1976 Chevrolet Caprice
Personal story and photograph submitted by owner Karl Burnside
for participation in the the 2008 GM Century Cruise
Family members tell me if I were cut, "I’d bleed GM Corporate Blue". So it makes sense that being a true car guy from a very young age that I love and appreciate the full spectrum of GM vehicles which have been produced over the years. And knowing my diverse appreciation for all GM products, it surprises no one - friend or family - that I would own classic GM vehicles that would seem obscure to the masses.
To me, vehicle design is art – not on canvas; but rather stamped in cold hard sheet metal. It captures the moment of time in which it was made – A snapshot, if you will, of the social, economic and styling cues of American culture at a specific moment in our nations history.
One vehicle in my collection I hold dear to my heart is my 1976 Caprice Classic 4-door Hardtop "Sport Sedan". It represents to me the end of a magnificent era: It was built in April of 1976, two short months before the 4-door hardtop would vanish from GM’s lineup forever. And with the pending debut of the 1977 Caprice/Impala replacement, the true meaning of "full size" was about to be redefined to "midsize".
For its girth, amazingly the car maintains crisp body lines and curvy sheet metal geometry giving depth and sleekness to an otherwise average sedan. It’s as if the designer wanted to make sure even folks driving full-size cars looked cool.
The feature of my ’76 Caprice that I love most is that it’s a hard top. There is just something completely radical about the 4-door hardtops when you roll all the windows down and have open space with no center pillar that really catches the eye and defines the car as unique. That in itself is probably what I appreciate most about this car – it represents the swagger in an era of car design were "daring" and "pushing the limits" of engineering were the norm; not the exception. Exciting things were happening in the industry on a regular, daily basis and the public was enamored with our ability to design and execute products that thrilled the masses.
In 1976, the "Mark of Excellence" was in high gear. I would be honored to bring my cherished piece of GM history to the 100 year anniversary cruise if an invitation is so generously extended.
GM’s Century Cruise pays tribute to GM’s past and the passion owners have for their vehicles. On Saturday, August 16, 2008 this vehicle and more than 100 other classic GM vehicles will cruise from the GM Global Headquarters at the Renaissance Center up Woodward Avenue to the heart of the Woodward Dream Cruise in Royal Oak and the surrounding suburbs. One of these vehicles will be crowned “top cruiser” based on a text voting campaign.
Next GM Century Cruise Participant
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