I had purchased multiple Chevy vehicles from 1963 thru 1992, Chevy Impalas, Corvairs, and Chevelle Malibu, and Camaro, autos over the years and was not aware that many of these options were available.
The 1st automobile I bought used in 1976 was a 65 Chevrolet Bel-Air station wagon with a 283 V8 with a automatic, & overdrive with a fold down middle seat. I also bought a used 1965 Corvair Corsa Coupe with the optional 180 HP Turbocharged engine in 1987, & fully restored it; & I still own the car. 1965 was a banner year for Chevrolet selling over a million full size automobiles alone; A record that still stands to this day.
The total number of full-size Chevrolets manufactured for 1965 was 1,647,600 units: Impala Super Sport (243,100 units); Impala (803,400 units); Bel Air (271,400 units); Biscayne (145,300 units). The Caprice was a $200 option (not yet a separate series) for the Impala Sport Sedan. As mentioned, this was a peak year...with the full-size 1966 Chevrolet slipping down to approximately 1.5 Million units. Sales of the full-size 1967 and 1968 Chevrolet continued to slip to approximately 1.2 Million units for each model year. The full-size Chevrolet was still the most popular new car ahead of the second-place full-size Ford. After 1965, mid-size cars and pony cars (such as Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang) became more popular to take sales away from the big low-priced cars.
@@SpockvsMcCoy Thanks for the numbers on the full size Chevrolet models. I'm a fan of all Chevrolet's but mostly Corvairs if your curios the numbers on Corvairs total production for 65 was 235,528 automobiles, & the FC 95 Greenbrier Sport Wagon came in at 1,528 for 65 which was the last year for these, & like the full size models there numbers declined much more drastically until the last year of production 1969; With only 6,000 being produced.
@@ACF6180T Both the Camaro and Ralph Nader's book caused the rapid decline in sales of the Corvair. Sales of the full-size Chevrolet continued to slide to less than a million units in the 1970 model year. The massive GM strike dramatically shrunk to 668,000 sales of the full-size 1971 models (our family had a 1971 Impala). Then sales of both the 1972 and 1973 full-size models recovered nicely to around 1 Million units for each model year. But the 1973/1974 Oil Crisis crushed sales of the 1974 to 1976 full-size models (worst model year was 1975 with only 360,000 units produced). Then the downsized 1977 to 1979 Caprice Classic and Impala saw an increase in sales to an average of 600,000 units per year. But the full-size 1980 (237,000 units) and later full-size Chevrolet models saw another significant drop as now mostly older people purchased such big cars. During the 1980s, younger people with children now preferred new mid-size cars, minivans, and SUVs.
@@SpockvsMcCoy Was that MODEL year or CALENDAR year? No, they are not the same thing, as most cars were introduced in the Fall of the outgoing year, not January of the new year.
@@josephgaviota We actually did have a filmstrip projector, Joe.. I remember getting picked to operate it once, just about got a blister on my finger from a particularly long filmstrip and a particularly stiff knob.. it was quite a responsibility, you realize, trying to follow along with the story/lesson while remembering that the donk was for me!
My favorite Chevy was my 1965 Chevy Impala. Tt had lots of options great gas mileage, and a smooth and quiet ride. I wish I still had that car today. Over the years I've purchased Chevy Impalas, Corvairs, Camaro, a Chevy Malibu, and Monte Carlo. The Monte Carlo had swivel, high-back bucket seats, but again, my favorite was the 1965 Chevy Impala.
I'm sure lots do also... Funny now we all have lots more lights and mail boxes with the house letters no one has to hunt down the house with a remote light on the car anymore...
The 1965 Chevrolet line needed little prodding to sell over 3,000,000 cars and trucks during the 1965 model year...and I saw very, very few of those custom accessories on any of the 1965 Chevies I saw!
Air Conditioning was an expensive option and many people did not even have it in their homes. Many other people figured why pay so much for a new Chevrolet with numerous options...instead buy an Oldsmobile! Also, families in the low-priced car market were trying to get by on a father's income with three or four children and a stay at home Mom....so no need for frivolous options.
@@SpockvsMcCoy Very few of us, other than the wealthy, had AC in our homes. Too expensive to run, and the cost to add it to a house that never had either it or central heating is prohibitive.
@@jamesbosworth4191 In the 1960s and 1970s I grew up in a house with a hallway heater and room air conditioners. The heater had a strong smell when turned on. The air conditioners were loud and blew out frigid air. All bedroom and bathroom doors were kept open to even out the temperature in the house. Then our family moved into a two year old house with central HVAC and an attached two car garage...luxury!
How about the optional TH-400 3-speed automatic available in full-size Chevrolets and trucks. Then there is the introduction of the Caprice model. Then there is the mid-year introduction of the 396 V8.
@@jamesbosworth4191 I knew a guy who had a 1965 Caprice. That really surprised me, I didn't think that the Caprice didn't come out until the 1966 model year. It had a 327 and a TH 400. Coulda been late production. I've seen plenty of other Chevy full-size cars, through 1970 which had a PG, even behind a 350.
@@automatedelectronics6062 A TH400 in back of a small block is unusual, but Chevrolet was building at a breakneck pace in 65, so they probably did whatever it took to keep production going. Couldn't pause production and have Ford pass them up!
