On Christmas morning, I accompanied my mom on a morning stroll through her childhood neighborhood in South Boston. Walking along the waterfront, we passed this final-generation B-body Caprice wagon, parked exactly where I recall seeing it when I was on a run here last summer. Many people (myself included) have expressed opinions that the 1991-1996 B-bodies, especially the station wagons, resembled a beached whale to certain degree. I couldn’t pass up a second chance to take a quick shot of this whale wagon so close to the sea.
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Ah nice to know that the door and window seals have held up……not.
I think the wagon version of the 91-96 Caprice is good looking and seems to wear the proportions well. The sedan was a bit odd(especially the early ones with the fender skirts
Yeah, it seems to be an honest reply to the question, “How can we make a big car look even bigger”, and the wagons look positively cavernous. It’s reasonable to think they will make it into collector car status, especially since (and maybe because) they were considered anachronisms even as they were being built, but really offered a horizontal alternative to passenger vans.
I saw a whale of that sort two days ago on my vacation trip. I think it looks good enough for a whale. It also makes as much sense as a minivan as long as it is full of people and stuff. The one I saw however was occupied by the driver only.
For some reason the biggest cars are driven by the smallest people. Or is that just the proportions?
Yea it does look like the window seals have not held up as well as the rest of the car and I am pleased to see there is no rust on this nice looking Caprice. I am still debating if I want to buy 91-96 Caprice Estate or Caprice sedan and this photo is not making me sway either way.
Are you sure that there weren’t 2 people lying in the back?
I got close enough to say there were not, but I thought of that too once I looked at the picture. I wouldn’t be surprised if that went on in many of these, with their vast space and flat-folding rear seats.
My wife always referred to these cars as beached whales. TOO FUNNY!!!
Nice photo Brendan. It has a look and composition that reminds me of the still life work by Canadian artist Alex Colville.
http://tinyurl.com/or2usk3
The two tone paint and steel wheels with trim rings definitely help this Caprice. But I would never call these wagons graceful.
Beached whale wagon > tumor shaped CUV
Nice shape, beautiful landscape shot.
What’s happening with the glass on the rear door and cargo area? Looks like its been raining inside the car.
I do believe the rear portion has human occupants. Perhaps attempting to make another human when the sun was down.
Hehehe.
Not a bad looking car, certainly better than a boxy Ford LTD wagon ,but I’m not a fan of big cars. This was the end of the line for the big wagons, that were ever so popular during the 50s and 60s.
I am a whale wagon fan. If I had to use an older V8 rwd car as a daily driver, I think one of these would be my choice.
After 20+ years I think these have actually aged quite well. Aside from sheer size, they seem much less whale-like than, say, a first-gen Hyundai Santa Fe. In profile the proportions around the front wheel wells look very trim.
Where was that picture taken?
Beached whale indeed. IMHO one of the worst proportioned wagons ever built. Yuck.
I had a similar experience in my 20s. When passion overcame me and my lady, we pulled my ‘ 67 Chrysler 300 into a church parking lot that had just a couple of spaces left. Must have been a prayer meeting. It was midweek, after dark in Winter. We moved to the back seat to get away from the center console. Naturally, the windows were completely opaque by the time we finished our… conversation, and when we wiped them off, the parking lot was empty. Very kind of the parishioners, I must say.
I can relate… but it was an ’89 Mustang LX coupe for me and my then-girlfriend. And I’m 6’3″…
I really wanted a Buick Roadmaster stationwagon.
Such a promising big car, but an amazingly poor interior. I was with my dad enjoying a new Town Car back in these days and we were eager to see how GM offered a similarly sized vehicle in the Town Car price range.
The closer we looked, the worse these cars appeared. Especially when we opened it up and got inside. The dash couldn’t have been cheaper looking or more cheaply made. The switchgear was plastic to the point of appearing to have been made by a toy company. The seats and carpeting were covered in material which seemed thin and cheap as well.
Finally, the drive. Lumbering and unresponsive was how it felt pushing it around under its own power.
So, I must say that the fact that this vehicle is still on the road is an omen to hope for all of us in 2015.