic continued in coupe, sedan, and wagon form.

Caprice got a small power hike for 1987.
This is a Caprice Classic Brougham LS.

1987 Chevrolet Caprice Facts

Model	Weight range (lbs.)	Price range (new)	Number built
Caprice	3,510-4,125	$10,995-$14,245	228,500

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Consumer Guide Used Car Search: In the market for a used Chevy or virtually any other pre-owned vehicle? Check out these reports, which include safety recalls and trouble spots.

1988, 1989 Chevrolet Caprice

1988 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Brougham LS Sedan

The Chevrolet Caprice Classic Brougham LS Sedan was stylish yet pricey.

While the Chevrolet Caprice style endured in 1988 and 1989, Chevy's full-size coupe, which had been dumped after '82 and brought back for '84, was dumped again for '88 -- this time, for good.

Although Caprice sales as a whole had remained fairly steady during that period, the coupe was garnering fewer and fewer orders, and after building only 3,110 two-doors in '87, the body style was considered obsolete.

The demise of the coupe left a sedan, offered in Caprice, Caprice Classic, Caprice Classic Brougham, and Caprice Classic Brougham LS trim levels; and a wagon, offered in a single Caprice Classic version. A base sedan now tipped the price scale at over $12,000, and a loaded Brougham LS could top $18,000, yet they were still considered reasonably priced for the size and luxury they offered.

Base engine on all sedans was again a 140-horsepower 4.3-liter V-6 with throttle-body fuel injection, while the wagon got a carbureted 140-horsepower 5.0-liter V-8 built by Oldsmobile. Optional on sedans was a 170-horsepower carbureted 5.0-liter Chevy V-8. All came only with a four-speed automatic transmission.

Little changed in the Caprice line for 1989, but as a sure sign that fuel economy was no longer a major concern, a six-cylinder engine wasn't offered in the full-size Chevy for the first time since 1976.

And in a belated concession to 1980's technology, the 5.0-liter Chevy-built V-8 that was now standard in Caprice sedans wore throttle-body fuel injection rather than a carburetor, though rated power stayed the same at 170 horsepower. A holdout in this regard was the wagon, which still carried an Olds-built 5.0-liter V-8 with a four-barrel carburetor.

Air conditioning was now standard equipment on all Caprices, as were rear shoulder belts. Despite a hefty price increase, sales didn't seem to suffer; in fact, they actually went up some, to just over 197,000.

The only Caprice wagon offered for 1989
was this Chevrolet Caprice Estate.

1988 and 1989 Chevrolet Caprice Facts

Model	Weight range (lbs.)	Price range (new)	Number built
1988 Caprice	3,540-4,158	$12,030-$15,260	189,108
1989 Caprice	3,693-4,192 (approx.)	$13,865-$16,835	197,000 (approx.)

For more picture-packed articles about Chevys and other great cars, see:

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Consumer Guide Automotive: Here's your source for news, reviews, prices, fuel-economy and safety information on today's cars, minivans, SUVs, and pickups.
Consumer Guide Used Car Search: In the market for a used Chevy or virtually any other pre-owned vehicle? Check out these reports, which include safety recalls and trouble spots.

1990 Chevrolet Caprice

This 1990 Classic Brougham would be
the last boxy, angled Chevrolet Caprice.

In its final year in this form, the 1990 Chevrolet Caprice carried over with very minor changes. It continued with one Classic wagon and four sedan versions: base, Classic, Classic Brougham, and Classic Brougham LS.

Powertrains also remained the same. Sedans carried a 5.0-liter V-8 with throttle-body fuel injection and 170 horsepower, while wagons got an Olds-built 5.0-liter V-8 with four-barrel carburetor and 140 horsepower. Both engines mated only to a four-speed automatic transmission.

Since its last redesign way back in 1977, the Caprice received little more than minor year-to-year updates. Through the end of the Seventies it generated tremendous volume, right up until the second oil embargo forced big-car sales to plummet.

Yet from 1980 on, the Caprice maintained a fairly steady 200,000-unit annual clip, generating some of the most consistent sales figures in the company, if not the industry. Not until word spread of an impending replacement did its popularity wane, 1990 sales falling to about 110,000.

Though the next generation would arrive with more modern, rounded lines, not everyone liked the change. To the end of its days, the "three box" Caprice had its fans, and not just among police and taxi fleets.

Also on its way out in 1990 was
the Chevrolet Caprice Classic Wagon.

1990 Chevrolet Caprice Facts

Model	Weight range (lbs.)	Price range (new)	Number built
Caprice	3,803-4,324	$14,525-$16,325	109,528 (approx.)

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Consumer Guide Used Car Search: In the market for a used Chevy or virtually any other pre-owned vehicle? Check out these reports, which include safety recalls and trouble spots.

1991 Chevrolet Caprice

The re-styled 1991 Chevrolet Caprice Classic LTZ
drew mixed reviews.

The 1991 Chevrolet Caprice, one of the last traditional large American cars with rear-wheel drive and body-on-frame construction, was restyled for the new year's models, its first major appearance change in 14 years. Both a four-door sedan and five-door wagon returned, but model choices were initially trimmed to a base wagon and just two sedans: base and Classic.

Later in the year, a sportier LTZ sedan was added. Though riding the same basic chassis used since being "downsized" for 1977, the '91 Caprices sported a more aerodynamic profile.

Wheelbase remained at 115.9 inches, but the rounded bodies gained two inches in both length and width, along with 200 pounds of added heft. The wagon stretched three inches longer than the sedan and weighed nearly a quarter-ton more, tipping the scales at a titanic 4,354 pounds.

Inside, a new dashboard sat behind a driver-side air bag, and three-point seatbelts were added for outboard rear-seat occupants. Under the skin, anti-lock brakes were now standard, but the powertrain carried over from before: a 170-horsepower throttle-body-injected 5.0-liter V-8 matched to a four-speed automatic transmission.

Base price of the sedan rose by nearly $2,000 to $16,515, but that included such items as the air bag and anti-lock brakes that weren't offered in the old car. Caprice production rebounded to about 217,000, but the recovery would prove to be short-lived.

This 1991 Chevrolet Caprice Classic
shows off the model's new, rounded style.

1991 Chevrolet Caprice Facts

Model	Weight range (lbs.)	Price range (new)	Number built
Caprice	3,907-4,354	$16,515-$18,470	217,461

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Consumer Guide Used Car Search: In the market for a used Chevy or virtually any other pre-owned vehicle? Check out these reports, which include safety recalls and trouble spots.

1992 Chevrolet Caprice

The 1992 Chevrolet Caprice Classic featured
small improvements but sold poorly.

After its 1991 redesign that gave it more rounded styling, the Chevrolet Caprice entered 1992 with only minor changes, though it added a larger V-8 option for its station wagon model. Four-door sedans returned in base, Classic, and sporty LTZ trim, the last being introduced during the 1992 model year.

Though "sporty" and "Caprice" would seem to be mutually exclusive terms, the LTZ package's stiffer suspension, heavy-duty brakes, limited-slip axle, and 235/70VR15 Goodyear Eagle GA tires improved road manners to the point that the LTZ garnered a first-place finish in Motor Trend's annual Car of the Year competition.

Sadly missing from the LTZ's equipment list was the new 180-horsepower 5.7-liter V-8 that was added as an option for 1992 -- but only for station wagons. Others had to make do with the 170-horsepower 5.0-liter V-8 that had been around for years.

All Caprices received a new speedometer that read to 100 mph (formerly it stopped at 80), standard tilt wheel, transmission shift interlock (requiring that the brake pedal be applied before shifting into Drive), and a low- oil sensor.

Inexplicably, Caprice production took a nosedive in 1992, falling from about 217,000 to less than 117,000. Thus began a slide that would later spell doom for the big cruiser, one of the last of the old-time rear-drive body-on-frame behemoths of yore.

The 1992 Chevrolet Caprice Wagon was
feeling its age, despite new styling.

1992 Chevrolet Caprice Facts

Model	Weight range (lbs.)	Price range (new)	Number built
Caprice	3,907-4,354	$17,300-$19,300	116,779

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Consumer Guide Used Car Search: In the market for a used Chevy or virtually any other pre-owned vehicle? Check out these reports, which include safety recalls and trouble spots.

1993 Chevrolet Caprice

The 1993 Chevrolet Caprice Classic LT
was popular as a police car and taxi.

Only two years after its major 1991 restyling, the 1993 Chevrolet Caprice came in for some changes in the looks department. In response to criticisms of its bulbous appearance, the Caprice's rear wheel wells were opened up with radiused cutouts, which also allowed a 1.6-inch-wider rear track. Some trim between the taillights was also changed, and the combined affect did make the Caprice look lighter.

As with the previous generation, Chevrolet juggled trim levels, adding a new upscale model to the line. Caprice now denoted the wagon, Caprice Classic the base sedan, and Caprice Classic LS -- the new flagship sedan.

The sporty LTZ package returned, bringing with it the larger 180-horsepower 5.7-liter V-8 that had been a wagon-only option in '92. That engine continued as a option on wagons in '93, while the base engine remained a 170-horsepower 5.0-liter V-8. As before, a four-speed automatic was the only transmission offered.

Despite the improvements, Caprice production slid from nearly 117,000 in '92 to less than 100,000 for '93. It was still popular among police and taxi fleets, but most retail buyers had switched over to smaller, lighter, more efficient front-drive models.

Despite a redesign for 1993,
Chevrolet Caprice Classic sales continued to fall.

1993 Chevrolet Caprice Facts

Model	Weight range (lbs.)	Price range (new)	Number built
Caprice	3,995-4,471	$17,995-$19,575	99,974

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1994 Chevrolet Caprice

The 1994 Chevrolet Caprice got a standard
passenger airbag. This is an LS model.

The 1994 Chevrolet Caprice was overshadowed by the revival of the Chevrolet Impala SS, but continued to be a stout seller for Chevrolet.

The 1994 Chevrolet Caprice was available as a sedan in base Caprice Classic and Caprice Classic LS trim and as the Caprice Classic wagon. These models attracted more buyers than the Impala SS, even if they didn't attract as many headlines. That was understandable. The Impala SS had a bad-boy muscle-car look with big tires, five-spoke alloy wheels, blackout trim, and a lowered suspension.

The Caprice Classics retained a conservative look, and continued to supply taxi and law-enforcement fleets with the reliable, rear-wheel drive, body-on-frame kind of car upon which they had come to rely.

Significantly, the Corvette-derived 260-horsepower 5.7-liter V-8 that was standard on the Impala SS was also newly available for any Caprice as a $325 option. It ran on regular gas and had 80 more horsepower than the previous 5.7-liter V-8 offered in Chevy's full-size line.

Standard engine for the 1994 Chevrolet Caprice Classic was a new 4.3-liter V-8 producing 200 horsepower. It replaced a 170-horsepower 5.0-liter V-8 as the standard Caprice engine. Regardless of engine, the only transmission offered was a four-speed automatic.

Every 1994 Chevrolet Caprice benefited from the addition of a standard passenger-side air bag. That prompted a redesigned dashboard. It had a digital speedometer and analog auxiliary gauges housed in one rectangular pod, and radio/climate controls in another. Also, the standard air conditioning now used CFC-free refrigerant.

The 1994 Chevrolet Caprice retained
a conservative look, but got new engines.

1994 Chevrolet Caprice Facts

Model	Weight range (lbs.)	Price range (new)	Number built
Caprice	4,036-4,541	$18,995-$22,495	104,724

For more picture-packed articles about Chevys and other great cars, see:

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Consumer Guide Used Car Search: In the market for a used Chevy or virtually any other pre-owned vehicle? Check out these reports, which include safety recalls and trouble spots.

1995 Chevrolet Caprice

The 1995 Chevrolet Caprice got
an Impala SS-inspired rear roof pillar.

The 1995 Chevrolet Caprice got, influenced by the Impala SS that debuted during the 1994 model year, adopted "dog leg" rear roof pillars. It also gained some Special Value models that made the previous year's California-only value-priced models a nationwide commodity.

Otherwise, Chevy's big rear-drive full-frame sedans and wagons carried on with only minor changes, most of them to the interior. Seats were reshaped, and new premium cassette and CD players offered speed-compensated volume control, which automatically increased radio volume to compensate for increased ambient noise levels.

Two Caprice body styles were again offered, a sedan seating six, and a wagon that could accommodate up to eight with its standard rear-facing third bench seat.

Sedans came in a single Classic trim level, but there were a total of four versions after counting the base model and three Special Value editions. The wagon came only in base and one Special Value variant.

Standard on both the sedan and wagon was again a 200-horsepower 4.3-liter V-8, with the 260-horsepower LT1 5.7-liter V-8 optional. Both engines came only with a four-speed automatic transmission.

The 1995 Chevrolet Caprice wagon offered
lots of space at a reasonable price.

1995 Chevrolet Caprice Facts

Model	Weight range (lbs.)	Price range (new)	Number built
Caprice	4,061-4,473	$20,310-$22,840	NA

For more picture-packed articles about Chevys and other great cars, see:

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Consumer Guide Automotive: Here's your source for news, reviews, prices, fuel-economy and safety information on today's cars, minivans, SUVs, and pickups.
Consumer Guide Used Car Search: In the market for a used Chevy or virtually any other pre-owned vehicle? Check out these reports, which include safety recalls and trouble spots.

1996 Chevrolet Caprice

The 1996 Chevrolet Caprice brought down
the curtain on the Caprice nameplate.

The 1996 Chevrolet Caprice was the 30th anniversary of the flagship sedan, and sadly, its final appearance. Originally the name of an option package for the 1965 Chevrolet Impala, the Caprice became its own model the following year, and continued to serve Chevy well through three decades.

Chevrolet dropped the Impala nameplate after 1985, leaving the Caprice moniker to grace the company's full-size rear-drive cars. After being treated to a redesign in 1991 that brought sleek new sheetmetal, a driver-side air bag, and anti-lock brakes, the Caprice was updated each year to keep up with industry trends.

It gained a larger 5.7-liter V-8 option in '92, revised rear styling in '93, a passenger air bag along with a more-powerful 5.7-liter V-8 in '94 (and later that year, the Impala SS derivative), and a more modern "dogleg" rear roof pillar treatment in '95.

By that time, however, sales had trailed off, and one of Caprice's two assembly plants had been closed down. The remaining plant, in Arlington, Texas, continued to produce the big rear-drivers at a rate of around 100,000 per year.

But Chevrolet decided the line would be better utilized to build full-size pickup trucks -- which were hot sellers -- and the decision was made to abandon the Caprice, mainstay of law-enforcement agencies throughout the country.

Predictably, Caprice's final edition was a virtual rerun of the year before. A single trim level was offered in sedan and wagon versions, both carrying a 200-horsepower 4.3-liter V-8 as standard, offering a 260-horsepower 5.7-liter V-8 as an option. With that, Chevrolet wrote the final chapter of the large, rear-drive, body-on-frame story that had been the cornerstone of its long history.

Also bidding a fond farewell in 1996 was
the Chevrolet Caprice Classic wagon.

1986 Chevrolet Caprice Facts

Model	Weight range (lbs.)	Price range (new)	Number built
Caprice	4,061-4,473	$19,905-$22,405	NA

For more picture-packed articles about Chevys and other great cars, see:

Classic Cars: Learn about more than 400 of the world's finest classic and collectible automobiles.
Muscle Cars: Look back at tire-smoking Chevys and scores of other machines from the golden age of American high performance.
Sports Cars: Discover the pleasure of sports motoring at its purest in these captivating articles on the best sports cars from around the world.
Consumer Guide Automotive: Here's your source for news, reviews, prices, fuel-economy and safety information on today's cars, minivans, SUVs, and pickups.
Consumer Guide Used Car Search: In the market for a used Chevy or virtually any other pre-owned vehicle? Check out these reports, which include safety recalls and trouble spots.