The 1970 Chevrolet Caprice remained the highest expression of Chevrolet luxury.

The 1970 Chevrolet Impala and other full-size Chevrolets lost their combined grille/bumper. In fact, front and rear ends were fully restyled, giving the impression of considerable change -- essentially an illusion, because changes were actually quite modest.

Six-cylinder engines came only in the four-door sedan, no longer being offered in two-door Impalas. Other full-size cars started with a 250-horsepower 350-cubic-inch V-8. Options included a 300-horsepower upgrade of the 350, a 265-horsepower 400, and a pair of 454-cubic-inch V-8s. Replacing the 427 V-8 and developed in part to meet forthcoming emissions standards, the new 454-cubic-inch engines produced 345 or 390 horsepower.

Chevrolet redesigned the front and rear ends of 1970 full-size Chevys.

Biscaynes and Bel Airs came only in four-door sedan form, accompanied by equivalent Brookwood and Townsman station wagons. All two-doors were hardtop-styled in the Impala and Caprice lines. Impala was one of three remaining Chevy convertibles, and only 9,562 were built. Clearly, interest in ragtops -- whether full-size or any size -- was beginning to dwindle. So was the fascination with large sporty cars, prompting abandonment of the Impala Super Sport.

Output of full-sized cars dropped sharply, below the million mark, partly as a result of a 65-day strike in the fall of 1970. Impala sales, as expected, ranked far above other big Chevrolets.

1970 Chevrolet Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala, and Caprice Facts