...and by that I mean not just a version of the American car with a speedometer in km...
I'm thinking 1987 Pontiac Acadian. I believe it was the last year for the car, and by then the US already had a version of the Chevette, but it was called the '1000' (which became available in Canada as well).
I think the Parisienne was finished after 1986, and actually starting in 1983 it became the full size Pontiac in the US, after GM turned the Bonneville into a mid size car and customers complained about not having a full size Pontiac option. It was still a Canadian Poncho but by then it was no longer uniquely Canadian. Though it was still available in wagon version as the Safari until the end of 1989 in the US (and Canada maybe? Still haven't found a Canadian brochure for '89). So maybe the Parisienne Safari is the last Canadian Pontiac?
What do you think? Are there any models I'm not thinking about? I have some old memory in my head that there was a version of the Tempest sometime in the 1990s that wasn't available in the US, but can't confirm... maybe that was the last Canadian Pontiac?
I think we'd have a hard time convincing a Canadian owner that their Ste. Therese built 2002 Firebird or Oshawa built 2008 Grand Prix wasn't a Canadian Pontiac.
I think the Parisienne was finished after 1986, and actually starting in 1983 it became the full size Pontiac in the US, after GM turned the Bonneville into a mid size car and customers complained about not having a full size Pontiac option. It was still a Canadian Poncho but by then it was no longer uniquely Canadian. Though it was still available in wagon version as the Safari until the end of 1989 in the US (and Canada maybe? Still haven't found a Canadian brochure for '89). So maybe the Parisienne Safari is the last Canadian Pontiac?
Seriously, I'd go with the Parisienne. Don't think they were branded Parisienne Safari after 1986 or even built here, just Pontiac Safari ending in 1989 as mentioned.
Good points, Ray. I guess the further question is what constitutes a Canadian Pontiac (i.e. the reason for this website)?
Built in Canada? Built uniquely for the Canadian market?
I always thought of a Canadian Pontiac as being unique to the Canadian marketplace. Until 1965, this was a direct result of the tariff situation, then after the Auto Pact it became a little more blurry, and probably was mostly due to the size and market preferences of the Canadian market.
So IMHO, the Firebird and Grand Prix you referred to wouldn't qualify but perhaps the Daewoo Wave would (I had totally ignored those cars when new, and don't actually recall noticing one... ever). Also, IMHO, the 1968-71 Acadians are Canadian Pontiacs (errr... GM of Canada vehicles sold in GM of Canada dealerships that also sold Canadian Pontiacs...)
One thing odd is the 90 Caprice was still the boxy style. I wonder why they didn't take the Safari right through to the end of run for the boxy body? They quit a year early.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
if something like a 2002 Firebird is accepted as ok, even thought it was a US market done for Canada;
You know that for the USA, there was no such thing as a 2010 Pontiac (anyhting) right?
In Canada, unlike the USA, there was a 2010 Pontiac model year.
So those 2010 G5 GT's, or even more pedestrian versions, were in fact Canada-only Pontiac's...
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1970 Formula 400 Carousel Red on black (std) interior "no drivetrain option" car (same base drivetrain as GTO) 1:411 1970 Firebird Formulas originally sold in Canada
I don't recall there being no Pontiac in the US for 2010. So were the cars made from Sept thru January 2010 just titled as 2009s? Whomever wrote the Wikipedia article thinks they were branded as 2010s... but maybe they were just for the Canadian market?
"On April 27, 2009, GM announced that Pontiac would be dropped and that all of its remaining models would be phased out by the end of 2010.[25] Though both production and franchise agreements ended in 2010, Pontiac remains a registered and active trademark of GM."
"The last Pontiac, a white 2010 model year G6 4 door sedan, was built at the Orion Township Assembly Line in January 2010."
As usual, nothing ever is as simple as it seems...
To me a Canadian Poncho is a Pontiac made with a Chevy frame and drivetrain and a unique to Canada nameplate like say Beaumont or Acadian. The 86 Parisienne being sold in the us as an identical car makes it not a Canadian Poncho. IMHO.
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63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
To me a Canadian Poncho is a Pontiac made with a Chevy frame and drivetrain and a unique to Canada nameplate like say Beaumont or Acadian. The 86 Parisienne being sold in the us as an identical car makes it not a Canadian Poncho. IMHO.
I tend to want to agree with this statement.
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1957 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe sedan restored 261 six
1974 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon low mileage original 400 V-8
To me a Canadian Poncho is a Pontiac made with a Chevy frame and drivetrain and a unique to Canada nameplate like say Beaumont or Acadian. The 86 Parisienne being sold in the us as an identical car makes it not a Canadian Poncho. IMHO.
Yup, I'm 4SPEED427 and I approve of this message!
But that doesn't mean I don't like them as cars, they are great cars.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
To me a Canadian Poncho is a Pontiac made with a Chevy frame and drivetrain and a unique to Canada nameplate like say Beaumont or Acadian. The 86 Parisienne being sold in the us as an identical car makes it not a Canadian Poncho. IMHO.
Generally I like this definition but it does fall down, Take a 1975 LeMans Canada Cup GT, as long as it has a 350 Chevy it would be captured by this definition, but you get one with a 400 Pontiac and ....? Then the 1976 LeMans Olympic Edition, that's Chevy power all the way so yup. You get into the same issue with B bodies of this era, Laurentians and Parisiennes had a mix of Chevy and Pontiac power. Another one I notice all the time in sales ads is the 1970 GTO Judge, sellers always quick to point out its a Canadian Judge, as I believe these Oshawa cars had a few nuances.
To me the sweet spot of Canadian Pontiac's is the 1955 to 1970 era Big Cars with Chevy power and underpinnings, but it seems to me that maybe Canadian built and sold is a more generous and inclusive way to go.
