“You think you might educate Americans about this thing in the coming weeks?” asked The Bishop, attaching a photograph of a General Motors muscle car never sold in the Lower 48. I can certainly try. Next came a photo of a badge with this message:
So obsessed with this brand. Like a Pontiac logo but two maple leaves to signify production on both sides of Lake Ontario. I mean, I’m a fifty-something American a few hundred miles from the border, know a whole bunch about cars and never knew this brand.
Wait, what on Earth are we looking at? Well see, there’s something called a Beaumont.
Welcome back to Pontiac—I was going to say Pontiac Pthursday, but this definitely isn’t a Pontiac. Even if it was sold at Pontiac dealerships. It more resembles a Chevrolet, because it’s mostly a Chevrolet, except it’s not a Chevrolet. That’s right, we’re going rogue on this adventure to the Great White North.
The Beaumont was the GM A-Body you likely either forgot about or never knew existed, and yes, you could get it with a big block. If you’ve never seen one before, it’ll look like an AI hallucination, but I assure you it’s very real. Buckle up, grab your ketchup chips, let’s give’r, bud.
Oh, Canada
Flash back to the early 1960s, and despite sharing a coast-to-coast border, the car markets of Canada and the United States were almost wholly divorced. Tariffs meant that only a tiny percentage of vehicles sold in Canada were made in the U.S., and that’s before we even get into geographical differences. See, Canada may be the second-largest country by land mass, but back in 1960, its population was only about as big as New York and Maine combined. These factors meant that dealerships were few and far between, U.S. manufacturers largely sold what was built in Canada, and different brands from the same corporate owners wanted similar product lineups.
At the time, Ford dealerships and Mercury dealerships were separate, as were Chevrolet dealerships and Pontiac dealerships. That’s why Canada got Mercury trucks, but regionalization went a whole lot further than that. A whole bunch of Canada-specific sub-brands popped up to fill lineup gaps, and when Chevrolet dealers started selling compact cars, Pontiac dealers wanted a fix. To keep the children happy in the wake of not being able to import the Pontiac Tempest, General Motors of Canada created Acadian. Not to be confused with the later Chevette-based Pontiac Acadian or the GMC Acadia.
If the new-for-1962 Acadian looked a lot like a Chevy II, that’s because it was. General Motors already made the compact Chevrolet in its Oshawa, Ont. assembly plant, so a new grille and some fresh trim were the simplest way of creating a small car Pontiac dealers could sell. A new emblem and marketing materials were made, and the first Acadians rolled out of the factory in three trims: Base, mid-range Invader, and range-topping Beaumont.
Turn It Out
Who likes a bit of change? In 1963, the new Canso trim fit between the Invader and the Beaumont, which gave the Acadian Beaumont to blossom into something else. See, GM was about to start up Chevrolet Chevelle production in Oshawa and knew Pontiac-Buick dealers wanted in on the action.
In 1964, the Acadian Canso moved up to the status of range-topping compact, while the Acadian Beaumont became its own model of vehicle, rather than just a trim. Think Canadian Chevelle with a split grille, single-lens vertical tail lights, and an instrument panel from a Pontiac Tempest. Offered in base, Custom, and Sport Deluxe trims, you could get this midsizer with a 194-cube straight-six, a 230-cube straight-six, or a 283 cubic-inch V8 in two different power levels. A whole range of body styles from coupe to wagon were offered, and the wagon offered seating for up to nine. Mind you, even though the upsized Beaumont used Chevrolet engines, it still wasn’t available with a big block. Turns out, it wouldn’t require much waiting.
In 1966, coinciding with the introduction of Coke bottle styling, Beaumont became its own distinct brand selling just one model, while the Acadian brand continued for the compacts. Confusing, sure, but it was the style. After all, this was around the time General Motors of Canada imported the Vauxhall Viva HA as its own creation, badged as the Envoy Epic but marketed solely as the Epic. Don’t worry, to make things more confusing, Vauxhall also existed in Canada back then too, but that’s a story for another day. Anyway, the 1966 Beaumont was once again a restyled Chevelle with a Tempest dashboard, only this time it gained some wonderful wraparound taillights and the option for some serious firepower.
Right On, Frankenstein
By the mid-1960s, 220 horsepower from a 283 cubic-inch V8 was looking a little feeble. After all, this was the muscle car era and Canadians were starstruck by the desire to go fast. What did the team behind the Beaumont do? They offered the 1966 model with a 275-horsepower 327 cubic-inch V8, but that wouldn’t be the range-topper. Nope. Welcome, everyone, to the Beaumont SD 396, SD standing for Sport Deluxe.
Under the hood sat a 360-horsepower 396 cubic-inch big-block Chevrolet V8 breathing through dual exhausts and pounding the pavement via either a four-speed manual or a Powerglide automatic transmission. Tick the row-your-own box, and you got an 11-inch clutch, but regardless of which gearbox you chose, heavy duty suspension and a special frame rounded out the beefed-up mechanical package. The Sport Deluxe trim also included bucket seats, fender louvers, and a whole host of cosmetic add-ons to subtly let the world know you were driving the hot Beaumont. A slight detune to 350 horsepower and the availability of a Hydramatic three-speed automatic were the big additions for 1967, along with slightly revised styling that really squared off the front end.
Sexy Results
Unsurprisingly, the 1968 body changeover for the Chevelle meant another generation of Beaumont, and guess what? The horsepower lineup expanded. A 200-horsepower 327 cubic-inch small-block replaced the old 283, the most potent 396 cubic-inch big-block gained a detuned 325-horsepower little brother, and big-block models could now be had with a cheaper three-speed manual. Meanwhile, the styling was more voluptuous than ever, yet continued to be a bit of a fever dream. The midsection was all Chevelle, sure, but the front and rear ends were vastly different. We’re talking double-layer taillights with horizontal chrome trim, and a split grille that somehow looked nothing like the ones on equivalent Pontiacs. It still looked the absolute business, but with a distinctly Canadian flair. Sort-of like denim-on-denim.
The last year of the 1960s was also the last hurrah for the Beaumont, not just in SD 396 trim but as a model and indeed a brand. Changes were minor, largely confined to new squared-off taillights with horizontal chrome trim, reverse lights moved from the bumper to the rear valence, and single-piece headlight fairings. Canada’s GM muscle car had done its run, and it was set to be completely replaced by the Tempest.
So, what happened? Well, in 1965, Canada and the United States signed something commonly known as the AutoPact. It erased tariffs and brought down trade barriers, so long as the big-three and Volvo agreed to maintain 1964 Canadian production levels. The result was that Canada really cranked up production of cars for the U.S. market, and importation of U.S. models became far more attractive. Add in the advent of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard which Canada largely adopted while shunning the collective UNECE approach, and it’s no surprise that the Canadian and U.S. car markets became increasingly homogenous.
Still, if you want a big-block A-body that will mess with people’s heads, keep an eye out for a Beaumont SD 396. They’re exceedingly rare, partly due to low production volumes and partly due to the harsh Canadian climate, but they’re out there. This 1969 Beaumont convertible with a 396 is currently listed on Kijiji for $65,500 Canadian, for example. Oh, and if you aren’t picky on engine, some Beaumonts were exported to Puerto Rico, and assembled from CKD kits in South Africa and Chile. How’s that for global reach?
100 Canada Geese/100 Pontiac Points
Verdict: The Beaumont wasn’t a Pontiac, but Thursday isn’t spelled “Pthursday” and rules were made for breaking. Long live the Canadian A-body, sold through Pontiac dealers and almost guaranteed to weird Americans out.
Top graphic image: HiBid
Somebody needs to watch rust valley restorers, I don’t usually go for the car restoration shows but like that one, they’re Canadian and did a Beaumont once.
An Acadian Invader is the car I want in my garage next to my Studebaker Dictator.
I’ve seen a few stogy 4 door Beaumont sedans around car show, but I had no idea they made some muscle car variants! A Beaumont SD 396 would be the coolest of cruise rides.
You’re a Woman, I’m a Rebadged Chevelle for guys named Gord
“That’s right, we’re going rogue on this adventure to the Great White North.”
Great Scott, even the classic muscle cars were rebadged Rogues!