A unique CANADIAN  car from GENERAL MOTORS of CANADA

The Beaumont is the Canadian built sister car to the Chevelle. They are not, as some believe "Canadian Chevelles". The Beaumont is a separate model that shares many of its components with the Chevelle, some from the Pontiac LeMans, Tempest, GTO and some unique to the Beaumont only. The Beaumont was built at the GM Auto-Plex in Oshawa, OntarioCanada on the very same line that built the majority of the Chevelles for Canadian auto buyers.

The Beaumont body was virtually identical to the Chevelle sporting a different grille, tail panel and utilized a Chevelle frame and driveline. The interior was also shared with the Chevelle with exception of the dash which was shared with its US built Pontiac A-Body counterparts (LeMans, Tempest, and GTO).

To further complicate matters, the Beaumont was sold new at Canadian Pontiac dealers but was not a Pontiac. Because of import taxes on US built cars (Lemans/GTO) coming into Canada for resale the Canadian Pontiac dealers demanded a car to compete with the successful Chevrolet Chevelle.

The Beaumont started out as an option on the 1962 released Acadian, the sister car to the Chevy II, Nova. The Beaumont continued as an option on the Acadian in 1963 and ended with the introduction of the Chevelle in 1964. It was then that the Beaumont made the move from the H-Body platform to the A-Body platform and received a distinct model designation. The Beaumont was produced from 1962 until 1964 as an Acadian option and as its own model from 1964 to 1969. Production of the Beaumont ceased at the end of the 1969 model year.

I get all kind of comments down here. I've had people think it is a custom built car. They ask what a SD Chevelle is. I had a couple guys that had drank 1 (or 10) too many beers stand behind the car for 5 minutes argueing with each other. One would say IT'S A CHEVROLET then the other said NO, IT'S A PONTIAC. They kept saying the same thing over and over. I didn't correct them. I always put a 68 Beaumont sales brochure on the front seat for people to look at. The few people that actually know what it is usually refer to it as a Canadian Chevelle. To that, I usually tell them that is basically what it is but don't the the Canadians here them say that,  I'll tell them about G M of Canada building the Acadian Beaumonts starting in 1962 based on the Nova platform and the Chevelle platform cars becoming Beaumonts. I'll tell them how many SDs were built. At every show I get asked how much I paid or what it's worth. I NEVER answer that question. I just shrug my shoulders and tell them that there are no price guide for the Beaumonts since so few are sold. A lot of them think it's a 6 figure car since there are so few left. I really enjoy telling everyone what I know about the Beaumonts.
James


-- Edited by jfkheat on Tuesday 13th of April 2010 11:30:04 PM

-- Edited by jfkheat on Tuesday 13th of April 2010 11:31:05 PM