The 1986 Chevrolet Caprice was the model to finally unseat the Chevrolet Impala. First appearing in 1958, the Impala nameplate finally bit the dust in 1986. Once the top series in the full-size Chevy line, it had been overshadowed by the Caprice for the previous two decades and was finally retired.

Taking its place was a base Caprice sedan, topped by a Caprice Classic coupe, sedan, and wagon, which, in turn, were topped by a new Caprice Classic Brougham sedan. The last was a plushly equipped model added to appeal to fans of the old rear-drive Buick LeSabre and Oldsmobile Delta 88, which had switched to a smaller front-wheel-drive platform for '86.

Standard power for coupes and sedans came from the 4.3-liter V-6 introduced for '85, now rated at 140 horsepower, up 10 from before. Optional on those bodies and standard on wagons was the 165-horsepower 5.0-liter V-8 that had long been a Caprice mainstay.

The V-6 came only with a three-speed automatic transmission, while the V-8 came only with a four-speed automatic. Dropped for '86 was the unpopular -- and unreliable -- 5.7-liter diesel.

Even the base Caprice now topped $10,000, while the new Caprice Classic Brougham listed at $11,429. Still, sales continued to impress, holding fairly steady at just over 245,000.

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