The plates are Michigan, but he doesn't sound like a Michigander ("hackey"). Interesting that he's collecting Canadian automotive heritage!

The Automotive Trade Agreement ("Auto Pact") went into effect Jan. 1, 1965, after which parts and completed vehicles were free of duty between Canada and the U.S., provided that the importer met the criteria of producing as many units in the importing country, as they sold there. This was a "managed trade" agreement, as it would be called now, but was quite a breakthrough in that long-ago era.

Because the North American producers (AMC and Studebaker were still on the scene, in those days, as was Kaiser-Jeep) had built supply bases for the stand-alone Canadian production over the years, it took a while for the full benefits of the agreement to work through the system. Some Oshawa- or Ste-Therese-built Pontiac models continued to get SBCs from MacKinnon, in St. Kitts, into the mid-'70s, while the imported Firebirds/Tempests etc. arrived with pedigreed Pontiac engines from the States.

I defer to members who have pre-1970 full size Canadian Ponchos, but I think he's off on his assessment of the sheetmetal on the '59 Parisienne, too. The Chevrolet chassis rode on a 219" wheelbase, while the U.S. Pontiacs shared their underpinnings with the smaller Olds 88s and Buick LeSabres of the day, at 222" Putting a Pontiac body-in-white on a 219" wheelbase would leave the hubs more than a little 'off centre' in the wheel arch. I believe the reduction came out of the floorpan behind the front seat, and a combination of the rear doors, on 4-door sedans, and rear quarter panels/trunk lid/trunk floor. More of a Pontiac door skin on a Chevrolet door, than a Pontiac body on a Chevrolet chassis. One would assume that the stampings were done by Canadian producers, like Budd, in Kitchener, or in-house.

I wouldn't necessarily agree that the number of Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealers was greater than the Chev-Olds-Cadillac population, back in the '50s and '60s, but would be willing to be corrected by someone with data. Pontiac was the leading nameplate for many years, back then, but it's not as though Chevrolet was an also-ran.

This is a really authoritative reference:

www.amazon.com/Canadian-Cars-1946-1984-Perry-Zavitz/dp/0934780439/ref=sr_1_3%2C0973574909%2C0934780439%2CB00SV773Z4%2CB00EPPXJI6%2CB00FDXF7D4%2C1880524503%2C1015200478%2C1626545480%2C1275562795%2C1275559840%2C1532884583%2C1910505617%2C1426216904%2C1320511740%2C1563929066

...I was fortunate enough to buy one before the price escalated into the stratosphere. It covers everything automotive in the Great White North, not just our beloved Canadian Ponchos. Not a particularly easy read - more of an academic treatise than entertainment - but it certainly describes a lot of long-forgotten chapters in our industry's evolution.

Anyone remember the Frontenac?

-- Edited by see2xu on Saturday 30th of October 2021 12:01:18 PM

-- Edited by see2xu on Saturday 30th of October 2021 12:31:03 PM

-- Edited by see2xu on Saturday 30th of October 2021 12:42:18 PM

When I was a teenager one of my friends had a 1963 Bonneville convertible. It was in a minor collision that damaged the right front fender. He obtained a 1963 Parisienne fender from the auto wrecker and it was over an inch shorter than the Bonneville fender. He took the original fender to a body man and had it repaired. He did use the Parisienne trim on the fender though, I cant remember what was involved to install the Canadian Pontiac trim on the US fender.

Paul

Yes, the owner is in Michigan. He has a cool collection of big boats from the 60's and 70's, most low mileage and unrestored.

see2xu is right on point here.

Indeed, Adam is incorrectly saying that his car has a "Catalina body on a Chevy chassis". He also mentions that a proof of that is that the wheels are not correctly centered in the wheel arches.

Actually, almost all the sheet metal is unique to Canadian Pontiacs, and almost nothing interchanges with a Catalina. Front fenders, for instance, have a very unique design and shape where they meet the cowl grille panel. Any impression that the wheels are not centered is more a result of them being so much inboard, and the compromise that had to be done, design-wise, to try and keep the whole car looking like a Pontiac, while riding on a Chevy chassis. It has nothing to do with a Catalina.

-- Edited by 59paris on Tuesday 16th of November 2021 04:20:27 PM