A while back on the 1978 Caprice Classic post, one of our commenters asked about deciphering the various General Motors platforms. My friend Carmine explained it all in a subsequent comment. There were a few even I hadn’t heard of (the Corvair was a Z-body?!). At the time, I intended to do a little post on it, and add pictures of the appropriate cars under his text. Of course, as often happens with me, it got put on the back burner, then was conveniently forgotten.
But today I remembered! So here it is, the Compleat Guide To GM Platforms. Enjoy. And thanks to Carmine, for running down all the different models.
1977 Buick Century Custom
A- Originated for the midsize RWD cars that replaced the compacts in 1964, Tempest, LeMans, Cutlass 442, GTO, Special, Skylark switched to the FWD A-body cars in 1982, Celebrity, Century, 6000, Ciera, retired in 1996.
1976 Pontiac Bonneville Brougham
B-The shorter wheelbase “big” standard car-originated around the late 40’s or so,used until 1996-Caprice, Impala, Bonneville, Delta, LeSabre.
1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham d’Elegance
C-The long wheelbase senior cars, Electra, 98, DeVille, Fleetwood Brougham.
1976 Fleetwood Series Seventy-Five. Photo: Jayson Coombes
D-Sometimes used for the big Fleetwood Series Seventy-Five sedan and limousines.
1974 Cadillac Eldorado convertible
E- Always used for GM’s large personal luxury coupes(Eldorado,Riviera,Toronado) from 1966 through at least 1993, longer on the Eldorado maybe.
1967 Chevrolet Camaro
F-Camaro/Firebird.
1971 Pontiac Grand Prix
G-Originally used for the stretched A-body Grand Prix and Monte Carlo (1969-72), later used on the RWD A body cars from 1982-1987, when the the FWD A’s came out in 1982, later used again on the G-body Oldsmobile Aurora and Buick Riviera in 1995.
1976 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega
H-Vega/Monza/Astre/Sunbird/Starfire/Skyhawk.
I-Never used as far as I know.
1984 Pontiac 2000 Sunbird
J-FWD compacts road roach made from 1982-2002 -replaced the H body, Cavalier, Sunbird, J2000, Firenza, Skyhawk.
1978 Cadillac Seville
K-Seville, used on the RWD 76-79 cars and the FWD 1980-85 and on through 1997.
1991 Chevrolet Corsica
L-Chevrolet Beretta and Corsica only.
M-Never used as far as I know.
1991 Buick Skylark
N-FWD “intermediate” compacts made from 1985-2004-Calais, Grand Am, Skylark, Sommerset, etc,-this was replaced by the first Epsilon cars.
O-Never used.
1988 Pontiac Fiero GT
P-Fiero!
Q-R-Never used.
S-Not used.
1977 Chevrolet Chevette
T-GM’s “world car” compact, the Chevette/T-1000/Acadian-don’t know if this was a T elsewhere under Opel or Holden etc.
1995 Pontiac Trans Sport
U-The plastic spaceframe “dustbuster” vans made from 1990-1996. Lumina APV, Silhouette, Trans Sport.
V-Not used.
1988 Buick Regal
W-FWD A/G body replacements, introduced in 1988-Cutlass, Grand Prix, Lumina, Regal-retired a few years ago when the last W-body Impala was made.
1973 Pontiac Ventura
X-Originally used for the RWD compact cars made through 1979, used again on the FWD Citation, Phoenix, Omega, Skylark, through 1985.
1962 Pontiac Tempest
Y-Originally used on the front engine/RWD GM compacts from 1961-1963, then used again on the Corvette from 1984 and up.
1965 Chevrolet Corvair
Z-Used on the Corvair from 1960-1969 and then on the Saturn S-series cars from 1990 and up.