The American automobile market only gets certain makes and models when new, and back in the day, the Acadian was one such example that didn’t make it to the U.S. This nice example is for sale here on eBay in New York. Big thanks to reader local_sheriff for the tip, read on to see what it’s all about!
GM Canada started doing business around 1918, and has since produced many models with which American consumers are familiar, like Camaros, Silverados, and Trans Ams, to name just a few. They have also produced such models as Allure, Beaumont, and Laurentian, which their neighbors to the south never saw new in showrooms. The reasons why are…complicated, but we digress.
Specific to the car here, the Acadian was its own brand, produced from 1962 to 1971, and then again from 1976 to 1987. (The brand was also offered in Chile, but that’s a whole other can of beans). It was conceived to be based on the Corvair platform, but the bigwigs decided to go with the Chevy II / Nova and give it different looks through trim bits. Eventually, the Beaumont trim level that you see here became its own separate brand, and the ’76 to ’87 Acadian cars were essentially just rebadged Chevettes and T1000s. If you’re saying to yourself: “This looks like a Chevelle with Pontiac dash and different grille”, you’ve pretty much hit the nail on the head.
Looking now at the shiny machine before us, we see what looks like a rather nice example of a low- or mid-level red-on-red car with black soft top, and what looks to be velour on the seating surfaces. We’re told that it is powered by a 230-ci straight-engine, mated to a two-speed automatic transmission, and the odometer reads 12,000 miles. The seller also says that the top works manually, the car runs and drives, and the body is very nice in general. Thankfully, we’re given a decent amount of good pictures and an honest-sounding description. We’re not sure why the seller listed it as a Pontiac Acadian, but that’s not for us to judge.
If you’ve read any of my other work, you know that I like the less-common stuff just as much, if not more so, than the usual classics that we see every day. I personally would like to have something like this, if for no other reason than to be the only kid on my block to have one at the car show.
That’s my two cents, what’s yours? Let us know in the comments!
That rear clip looks like a Rambler.
The rear lights look like what we got on the 1966 Pontiac Lemans although in a different shape.
Up here in Canada the GM dealerships were either Chev Olds Cadillac or Pontiac Buick GMC.
Acadian were only sold at Pontiac dealerships hence the public here branded them as Pontiac acadian .
Plenty of these cars in montreal when i was a young kid
Mishmash of parts with some one offs also
Rare now
The cars were nice and so were the girls
Montrealers are still some of the pretiest women as they tend to be slimmer than our south of the border friends !!!
I am expecting blowback from this comment …
No disagreement here, Claudio. I’m a firm subscriber to the classic Louis Prima song “Closer to the bone, sweeter is the meat”. Check it out, it’s quite funny. Also, check out Zurich, Switzerland, where the cute girls riding by on bicycles abound!
Now that last line is FUNNY !!!!
“The bigger the waistband, the deeper the quicksand, or so I have read !” Spinal Tap. Big Bottom.
you want real spit fire girls get a mixture of italian and greek women, don’t cross them they have temper thats deadly, and this car is a mostly chevelle under neath, no tempest,gto,s sold in canada we had beaumont SD which had a chevelle ss interior!,
Being from Wisconsin, I can’t help but to agree with you. Then I look in the mirror & remember I am no different lol.
This is a neat car. Obviously not original interior, probably not original paint. Original miles? No way. I wouldn’t care though. I would drive it!
Here in Canada, we got Chevelles at Chevy dealers, and Beaumonts at Pontiac dealers. These were all powered by Chevy engines. A real nice example would be an SD with a big block. They were a Chevelle, yes, but because they were Canadian only there is real interest in them here. Much like Mercury trucks. Just a bit different.
When I first saw one of these,I thought that they
were kind of cool.But after seeing more of them I realized
that the US Chevelle was/is a better looking car.
These were also available with the L79 327 – 350 hp and of course are extremely rare.
Nice one eh? I’ve been interested in Canadian cars since I saw a book on them in the early ’80s. You guys sure have some neat stuff up there. Here of late, I’ve gotten to see some of them on
YouTube when the folks at Coldwar motors get one running and driving again.
I wasn’t aware that you could get AMC
products there until I saw the ’67 Ambassador he had just finished restoring. I can’t believe how many cars
he has. Here in Florida, you’re only allowed 3 cars on your property at one
time. Any more, and you’ll be getting a
visit from Code Enforcement.
Canada also used to get motorcycles banned here. Yamaha’s RZV500R comes to mind, a liquid-cooled V4 500cc two-stroke masterpiece.
This car sold on BaT on June 19 2020 for $9250 out of California. I’d say the seller is doing a flip.
The Canadian Vincent Vega’s automobile.
If Ward Cleaver drove this, it would be Hugh’s Beaumont.
Chevy II?
body looks like a Chevelle from here……
It does look like a Chevelle. I could be wrong, since I’m not from Canada. But I think it shared the same body and chassis with Chevelle. The only difference seems to be with the grille and taillamps.
The Acadian started out in 1962 as a Chevy II with Pontiac-style trim – a split grille being the main one – for Pontiac-Buick dealers..
For 1964 GM of Canada introduced the Acadian Beaumont – a Chevelle for Canadian Pontiac-Buick dealers.
1966 and the Beaumont was no longer an Acadian but still had Pontiac highlights. Last Beaumont was 1970. GM of Canada could now import cars from the US duty free (Autopact) – and did with the LeMans replacing the Beaumont.
All Beaumonts were built in Canada but the Nova-based Acadian was built at Willow Run starting in 1968. (Autopact again)
The Chevy II/Nova based Acadian survived to mid-1971. At that point Pontiac introduced the Pontiac Ventura II – a Chevrolet Nova with a Pontiac grille and unique taillights. And the Acadian was no longer needed. At least until 1976.
I am Canadian and know these cars. The seats did NOT come with the cloth insert when new. Someone has reupholstered them this way. And the dash doesn’t look stock either.
The Beaumont sedans and hardtops came with “normal” cloth and vinyl seats – seat was mostly vinyl but had cloth where the passengers sat or leaned back against. Wagons and convertibles were all-vinyl.
Vinyl bucket seats were optional on the Custom Sport Coupe and convertible.
You’re right about the cloth on this car. It’s from another era. Looks more 1980’s than 1960’s.
I agree with rex the rear looks like a Amc/Rambler and the front grill section looks like a Pontiac or Buick Front and the dash and the interior front seats and console look like they were taken out of a early 60’s to 65 Pontiac Tempest or a Lemans
I worked for NHRA at several National Events in the 60s as Canadian Advisor. I fought on a regular basis with Bill ‘Farmer’ Dismuke, the National Tech Director, over Canadian Pontiacs. He finally accepted that they were the same as Chevelle, full size Chevs and Chevy IIs for classification purposes. I finally convinced him when I told him that he just wanted to go with their name – ‘National’ and that other countries including Canada didn’t really count. THAT got his attention.
I like the Canadian cars. I would rather have a V8 but the 230 is a solid engine.
you want real spit fire girls get a mixture of italian and greek women, don’t cross them they have temper thats deadly, and this car is a mostly chevelle under neath, no tempest,gto,s sold in canada we had beaumont SD which had a chevelle ss interior!,
Not true. We had lots of Tempests and GTOs.
How about Italian & Irish mixed? Scary chick!
I once dated a Puerto Rican and Polish chick too. That turned out to be a bad combo.
Seats and dash don’t look right,seats seem too thick and square, don’t ever remember velour and the dash seems wrong thought don’t remember that skinny oval, thought the gauges were one larger area from the dash to the boy. Mmmm what was it I had for breakfast??? Lol
Really cool and I’m surprised that they don’t go for more money!! I think if it had more horses under the hood it would probably get more money!!
I am Canadian and I once owned a Beaumont ,1966 vintage, but those cars were definitely not acadian related . The acadians were made by Chevrolet and the Beaumonts were positively Pontiacs . Although if you put a 66 Beaumont side by side with a 66 Chevelle you could have some fun noting the subtle differences between the 2 cars both produced by GM wearing different badges. Mine was a 396 powered 375 H.P. close ratio 4 speed , 2 dr. hdtp . Loved that car .
Hi Stan
I have a 1965 Beaumont Acadian 2 Door Convertible in my barn and I have the registration that states it , this car I understands it one of only a few , we were told there were only 24 units built and they were only issued by a draw or lottery to the dealers , which this one came to New Brunswick
Dave
So , you have a real barn find, real beaumont in New Brunswick and a topless to boot
Show us pictures and i will come see you this summer while visiting friends !
Wholly cow. Read up on stuff before posting misinformation.
Look at canadianponcho.activeboatd.com for correct information. There’s information on the Acadian and the Beaumont. Too many people saying they know this and that, which some is partially true. Beaumont’s were not Pontiacs. Acadians were not Pontiacs. I have 2 of each and have had a few over the years, so I think I’ve got a better handle on them than some.
Google Canadian Beaumont and you’ll get the lowdown. Same with Acadian.