Automotive design intrigues me. Creating a car that is supposed to sell in volumes that justify the expense of creation that contain enough emotional elements to attract buyers is a very strange balancing game. Creating a car from scratch is difficult enough, but imagine having to make something new from something old. That was the task that Chevrolet designers got when the plan for the 1991 model-year Chevrolet Caprice was started. They had to use the same B-body chassis that dated back to 1977 as the base for a vehicle that was supposed to be all-new, with better aero and a smaller overall appearance. While “a smaller overall appearance” might be questionable for a design that was nicknamed “Shamu”, it is pretty interesting to see the car that did come out of the design studio and the process that took the car from a sketch to a car on the dealership lot. Autos of Interest got the chance to talk with Chevrolet designer Dick Ruzzin, who provided some interesting insight into what it took to turn the Box Chevy into the bubble. Check it out by CLICKING HERE.
I remember the first time I saw the new Caprice body ( not the \”Orca\” version shown here) being driven around town by the Chevrolet dealer.
He was showing the new body curves and was driving around just for the sake of having everyone see it.
It reminded me of Ronald McDonald\’s flying hamburger vehicle being mounted on a standard Caprice/Impala chassis;almost like a spaceship mounted on a standard Caprice Impala chassis.