Since I have a lot of free time of late, I have been haunting Marketplace a lot, just looking for anything interesting and land yachtish from the ’70s. And today what did I spot but this green on green ’73 Nimitz-class Caprice wagon in San Diego.
Yes, it’s a clamshell GM wagon! So many of these were destroyed in the ’80s and ’90s in Midwestern demolition derbys, that seeing one now is a pretty rare event.
The ’73 Caprice Estate had the 400 CID V8 standard, but the 454 was still available as an option. Anyway you sliced it, these weren’t exactly fuel misers. But you could pull a speedboat or Airstream trailer with ease!
The six passenger version went for $4382, with the nine passenger version $4496. Both were more than even the Caprice Classic convertible, which retailed for $4345. Production was 22,969 and 39,535, respectively-seems the majority of Chevy woody wagon fanciers wanted maximum capacity.
The ad itself was frustratingly short and sweet: “Good condition, runs well, original California wagon, 400ci engine, auto. No rust.” And that last part is suspect because it appears the driver’s side rear quarter panel is developing a healthy crop of it.
But I do love that oh-so-’70s pistachio green paint, with dark green interior! I’m guessing this car was garaged most of its life, as the dash pad appears to be uncracked.
At first blush the ask of 13,900 might seem high, but wagons, once the dork-mobile for ’70s and ’80s high school teens (Hey Bob, ya driving yer mom’s car? Bwahahaha!”), are now getting collectible, since so many had the bark beaten off of them and crushed. And while many FB warriors parrot “That’s too much!” live from their parents’ basements, it is no longer 1990 and you can’t get these for three hundred bucks anymore.
When’s the last time you’ve seen one? I did see a tan ’73 Caprice Estate several years ago at a show in Cambridge, IL, and a ’72 Buick version at the Buick Nationals in 2017 in Milwaukee, but they’re pretty thin on the ground these days. But for the love of God, whoever buys this, get some whitewalls added stat! A Caprice without them is so gauche…