This Chevy Caprice Classic Convertible Got a Late Start in Life
Here's the last of the big Chevrolet convertibles.This outsized convertible is nearly as long as a modern Suburban and perfect for a 4th of July parade. Preserved from new, this car has also had recent mechanic...
- Here's the last of the big Chevrolet convertibles.
- This outsized convertible is nearly as long as a modern Suburban and perfect for a 4th of July parade.
- Preserved from new, this car has also had recent mechanical freshening.
In 1976, America was celebrating its bicentennial, and come summertime, the living was easy. With Elton John and Kiki Dee crooning on the stereo, you could cruise on down the main street strip on a warm evening, top down with friends on board. All you needed was a big 'ol convertible the size of an aircraft carrier.
Hoving into view at Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos), this 1975 Chevrolet Caprice would have been basically brand-new in '76, and given its low mileage, it basically still is. On the 250thanniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it's still the perfect way to celebrate with some classic big-body convertible slow-rolling.
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1975 was the last year for domestic convertibles in the U.S., apart from the Cadillac Eldorado (which sailed on for one more year). The Caddy might have been more exclusive when new, but this Caprice is an example of the kind of land yacht accessible to the everyman. A very similar example featured in an episode of The Brady Bunch, with Greg and Marsha competing over who was the better newly licensed driver. Watching the car weave through the cones, maybe both should have received captain's hats.
This example has just 951 miles on the odometer, so it is basically a sealed time capsule. It's finished in red over white vinyl, with bench seats front and rear and a white folding roof. Anyone who has ever griddled their legs on a black interior on a hot day knows that this is perfect summer spec for a Caprice.
Under that USS Gerald R. Ford-sized hood is a 400-cubic-inch V-8 paired with a three-speed automatic transmission. Good for 175 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque when new, it's no hot rod, but rather offers up lazy dollops of V-8 grunt while you helm the low-effort steering wheel and sail down the road. It's basically a parade float.
There's been a fair amount of mechanical refurbishment done in the past five years, including an engine teardown and work on the cooling system and various gaskets. This begs the question: Having missed out on spending the summer of '76 rolling around decked out in patriotic bunting, is now the time for big red here to put on a few miles?
We say yes. This big car has the perfect front seat for watching the USA 250 fireworks. Summertime is the perfect time for cruisin' USA, and this big ol' Chevy is just the machine for it. Call up five friends and get your Uncle Sam hat out.
The auction ends on July 7.
Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.