It’s 1966, and while some understand what’s going on, it’ll be a couple more years before the first musclecar era goes from low-key to buck wild. Chevelles, Polaras, Galaxies…there are homologation specials, but the special models are relatively demure. Unless you knew the right people to get your hands on something serious, like “out-the-back-door” serious, your best bet for big power was still a big car. Big cubic inches, most stripped version available, for the cheapest cost. If it was good enough for Baldwin-Motion with their Street Racer Special Biscayne, it was good enough for you, right?
The word “caprice” means a sudden and unaccountable change in mood. For Chevrolet, it means you went whole-hog with their full-size model and tried to buy your way into Buick comfort without paying Buick prices. Outside of some minor trim alterations and the badges, it was just a gussied-up Impala, after all. But whoever ordered this triple-black Caprice certainly understood the meaning of the word. One minute you had a well-dressed, well optioned full-sizer that had room, had class, and even had air conditioning (ooh, fancy, aren’t we?) but also had one sincere brute of an engine sitting in the bay. The L36 427 might not be the L79 big-boy, but 390 horsepower and 460 ft/lbs of torque will get down in a hurry. Look this machine over…either dear old Dad was a hotshoe or someone was trying to lure in a stoplight fight while sitting in comfort. At least, we’d like to think so.
Big and Beautiful! I have always loved the 65/66 Impala/Biscayne/Caprice.
Agreed Weasel1, a friend in high school had a ’66 Impala two door with a 327 / Powerglide, I’ve always have liked the body style.
Legend has it that there was a decree that GM execs had to drive vehicles of the brand they worked for. So now that they couldn’t have a Caddy, the Chevy execs had the Caprice created, so they could ride in the style worthy of their position!
Who ever originally ordered this knew exactly what boxes to check
The 425 hp engine was code L72, not L79 as mentioned; that was the 350hp 327 available in Corvettes and Chevy II that year.
That’s a sweetheart.
Sweet!
Locally, there is a 1966 Caprice that the original owner still has. Ordering up one of these with all the bells and creature comforts was easy in late 1965. He had a fight on his hands because all he wanted was the high zoot 427, 4 spd, gauges, console, 4.56 posi, and that’s it. No power brakes, no power steering, no AC. Three local dealers would not take the order because they were afraid of getting stuck with a racer version of a Caprice. The fourth finally did take the order.