The 1971 Chevrolet Caprice/Impala: Value-Priced, Cadillac-Style Luxury!

Learn more about the new-for-1971 Chevrolet Caprice and Impala!

[@Foxonian]

My cousin had a 1971 Chevy Caprice 2 door coupe with the 402 big block in it. That car was really fast,especially back in the early 80's when most Camaros and even Corvettes were severely underpowered. Hate to tell you how many of those new cars got taken for a ride at a stoplight by that old Caprice. Can still see the shock on the faces of those guys as my cousin and I left them in the dust.

[@bighank796]

Yeah. Those cars can move

[@blackice7408]

Thats what big block torque can do

[@kennethanway7979]

I had a 72 caprice with a 400small block. That thing was fast!

[@johnmadow5331]

I brought Chevy Impla used in 1975 with 350 Ci engine with 245 HP. In 1976 I brought the same car for 4,200.00 brand new. I love the American car back then. I don't like American New Car that made in China and charged 70K but worth a shit!

[@fleetwin1]

@@johnmadow5331 Our 73 Caprice coupe was only $4500, even with options like AC, vinyl top, split bench seat, bumper strips and guards.

[@paulbourgeois4491]

Damn, i just miss BIG Cars, and the good times that came in those days. It's all just memories now. Can't bring back the people we miss, luckily some of the rolling iron still exists!

[@fehlrock]

@paulbourgeois4491 I feel ya Paul. I Miss so many 😢

[@cdstoc]

My dad had a 1971 Biscayne with a taxi package (stronger diff, heavier duty springs and shocks). It had the base 350 V-8 2-bbl, 245 HP, THM 350 transmission. The smoothness and power of the powertrain was great. He had that car until the 1980's, it had over 200k miles on it. The engine still had normal compression, heads and oil pan had never been removed. The only real replacement was the original timing gear with the plastic teeth, but the metal-teeth replacement lasted until he sold it. It was bought in Hawai'i, shipped to California, driven to upstate NY, where the salty roads finally destroyed the body, but that power train lived on in another car after dad sold it. I loved that car.

[@johntamlyn6383]

I love the styling of cars of this era!

[@digitalkov]

Love the channel..! Again and again, I applaud this channel because it's a car channel that actually shows the cars! I am just old enough to remember times when these cars still roamed the roads. I have ridden in many of the cars featured here (70s & 80s) as a kid. It brings back tons of memories. Great channel!

[@kevin122759]

I grew up in the 1960s. It was always exciting to see what each manufacturer did each year as the looks always changed.

[@dmandman9]

I remember when only the Volkswagen remained the same from year to year. With most American cars, there were visible changes from year to year where even a casual observer could see the difference. Today it seems to be around a 5 year cycle before anything noticeable occurs.

[@stormythelowcountrykitty7147]

My Dad used to buy a new Ford every year. Now I keep cars for a decade!

[@markdc1145]

There was always that Saturday in early September where we visited all the dealers to look at the new cars. Back then the dealers promoted this.

[@CH67guy1]

I grew up in the late 1960s and early 1970s. There were so many cars to choose from, in lots of beautiful colors. To me, today’s cars are nothing to get excited about. These days I buy a car every 10 years or so and drive it over 150,000 miles. Each new car I get is more boring than the last. No style, no soul. The choice of colors suck. And unless you buy a higher end car you had better like a black interior!

[@TheMrmmkkpro]

My dad had a 1965 impala ss 396 turbo 400 back in the day. He was a gear head, he taught me and made me learn what makes a car tick. I miss him so much, I'm lucky to have had him in my life, my step-dad, he raised me from a pup, he taught me right from wrong. 👍👍🏁🏁

[@fehlrock]

@TheMrmmkķpro I'm sure you are a Fine gentleman, sir ! Hope you have a son

[@edwardllorens]

The 71 was my favorite. Love the brushed aluminum trim around the tail lights. Love the 74 Caprice because of the beautiful beltline chrome. Made the coupe look even longer.

[@boston7704]

My grandfather had a 72 Impala with a 350 4 barrel. What a beautiful car that was!

[@JimBronson]

My aunt had a Caprice coupe from this generation, great car, super smooth. She had it for over 20 years, well into the 90s and just purring away. Of course this was in California, so no rust. She finally sold it to some kids who turned it into a low rider. She needed a minivan for her business. Wish I had that old Caprice back now, it was pretty mint even 20 years old.

[@57Banjoman]

My buddy's Dad bought a new '71 Impala, in the gold color as shown in your video-a beautiful car-and so quiet, compared to my Dad's Ford. Sadly, it was ruined by road salt, Thanks for a great video!

[@NorthernChev]

I had one of these back then! A ‘71 with the 350 4bbl and two doors. What a fantastic car. Seriously.

[@danallan4860]

My Dad bought new and owned a1955 Chevy, 1960 Impala, 1967 Impala, 1970 Caprice, 1973 Caprice, 1978 Caprice, then ended that fabulous reign with a 1986 Celebrity. Loved the big Chevy’s!

[@kevinfestner6126]

The 72 impala convertible is my dream car to collect. That bow tie front end could not be beat.

[@talesofanasphaltjockey]

My grandfather had a 71 Impala in turquoise with a black vinyl top/interior ... I miss you grandpa 😢

[@CH67guy1]

Turquoise! I bet it was a beautiful car! I’m sorry you lost your grandpa. I was 4 years old in 1971. I recall some of it, and it’s seems it was a better time to live than today. 😕

[@fehlrock]

My Grandpa had a '65 Impala 2door coupe W/327. Then '70 Sport Fury white w/Hide away headlights 383

[@Jack_Stafford]

My folks bought a 1972 Caprice classic and it was the best car ever, I loved the pillarless hardtop and curved windshield, it had a thick chrome piece down the side that went across the fender skirts that was unique for that year and the front end styling was almost EXACTLYy like a Cadillac's from a year or two earlier. In fact nearly everyone thought it was a Cadillac when we pulled up in that car. The rear didn't look like a Cadillac but maybe more like a Buick but its overall size presence and mix of front end styling and beautiful green blue color (Sierra, I think) and vinyl top and fancy badging, just screamed luxury car. Our neighbours had a downsized Coupe DeVille and often said that our Caprice was the nicer car and it really did ride much nicer. He felt stupid for buying a smaller less comfortable car with plastic body pieces when our car was so much faster more reliable in far more comfortable despite despite lacking leather. The Cadillac was no match for the Caprice's ride, literally like it was floating but not like it was out of control, everything was dampened and tuned to be comfortable and easy to drive, we took many cross-country trips and it was very hard to keep it slow at 55 mph with that super smooth 400 cubic inch engine barely idling quietly away, and in fact the only speeding ticket my mother got was going 70mph across the Oklahoma border. We had many very nice family cars after that, large Mercurys and Buicks and a last generation Chevrolet Caprice that had more options like power seats and things like that but she always said none of them held a candle to that 72 Caprice Classic!

[@desertmodern7638]

At the time, I remember more than one person expressing that the 1971 Caprice front end looked more Cadillac than what was on the Cadillac. A friend's 1971 Impala coupe with the 400 small block was just a delightful driver. I almost preferred it to my beloved 1972 Electra, perhaps the best car I've ever owned.

[@jimmywhite3922]

I was a Ford loving teenager in '71 but that '71 Caprice was a winner. They were everywhere!. The interior was the best Caprice ever. The 400 4 barrel would growl and get up and go! The party was over in '72 with the loss of engine compression. I was stuck with my parent's '72 LTD Brougham which had a great interior but no engine punch.

[@bladerunnerbar]

Dad had used 72 police car with 454.they had beautiful lines in body style

[@tholmes2169]

Wow, did he see a lot of highway duty?

[@bladerunnerbar]

No.he bought it used .he wasn't a cop

[@jamesmisener3006]

In 77 I bought a 72 4dr BelAir with 60,000 miles and drove it to 150,000 miles with no big issues and a lot of wonderful drives and cruises. I loved that car if that is possible. Your so right Adam the 350 was very smooth and the 350 trans was tough. The front end on the 72 Chevs are the best looking in the day bar none. The tailights in the bumper were better looking than the 71 or 73. Mine was light blue and probably by now has been recycled into a Canadian Honda, a freezer and is now part of some steel roof somewhere. Cheers 🇨🇦

[@kevinjansen2738]

I had a 1972 impala. Two door coupe with that concaved back window. It was black with fender skirts and a red interior. One of the prettiest cars I ever owned. Loved that rear window. Mine had a 350 4 barrel. Wish I still had her. ( I have nice cars now too though) one of my co workers begged me to buy it and I made money so sold it. Great car

[@vince4055]

Adam, my grandfather bought a 1971 Impala Sport Coupe from Malcolm Konner Chevrolet in Paramus, NJ in November, 1970 during the big GM strike. She was the only new car on the floor, listed for $4,635 and had the 350 4BBL V8, THM350, P/S, P/B, A/C, clock, full wheel covers, tinted glass, body side guards, blue vinyl roof and interior, and AM radio with the poor-performing antenna in the windshield glass. She was Antique White and was quite the looker. I remember the fan that wouldn't shut off and the powerful A/C that would freeze you out. I waited all day with my grandfather in her on gas lines for fuel in 1979 during the oil crisis and I remember we'd pack a lunch and try to fill that 24 gallon tank all the way to the filler which was behind the rear license plate! He gave me that car in 1985 when I was 15, the Chevy dealer would only give him $50 on a trade in for the Celebrity Eurosport he was buying and he told the dealer to stuff it and he would give the car to me instead. I learned how to drive in the snow without Positraction and how to power brake and all those fun tricks a big heavy coupe with no electronic nannies would let you do. I put an AM/FM/Cassette stereo and 6x9" speakers in her. She got between 8 and 15 MPG, her appetite for fuel was quite big! Shining up all that chrome and the underhood was a chore, but when she was clean she was quite the looker! The car was VERY wide, it didn't have a passenger side rearview mirror, if we added it it would have been a very tight squeeze into the garage! I estimated the Turbo-Fire 350 V8 which was rated at 270 HP had an SAE net of around 175 HP and you confirmed that. In 1988 I was on the way home from school in the rain and a woman in a Camaro ran a stoplight in a traffic circle and I hit her head-on. That beautiful front end absorbed the impact, but was transformed into a horrible tangle of metal and chrome. Sadly, she was totaled beyond repair with about 85,000 mi. Every time I see a 1971 Impala I smile, one dream car would be a 454 big block convertible Impala, but they are very rare. Great video on the history and LOVED seeing the concept cars!

[@donk499]

Yeah, that was the only time I was allowed to drive our 73 Caprice coupe, to wait in those gas lines....

[@chrisclermont456]

Wasn't tossing one of these big, heavy rear wheel drive land yachts fun in snow ?? 😅😅

[@igorslocks]

​@@chrisclermont456sure was. Had a 71 Impala 4 door that was my grandfather's. If we were going to get a bunch of snow in Chicago, id make sure to throw a few weight plates and you would just steer right into the ruts and glide. All my friends loved skeetching on the back bumper down side streets. Good memories

[@AndrewHCann]

Excellent video my older elders drove Chevrolet Impala from 1959 to 1994 also Chevrolet Caprice cars 1968 to 1995 in both in LS or SS models or 2 plus 4 doors too! My parents bought 1976 Chevrolet Impala LS 4 door basic model Maroon body all Chrome trim and Beige Interior 6 seats with Am radio , 350 V8 4 barrel carb with single exhaust , Turbo 400 3 speed Automatic transmission, power steering also brakes and power trunk too! In 1985 gave to my oldest brother car for first one drive after got his license and had up till 1992 ! In 2011 I bought at GM dealership near a 2002 Chevrolet Impala E-X 4 door car in Navy Blue with Black trim body , interior was Baby Blue with Black trim also Woodgrain too ! 6 /5 seater had every option but no electric start on key fob and sunroof or daul exhaust! Plus no RPM gauge or ABS but one thing 4 disk brakes was awesome and easy to fix ! Was like driving old RWD but FWD instead on 2002 ! No bad problems with it and for V6 motor and rare 6 speed Automatic transmission had power like 350 V8 does ! Fuel mileage was amazing excellent!

[@kroge007]

They were good looking cars back then.

[@Mr.CellophaneHart]

I'm reminded of those delightfully sticky steering wheels after a day of sitting in the sun. Always a treat. XD

[@alanblanes2876]

That sticky steering wheel showed the decline in materials quality from the 1966 Caprice with the premium interior. It would have been better if GM had put the 1966 deluxe Caprice interior in the 1971, and if it had the same solid build quality of the 1966. The styling of the 1971 is way above average.

[@tholmes2169]

Yes my 72 Corvette has a sticky wheel. It’s barely ever been in the sun but the material has broken down over the years. My 68 Buick doesn’t have that problem.

[@blue04mx53]

and the dashboard. You could watch it fade !

[@ZGryphon]

And the seat vinyl that would rip the hide right off your thighs if you made the mistake of wearing shorts in warm weather.

[@dannyg6592]

My pal had a '72 Caprice 2 door during our college days of the 70s. Grey with black vinyl top, grey interior, 400 2V. It was a beautiful car, rode great and was close to indestructible - the motor was very under stressed. The oil light came on when he had 90,000 miles - we checked and it was 3.5 quarts low. Filled it up with oil and the engine ran fine for another 90,000 miles after that incident. Thanks for the memories!

[@tholmes2169]

Probably the most handsome 71 full size GM. I do like the 72 a bit better because of the grill.

[@robertebob]

I remember wanting our family to have this car. I was 10. I thought it was the best-looking grill on the Impala.

[@truman1158]

My parents bought a new 1974 Caprice Classic four-door hardtop, metallic blue with a white vinyl roof. The interior was dark blue. 454 ci and Turbo Hydramatic. It was a big, comfortable car with plenty of go. They traded for a ‘77 Caprice Classic two door. Another nice vehicle.

[@RichieRouge206]

12:24 this immediately brought to my mind the Citroen SM as did the concave rear screen! Great video

[@RadioReprised]

We had a '66 Caprice Coupe with a 396/400, a '69 Impala Coupe 350/350, a '69 Impala Sedan 350/350, a '69 Kingswood Estate Wagon 350 Barrel/400, a '71 Impala Coupe 350 4 Barrel/400, a '72 Monte Carlo 350 4 Barrel/400 , a '74 Impala Sedan 350 4 Barrel/400, and a '77 Monte Carlo 350/350...We liked Chevy!

[@stephengreen3566]

I drove a "76 Caprice and you are correct, this was a really nice care. It had cruise control and the 350 2 barrel. It also had the "Crotch vent" beneath the steering column. I wish you could get that on modern cars. I rode like a cadilac.

[@waynejohnson1304]

My friend's mother had a 1971 Caprice when I was growing up. We would sneak it out when his parents went out for the night. I was just 12 and he was 13 but, we never got caught. They were very nice on the road. I think the seats were very comfortable. The material was called brocade. They traded in a 1962 Impala SS for it.

[@fehlrock]

Wayne my son just started driving my '06 Double Cab Tundra when he was 14 to school everyday. I just let him, he never got caught ! Lol😊

[@mrdood740]

I do agree that the styling on the '71s was pretty cool. I actually remember my dad joking that he might go buy "a Chevrolet that looks like a Cadillac", which was funny because he actually had a long history of owning Oldsmobiles and occasionally Caddies. One negative that I distinctly remember about seemingly all the GM cars of that year (and well in to the 70s) was the awful driveablility of these cars when not FULLY warmed up. It seemed especially problematic on the 2 bbl cars. The carburetors were jetted much leaner for emissions and the choke calibration was such that as soon as the car was running AT ALL, the choke was pulled off drastically, resulting in an engine that may idle alright but absolutely would NOT run at anything above idle. Even just putting the car in gear would likely result in a stall. Pulling into traffic in one of these without the engine being fully warmed up was a truly terrifying experience! For whatever reason, the 4bbl cars were nowhere near as bad although pretty much all of the cars in this era had a lot of hesitation at part throttle until fully warmed up. The malaise era had officially begun!

[@impsrule60]

That stalling was a big problem with my grandmother's last car: a '75 Pontiac Catalina 2dr hardtop. Grandma had a serious lead-foot, so she made it work. In occasions where my mom (who drove 'normally') would borrow the car, it always stalled on her.

[@DeanRussellHickey]

Well, that brought back memories from the very start. I had one of those Caprice models shown in your opening segment... brown with a cream vinyl roof and a cream(ish) interior. You'll get a lot of comments from folks telling you how nice and easy those cars were to own, drive, repair, and do regular maintenance on. I think every one of my high school buddies had one... modified, of course, and they were incredibly fast with good handling. I had a 71 Olds 98, and my Caprice felt so much tighter in terms of suspension and handling. The Olds was much softer, although no-where near your 71 Marquis. I'd buy a 71 Caprice new again, if I could. Imagine that ad in your opening segment today, with the caption: "The new 2025 Chevrolet... For the man who knows what he wants." "Full size, with full luxury" Sounds good to me.... ALSO... I don't know if this was a sort of tradition among some in the car sales industry... but my Caprice had one of those small vinyl pocket folders in the glove box... with the short version of the owner's manual in it. The salesman taped a penny onto the inside cover for luck. I wonder if anyone has heard of this, or perhaps found something else their salesman added... by way of a note, or whatever.

[@bill_4888]

Similar to others' comments here, my elderly aunt had a 71 gold one as seen in the video. I remember being impressed with the concave rear window as well as the windshield wipers concealed in the flair of the hood.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Adam, I'll never look at the '71 Caprice or Impala the same way. 😉

[@dave3657]

Two of my friends in high school had a Caprice, (year ?) both were green. But both ended up being sold because of transmission problems. At the time I wasn’t to enthralled with them, but now I like them.

[@LlyleHunter]

The Sunday morning that the advertising insert was in the newspaper just after Labor Day weekend my father saw the front page of the insert and said “My G-d ! It looks like a Cadillac!” That moment my obsession with cars began at ten years old. I’d hit the streets every day on my bicycle, go to a different car dealership and collect every brochure on every model from every single brand, bring them home and memorize every dimension, engine, transmission, option package and spec on every car on the market for years. Eventually I became an audiophile and did the same thing with audio equipment. Later in life I sold cars and though it wasn’t needed I could always answer questions that customers asked though those types of questions were very infrequent.

[@marcusanderson933]

Love my Chevys!

[@herbcraven7146]

My friend's first car in the mid-80's was his parents' hand-me-down 71 Caprice. It had the stock 400 small block in it, but boy that car could go, and it was just so smooth. I remember when he'd put his foot down on the gas at around 50, the transmission would kick down and let the motor roar to life before it shifted up into overdrive again and took off like a shot. Just a blast to ride in!

[@althunder4269]

I worked for a guy who had A 1974 Caprice coupe back in the 70's with the glass rear side windows and the concave rear glass. IDK what size of V8 it had but it was a very nice riding and driving car.

[@mutantryeff]

My mother had a 1972 with 350. Very good car.

[@tholmes2169]

Just about indestructible. My uncle had a 72 with the same drivetrain. Gold two door hardtop.

[@mutantryeff]

@@tholmes2169 Nobody ever ordered posi-traction in them though. That was the one weakness. My mother's was a blue with white vinyl roof.

[@tholmes2169]

@@mutantryeff yeah strange. My dad had a 68 442 in the early 70s and it was loaded outside of positraction. Strange.

[@silicon212]

Same, I grew up with that car. 1972 Impala Custom Coupe with the L65 350 (2bbl, 165hp/280 lb ft tq). Dark metallic blue with white roof.

[@fehlrock]

@mutantryeff Your mom Had to be cool AF !

[@jimaye7857]

Found this channel recently and really enjoying my stay so far. Great videos

[@PaulieB1965]

My buddy Tony had a ‘71 Impala back in high school, circa 1981. Those were the days. That car took us on many adventures 😎

[@RenoEdits]

The Rarest of these from the 1970s.

[@markwagner4909]

I had a 70 caprice and 2 73 (one convertible and one coupe) and a 75 convertible. To me these were the best looking vehicles.

[@randyscott2256]

Thanx as always Adam!! Great vid & the concepts or before production samples were very cool Thanx!! This is the car my high school used for drivers Ed. Cept they were the Caprice model I think!! Thanx Adam !!

[@jamesrodriquez2863]

My first car was a 71 Impala, 4 door hardtop, 350 2barrel. I ended up driving it from Indiana to California. I will never forget that car. Her name was Loretta.

[@chriscolley2229]

Glad someone else names their cars .

[@budtaylor7923]

I, too, had a 71 Impala 4 door hardtop with a 350 V-8. It got me through my college years. It was sea aqua and absolutely the best car I ever owned. Her name was Bertha!

[@chriscolley2229]

My favorite was Gerdie . So is naming your car after old world German names a thing ? Hmm...

[@jay241971]

Great car name! I had never named my vehicles really until my daughter was old enough to drive. We bought my wife's sister's 2008 Lincoln MKZ and our daughter dubbed her "Mary Todd the Lincoln." From then on, everyone in our family, extended family, and friends talked about "Mary Todd" like she was a person. 😋 That little car went to college with her (5 hours away from our home - one way - and made many trips back and forth. She had a wreck in it last year that totaled it, but even at 15 years of age, the airbags deployed perfectly and "Mary Todd the Lincoln" protected her and she walked away from the accident. I miss cars of the 70 and early 80s, at least from a design standpoint. I have not truly fallen in love with many cars since then; they all seem to look the same or too similar. "Mary Todd the Lincoln" was an exception because it was a small car, but inside it felt roomy and the back seat was very roomy as well as the trunk. Fun fact: my daughter's "new" car is a little BMW and she has been given the name "Edith" to continue the First Lady trend. Sorry for rambling. Cars do that to me. 🙂 It was nice reading about your 71 Impala, Loretta.

[@markscott5421]

We had a 70 Kingswood estate wagon with the 350 4bbl/400TH pulled a 22 foot travel trailer with great ease put 110K on that car Dad traded it after I clocked a curb on an icy turn into a mall in 1975 car never drove right after that. My aunt had a 71 Caprice with the 400 that to me looked like a Cadillac and as a matter of fact during the 70's Chevy did a great job keeping the style like a Caddy and maintaining their sporty look also. My aunt decided to downsize in 73 to an aqua Monte Carlo which she loved. Dad traded the wagon for an AMC Hornet wagon but it had problems after 2 years he dumped it and got an 1977 Impala which even downsized was a nice driving car and was a mover with the 350/4bbl engine in it.

[@brandywell44]

I'm from the UK and remember seeing a Caprice here and was amazed that the lengths of the front fender, front door, rear door, rear fender were all similar length and it looked so big compared to what we had here. One of the cars I missed out on was a later Caprice Classic with a V8 diesel and two way tailgate, that car was amazing. The US cars we had here were severely limited in supply and were usually ex privately imported by US airforce personel. We both, US and UK, had car industries before being purposely dismantled by our ruling elites.

[@neilouellette3004]

My father bought my mother a new loaded 73 Caprice Classic w/the 400/2 barrel. Car was loaded w/every available option and gorgeous.

[@anthonym.cardali1875]

Probably better than a Caddy back then. They were just as quiet.

[@ZGryphon]

A co-worker of mine in the mid-'90s had a '75 Caprice Classic for a while. We were poor just-out-of-college types working our first real jobs at the time, so it was a pretty worn-out example--I think he paid 500 bucks for it--but it could still haul a lot of people in a faded reminder of style. Until the day the 454 threw a rod during the morning carpool and stranded our entire department 20 miles from the office, anyway. The boss wasn't super-pleased about that. :)

[@timkis64]

i have to give you credit, you've been putting out some great content.

[@ronofficial5958]

My grandmother always chose good cars and this was one of them. Her and my Uncle each bought one and had them for years. Both had 402 big blocks and they loved them. Very nice cars back then and now.

[@OldDood]

Adam, you bring me back to a 'Good Era' in America. I sure love having you dig up my old memories about vehicles from the past. My Father was a Chevy Guy. Not because he was a Fanatic. Just because they were Less Expensive and Practical. We always had Chevrolets except during the Mid 1970's while my Father in Semi-Retirement sold cars for a local Ford Dealer. A friend of his. My Father LOVED selling vehicles. He was Retied from the bank by then due to his health. So selling cars fit perfectly for him. He came home telling us how his day went. I remember one story of his where a Young Couple came in and they wanted a Mustang for their family with one child and another on the way. My Father being a Loan Officer from his Banking Days worked the numbers for this couple and explained to them it was a LOT more practical to purchase a Maverick then a Mustang. Meaning the couple really could not afford the Mustang plus there was not enough room for children in that car. Well, anyways he bought a LTD. Loaded with even a Quadriphonic 8-Track player in it. (My friends and I loved that sound system) Once again, thank you Adam for the videos and more importantly the history of these cars from that 'Good Era' of America.

[@jhbb68]

The front end on the proposal that you say looks like a 1970 Continental looks more like the beak of a contemporary T-Bird to me, but I agree.... glad they ditched it. Great video, Adam!

[@tomb7382]

Our next door neighbors hady a beautiful 1972 Impala Custom Coupe in fire engine red with a white vinyl top and a tan vinyl interior. Loaded with power windows, AM/FM stereo, power locks and a big engine, the car was just like a luxury car. The husband kept the car immaculate and looked beautiful till he traded it in in 1980 for a caddy. He still misses the Impala (and so does his wife).

[@marcelgaud]

Wow Adam, this year /model was my favorite look for the Cap/Imp. of ALL TIME!

[@mikenb3461]

Just gotta say that of the dozens of automotive channels I subscribe to, yours is, by far, my favourite. Apart from the depth and breadth of knowledge you have and share, I especially appreciate that you don't rely on a computerized narrator. I really like your speaking style. It's like you and I are sitting down and talking cars. My father had a '76 Impala, which was the car we had when I learned to drive. I was a car guy even then and he told me that the ventilation fan was always on, but he never knew why. Here we are all these years later and I finally know why. My dad's car wasn't special. It has the 350 2bbl and I can attest to it being smooth. I eventually bought a 1978 Honda Accord and it was worth a chuckle to park them side-by-side. With the front bumpers lined up, my rear bumper was at the rear doors of the Impala, but I think I had more interior room!

[@RareClassicCars]

Thx for the compliment

[@joemassucco4369]

Great job on profiling the great 71/72 Chevrolet full size cars. I have a beautiful 1972 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate Wagon with a 454 and beautiful black brocade interior, 9 passenger clamshell. I rescued it in Kansas from the demo derby. Cranberry red with wood paneling. True styling and appeal to the Heartbeat USA America!

[@armedinbama]

I applaud you for passing on the vehicles that were not exactly what you were looking for. Too many times I have settled for second best and never been happy with my purchase.

[@ralphabreu5022]

I have a 71 Chevy Impala A quality museum piece. Adam, don't forget about the 1973 Chevy Impala with A.C.R.S had Oldsmobile 88 interior.

[@drippinglass]

I had one of those back in 1992. A light blue metallic 2 door with the 400 SB. It had a 1974 Impala front end in it. $500, I drove it for a few months, and the timing chain jumped one time starting it. I gave it to a buddy to fix. It had those louvers in the trunk and didn’t realize it was a one year only thing.

[@NorlandBoxcar]

The first proposal nose grill looks almost identical to the same year thunderbird. None the less, I agree with you that this 71 year Chevy looks very nice..

[@sblsbl7600]

Over the years I have had a 68, two 72s, a 74, an 03 and an 08 Impala. I want another 70s Impala.

[@TheHypnotstCollector]

I sold a one owner 1971 Impala , California car, had a 400 engine and 4 bbl.... turbojet and No Smog. Never saw such a thing in my life, not after 1967. Car was sold in Clovis/Fresno and owned by Vie in New Auberry Ca. fairly nice condition, no dings. Sold it on ebay for around $5000 in 2009. The 400 was a Stroked 350. Not a bored 350. You can put a 400 crank in a 350 or a 350 crank in a 400. You get a 383. The 350 crank in a 400 revs better, make more hp than putting a 400 crank in a 350 which is really a truck engine.

[@BrianSpinelli-r6m]

The front end of the clay model shown at 11:08 to me has some similarities to the 72 impala. I'm sure they revisited that model when redesigning the '71. And for some reason the model at 6:25 screams '70 Wildcat. I can't explain why but that's what I see. Anyway, I really like all your videos but especially this one. Thanks for doing this!

[@charlesb7019]

That thumbnail car is my first car exactly! (Back in 1980) Same colors and everything. I had a lotta fun with that bad boy. Several people actually asked me if it was a Cadillac!

[@cycleguy666]

When I was in high school a friend had a brand new 1971 Chevrolet Impala 400 smalblock. What a nice car and it was a coupe too!! Very quiet for sure!! Nice!!

[@blue04mx53]

I miss the 'no window frame or 'B' pillar concept. It was great for carrying plywood with the windows down.

[@igorslocks]

71 was last year Impalas/Caprices had some form styling to it especially in the front. In 72 everything started getting boxy and design standards changed with respect to safety.

[@HypocriticYT]

69 Caprice with console and 427 engine and folding headlights was something

[@chrisclermont456]

Great video!! This was when cars looked like cars!! Pre-"Malaise" era. Now everything save for a modern Ford Mustang looks like a baby shoe!!

[@johnlandacre767]

I love this generation of Chevrolet Impala/Caprice. I owned a used ‘72 Caprice that was identical to the one shown, except for tail lights. It had the 400 small block, which seemed to have plenty of power. The engine in my car used oil, a quart every 700 or so miles, as I recall. It was quiet, rode very comfortably, and was overall a nice ride it was purchased new by a coal miner, who only put 20,000 miles on it, unless it was really 120,000. I’ll never know for sure, but I think it was 20,000 actual, since the car was only 2.5 years old. One of the worst problems was the cracking of the dashboard. Must have been a plague with Chevys. My 77 Impala had same problem. The knob came off the window crank also, and the paint was poorly done, especially on the hood. Great car overall, except for the “little” things. Sold it in ‘77 when I got a “new” Chevrolet. Also a great looking car, but not as good overall quality as the ‘72.

[@ScottALaFollette]

The 1971 full-size Chevrolet to my eye resembled the first generation 1969-70 El Dorado (without highway headlights) and the second generation El Dorado from 1971 forward.

[@GrotrianSeiler]

I know I’m dating myself by my god that is such a beautiful car.

[@SummitHill79]

The rear window on the design at 11:44 has, to my eye, a Citroen DS vibe.

[@odyssey3694]

Hi Adam, I actually owned one of the Caprices in this video. My wife took the photo of it back in 2016 which you can see at about 4:00 minutes in. Beautiful car with only 54,000 original miles. A very good looking car, but your point regarding the interior is spot on. There was a lot of plastic used and the fit and feel were undeniably poor. Unfortunately, quality took a hit across the board in GM in the early 1970's. And, my Caprice was a rare specimen in that it was not equipped with A/C. I parted with this car, selling it to a buyer in Holland who later on, sold it to someone in Germany where it currently resides. I was sad to see it go. But, I used some of the proceeds of the sale to buy a 1967 Oldsmobile Toronado, which is gorgeous and fun to drive. A masterpiece of engineering and reliability. The front-wheel drive transmissions in these cars were bench-tested to over a million miles. GM really wanted the Toronado to be a hit and it certainly was. And, it has air conditioning to boot. Keep up your great videos!

[@davestewart2067]

The “drop off” in quality really was pronounced from the ‘72 to ‘73 model years. More plastics in the interior, and foam in the seats instead of metal springs.

[@WhittyPics]

My dad used to call the early 70s Monte Carlo "Baby Cadillacs"

[@medic53067]

At about 12:00 the right side rear 3/4 view and that diving feature line reminds me of the 1971-73 Buick LeSabre. I had a ‘72 and I did body work on the lower quarters so I stared at that body line for hours! 😂

[@gregorycomunale1550]

A 76 2dr caprice classic was our family cruiser mahogany ext.and int. Buckskin vinyl top. A very sharp eye catcher. I used to put my 3 friends in the trunk before we entered the Maple drive in adult xxx theater, to save $. This was in Irwin pa. A suburb of pittsburgh. Ĝreat times in 1982.🤓

[@fearsomebeard4290]

My daddy had a 1969 Impala which he bought new and traded in for his new 1972 Impala. The ‘72 was my favorite of all of his Chevrolets.

[@loveisall5520]

I was in high school when the Motor Trend test came out. As I remember the biggest difference was the quality of the Cadillac seats compared to the Chevy seats, firmer and deeper. But like you said, their impression was more the worth and value of the Caprice and the diminished quality and value of the Sedan deVille.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

The rear end of that clay model looks great. The front end is a bit much with the Oldsmobile style headlights. But it's still a good looking car

[@AlexanderWaylon]

I missed the release for this video but the 71 proposal which you highlighted having the 72 Delta 88 lights also I thought DEMANDED you see kinship to the 63 and 64 Cadillac also. The two door proposals were gorgeous on these, and the car you thought looked 80-85 Seville-esque upon my first sight I said “looks like a Buick to me” I am glad Bill Mitchell steered the designers away from the Ford Bird themes, not that they are bad looking but they do not look Chevrolet. Very interesting video. A 72 coupe would be my choice.

[@damianbowyer2018]

Very Stylish Chevrolet, though borrowed from Cadillac Styling, as U said, Adam😀👏

[@williamgunn1076]

My parents bought a four door Caprice in 1971.

[@gene978]

I just didn’t like the All black only non matching Dash and Wheel to the rest of interior colors. You can have any color cockpit and wheel you like as long as it’s BLACK.

[@kellismith4329]

Better than now where everything is either black or grey

[@flashg67]

I had a 1973 Impala Wagon from 1999-2004, I have always loved the 1971-76 Chevrolet Full-Size cars.

[@jeffsmith846]

You convinced me. I'm skipping the Caddy dealer. I'm heading to the Chevy place and get me a 454 with the 400 THM. All options and a 4 door hardtop.

[@chadakoin1]

My friends Mom bought a brand new 73 coupe with a 350 4bbl. I was consistently impressed with how free of squeaks and rattles it remained no matter how much abuse was heaped upon it. Comfy, too!

[@LakeNipissing]

Friend in high school had an olive green 72 Impala, with 350 2bbl. That thing would move, and had no trouble roasting the tires. Also had no trouble cruising at 120 MPH... likely on bias plies - YIKES! But we all lived.

[@donk499]

I hear ya buddy. There must have been a separate God looking out for us dumb ass kids driving those cars like that!

[@zamoragera13]

I had a 72 Caprice. Was my first car.

[@auntbarbara5576]

These we called "poor man's Cadillac" 👌🏽

[@Tetsujin-28]

I bought a 1973 Impala in 1977 with 27kmiles for $1,100.00. Thanks to Barrett J everyone wants $45,000.00 for them.

[@AbcDef-iq4no]

I vividly remember when these 1971 Impalas and Caprices came out. I was 10 years old at a neighborhood Texaco, and as I was putting air in my bike tire the attendant (Roy) looked up and said, "Hey here comes one of those new Impalas. It looks like a Cadillac from the front doesn't it?" On a side note it was this same gas station attendant who used to tease us as kids every time we went to get air in our tires and say, "do you want the pay air or the free air?" And we would always roll our eyes and ask for the "free" air. Little did we know we would all be paying for air in our tires 50 years later.

[@braddokken9191]

My grandpa had a 71 Caprice and my dad had a 72 Impala. I was too young to appreciate them. I mostly remember being very careful with the huge doors. They could take a kid out! I would love to sit in one again. Great memories and cool cars!

[@martinthorne8543]

The year the the bloat began in earnest "We're not in 1955 anymore, Dorothy. Just wait until you feast your eyes on coming '76 Barge."

[@beulahboi]

Wow 8:20 that rear end is gorgeous. Shame it got changed.