Caprice Quest

After several lengthy phone conversations and careful planning, in November 2021, I met Steve Sicklick to photograph his 1979 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Landau coupe at the Skylark Airport in East Windsor, Conn. During the photo shoot, we discussed his car, the ’70s and his family history. It was apparent that Steve has a special connection to this car, as it recalls a period in his life that goes decades back, to when his family owned a Chevrolet dealership in Connecticut. The history of Sicklick’s family with car dealerships, and how this Caprice Classic ties it all together, is a story only he can tell.

Here’s the story of this 1979 Caprice, as told by owner Steve Sicklick.

— Al Rogers

100 years of new-car dealing

I am a very lucky guy. I was born into an automotive family, with motor oil flowing through my veins. My grandfather, two great-uncles, father, uncle, aunt and cousins were individually, or together, in business as new-car dealers in Connecticut, beginning in 1920. They sold vehicles from Maxwell, White truck, Essex, Pierce-Arrow, Packard, Hudson, Chrysler, Plymouth, REO, Willys, Dodge and, lastly, Chevrolet, the latter from 1955-1982. I was at the Chevrolet dealership from September 1976 to November 1982, at which time the Chevrolet dealership was sold.

After managing the