Two Lucky New 2011 Chevrolet Caprice Owners

[Atomic]

damn! what a screw up, but... there are 1-2 lucky civilians as a result...

Glitch Lets Civilians Shop for Cop Car; The Detective Version of the Chevrolet Caprice: A heavy-duty Ride

Automotive News -- July 4, 2011 - 12:01 am ET
 
Thanks to a screw-up by the legal department, Chevy fanatics who long for the old days of rear-drive sedans with beefy V-8s got a brief chance to travel back in time -- and buy a police car.

But the error has been caught and the window is closing.

The Chevrolet Caprice PPV, a police car General Motors is importing from Australia, began trickling into dealerships in May.

GM limits police car sales to governmental units -- but neglected to include that little provision in its Caprice contract with dealerships. And at least one store, Criswell Chevrolet in Gaithersburg, Md., was quick to capitalize.

According to the Web site Jalopnik.com, Criswell advertised 13 of the vehicles, selling for $31,870 to $37,053, on its Web site. That section of Criswell's site vanished after Jalopnik spilled the beans and GM picked up the phone.

Owner Harry Criswell said his store sold only one or two detective versions to noncops before GM called him last week and asked him to stop. The dealership will sell the rest of the vehicles it had intended to sell to consumers to police departments, he said.

"Performance vehicles are in our DNA," he said of his promotional efforts.

GM spokesman Tom Henderson said lawyers were busy plugging the loophole and that he wasn't aware of any other dealerships selling the cop cars to the public.

What's the allure? A 6.0-liter, 355-hp V-8, for starters. If you want a V-8 in a Chevy these days, you've got to buy a Corvette, a Camaro or a truck. And there hasn't been a rear-drive Chevy sedan since the 1996 Impala.

[ifcar]

To close budget gaps, police departments should buy the cars and flip them to civilian customers.

[Mustangfan2003]

Already been posted

[68_427]

Someone on GMI bought one.



http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f13/maryland-dealer-plans-defy-gm-sell-caprice-general-public-103917/index19.html



So stupid for them not to sell this.  I'd love to rent one, looks like a fantastic trip car.  Quite cavernous.

[Atomic]

wonder if it would be tuned for a decent enough ride for a "civilian car" and a leather clad interior option, etc... isn't speed and handling the top priority of squad cars. many of course would forfit the leather and other emenities, like sunroof, but a typical large car owner might miss these items.

[68_427]

The seats are half leather, just the inserts are cloth.  Kinda strange.  The car has pretty much every other option though I think, including Nav or something.

[AltinD]

How difficult would be to import one from the Middle East? The SS trim model is sweet, even more so then the Royal that is supposed to be the luxury one.

[cawimmer430]

These are the lucky Caprice owners. 





^Stylish, handsome, elegant and 1980s charm.^ 

[CJ]

How difficult would be to import one from the Middle East? The SS trim model is sweet, even more so then the Royal that is supposed to be the luxury one.

Very hard. U.S. importation laws are pretty strict.

[2o6]

How difficult would be to import one from the Middle East? The SS trim model is sweet, even more so then the Royal that is supposed to be the luxury one.

Impossible.

[Vinsanity]

Is there seriously a worthwhile private-sector demand for these cars? The sales story of the Pontiac G8 doesn't seem to indicate so.

[68_427]

Impossible.

Yup, cars have to be a certain age before you can import them.

[Atomic]

Is there seriously a worthwhile private-sector demand for these cars? The sales story of the Pontiac G8 doesn't seem to indicate so.

the GTO was not well received due to its ugly factor, imo. however, the very attractive G8 seemed to begin trickling onto dealer lots during a time when serious talk of pontiac's demise surfaced. i think this (what i believe gm and pontiac knew all along) played a major role in the lower than expected sales of the G8.

[MX793]

Yup, cars have to be a certain age before you can import them.

Yeah, like 25+ years.

[2o6]

Is there seriously a worthwhile private-sector demand for these cars? The sales story of the Pontiac G8 doesn't seem to indicate so.

The G8 was marketed totally wrong.

[Atomic]

The G8 was marketed totally wrong.

you are so right! i remember buying another maxima se back then after a pontiac dealer told me that each dealership would only be alotted one or two in the first 6-12 months. also, the one "coming in" did not have a sunroof (my guilty pleasure... a must!) and no navigation (later learned that was a late availability option). the dealer had no literatrure and i never recall having seen a single t.v. promoting the car.

[Vinsanity]

you are so right! i remember buying another maxima se back then after a pontiac dealer told me that each dealership would only be alotted one or two in the first 6-12 months. also, the one "coming in" did not have a sunroof (my guilty pleasure... a must!) and no navigation (later learned that was a late availability option). the dealer had no literatrure and i never recall having seen a single t.v. promoting the car.

You haven't? There was a cool little spot that paid homage to the old Spyhunter arcade game that ran quite often. I'd post the youtube link, but it's blocked at my office.

[Atomic]

You haven't? There was a cool little spot that paid homage to the old Spyhunter arcade game that ran quite often. I'd post the youtube link, but it's blocked at my office.

cool! when you get a chance... thanks 

[L. ed foote]

cool! when you get a chance... thanks 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ph9HG-3io8

[L. ed foote]

For good measure

http://youtu.be/kHokcVWTOAo

[Tave]

the GTO was not well received due to its ugly factor, imo. however, the very attractive G8 seemed to begin trickling onto dealer lots during a time when serious talk of pontiac's demise surfaced. i think this (what i believe gm and pontiac knew all along) played a major role in the lower than expected sales of the G8.

That's a very good point. How much do poor G8 sales numbers really tell us when Pontiac was already dead in the water?

[Atomic]

That's a very good point. How much do poor G8 sales numbers really tell us when Pontiac was already dead in the water?

not certain of the exact numbers sold, but i rarely saw many on the lots and as i recall, most lacked a major option or two that i really wanted. again, i think it was dead in the water before leaving the gate... well, dock to stick with the H2O analogy :)

[Mustangfan2003]

I may be wrong but I think the Caprice could sell just as well as the Impala.  It would just need a V6 option. 

[ifcar]

I may be wrong but I think the Caprice could sell just as well as the Impala.  It would just need a V6 option. 

And stupidly low prices.

[Mustangfan2003]

I think the Caprice would be the clear police car winner if it came with a column shift. 

[GoCougs]

Remember the Impala (and Charger) sell "well" because they are 50%+ fleet queens by volume. Retail sales of the Caprice would be about like that of the G8 (i.e., terrible). Plebeian American buyers don't have a whole lot of use for large cars.

[Atomic]

Remember the Impala (and Charger) sell "well" because they are 50%+ fleet queens by volume. Retail sales of the Caprice would be about like that of the G8 (i.e., terrible). Plebeian American buyers don't have a whole lot of use for large cars.

good point...

re: the dodge charger... i think the chrysler 300/300c sells more volume to retail buyers than the lower priced charger and the challenger (coupe obviously) probably does better than the sedans -- percentage wise. not sure, just thinking this is the case.

re: the caprice, i wonder if gm is holding out for perhaps a higher priced buick version to be designed? without the mercury grand marquis and soon -- no lucerne, it might be a good contender.