Are we speakin’ French? Nope, just sounds like it as today’s review of a 1985 Pontiac sounds like a French model with its Parisienne name – but it’s not. Built in either Oshawa, Ontario, or Kansas City, Kansas, this fifth generation of the Parisienne nameplate was offered on GM’s venerable B-body platform from 1977 through 1986, and starting in 1983, the moniker was found on American market cars. Considered restorable with the right TLC, this Poncho sedan is located in Buffalo, New York, and is available here on eBay for a BIN price of $1,200.
As many already know, the Parisienne nameplate graced many Canadian-built Pontiacs from 1959 through the mid-eighties. While the Canadian-specific models were actually Chevrolet underpinnings wrapped in Pontiac duds, our featured car is a Pontiac through and through, though starting in ’77, GM’s Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick divisions were getting muddled together. Parisienne production was brisk in ’85 with approximately 81K copies offered in standard and Brougham trim, as well as a station wagon.
Our 114K mile example is in fair condition; the finish has gone a bit flat, and the vinyl roof covering has taken flight, but the body panels appear to be sound and rot-free – minus a few scrapes and contusions. The seller adds, “It Has A Very Solid Body & Frame.” The wire wheel covers were a GM staple of this era, but I don’t think I have seen them teamed up with while letter tires.
Under hood is a 165 net HP Chevrolet 305 CI V8 engine teamed up with a four-speed automatic, overdrive transmission. The seller states, “Runs, Starts & Can Stay Running, Long Enough To Be Loaded & Unloaded Onto & Off Of A Car Carrier -OR- Flatbed.” The seller adds that the gas tank needs to be replaced and the rear brake system is leaking.
The interior is festooned with a sleep-inducing pillow-top upholstery, which, like wire wheel covers, was an everywhere feature at GM in the mid-eighties and early nineties. It does appear, however, to be in nice and clean condition. The instrument panel is a typical GM affair – nothing fancy, but does include a huge vacuum gauge, advising the driver as to how much foot, he or she has into the accelerator. Unfortunately, the instrument panel lens has some sort of mung cascading down its face. Interesting to spy is the original Delco cassette player.
GM’s ’77 through ’90 B-body was a massive success! It came from a time when GM still got things right in a big way. While serving as the underside to all divisions except Cadillac, it supported an enormous array of models and body styles, from stripped-down Chevy Impala fleet models all the way to Buick LeSabres. I can’t find a total production number for those fourteen years, but it has to be enormous. Today’s find is just one more example of the many trims and models that rode that platform. But…this one’s a four-door sedan and probably not too collectible. Then again, for $1,200, what could go wrong?
I’m going to start out by saying Kudos to the seller for a realistic price. When I was a teenager when these were first out. I always thought they were more in line with the Olds 98 and Buick Electra. But in all reality, these were more along the size of the Olds 88 and Buick Lesabre. I guess the fender skirts must have thrown me off. I always thought these were larger, but looking now I see its more in line with the Impala, Caprice, 88 and Lesabre. I don’t see any rust, theres a lot to work with here, but I honestly dont know what would happen to this old Pontiac. It would be nice to see it fixed up. It was pretty much the end of the line of the full size rear drive Pontiacs. (1986 was it, one year past the 88 and Lesabre which ended in ’85).
These are literally the same body as the same years of Impala/Caprice. Pontiac’s prior B-body of that generation, the ’77-81 Bonneville, had some unique sheetmetal until they canceled it due to crashing sales related to the ’79 oil crisis and corresponding recession, moving that model name a size down to the G-body, essentially a refreshed and rebadged LeMans.
Then as the economy recovered, more buyers started wanting full-size cars again, and Pontiac realized they still needed a full-size model after all. So they started importing the Chevy-based Canadian-market Parisienne and kept that name here, since Bonneville was already taken by then, and eventually added US production at the KC Fairfax plant alongside the Caprice.
Actually, this Parisienne, as with all 1985-86 Parisiennes, regained most of the uniquely Pontiac sheet metal that had disappeared after 1981, along with the Pontiac upholstery that was last seen in the ’81 Bonnevilles (the 1982-84 base model Parisiennes used Caprice Classic upholstery, while the Brougham models were equipped with Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Brougham upholstery). Only the Caprice front clip with the Pontiac grille remained from the 1982-84 Parisienne.
Comfort and effortless motoring were the day for GM. The Parisiènne model was as Driveinstile points out, part of a popular platform.
Mèrci JO.
I bought one of these in 1994, it was a salesman car with the company that I worked for, it was supposed to have had 130,000 miles on it so I put in a sealed bid of 753 dollars. I didn’t want to end up in a tie like I did with another company car that I tried to buy. Anyhow I won the bid but had the option to not purchase if I didn’t like the car. A buddy from work took me about two hours away to go look at it up in Nebraska. We get up to the sand plant where it was located and it had 204,000 on it but it was a clean car otherwise, it also wouldn’t start. I almost left it there but we had driven over a hundred miles so I figured at least check around to see if we could find some jumper cables. Got it started and the motor sounded fine, no ticks or rattles, tranny shifted into gears fine. We let it idle for 20 minutes or so to get it up to temp and I told my buddy that there is one last thing I want to do. I pulled off the oil fill cap and it had nothing coming out of it in the way of blowby so I bought it. I drove that car for almost 5 years. I was hoping to make it to 300,000 but had to park it at 294,000. I would have made the 3 easy but I screwed up and showed my dad how to put it in OD for one of his road trips to Arkansas, he lugged it around and got it hot, never was the same after I replaced the headgaskets. Before I let him drive it that big beast would get 25 mpg
Sold, 3/26/2025
Steve R
In the ’80’s and ’90’s these were a big deal in the Middle East, and used ones were bought (and, I am told, stolen) and shipped over if they were in good cosmetic condition. A local independant repair garage was run by a Lebanese guy who was very active in this trade, made offfers to anyone that he saw who had one. He would consider the Caprice or the Buick, but the demand was for this Pontiac with the plush velour upholstery and the fender skirts and A/C. A friend had one into the late ’90’s and was often asked if he was ready to sell, it being red, with all the options, and being the “preferred” model and color.
Nice old Pontiac. Reasonable price too. I had a 79 Chevrolet Caprice in 4 door. I had to do alot of work to it. Before it was dependablle. After that it would go anywhere a 4 wheel drive would go. It had a posi rear-end. Then I saw the frame started rusting out and I traded it for some work on my bronco doors. If I knew I could have had the frame fixed . I would have had it done. I drove it about 15 years.
That flipped air cleaner lid…chewwaaahhhhhhh goes the Quadrajet.
Nice vehicle: realistic price: in my State: sold before I saw it, sadly…
I have 3 1985 parisienne broughams, one of which was bought for a parts car, because the roof (vinyl on top of course) is rusted through. It’s the same ugly green as this one. The others are in quite good condition, one black and the other maroon, and the maroon one has a moonroof. They all have the same pillowed seats, and most all the power options. I knew nothing about these cars until I bought an 84 parisienne with low mileage 22 years ago. It now has 296,000, the maroon one has 288,000 and the black one 242,000 miles. All have the same Chevy 305, and none have required rebuilding. The cars are effortless to drive, and ride beautifully. I’m so glad that GM made these cars, and glad that I have found the ones I have, found at different times over the last 22 years. They have increased in value when you can still find one; don’t even see them in junkyards much anymore. I’m so glad I bought that first 84 model, because I just took a chance on it having no idea how amazingly dependable and durable they are. Wish I could get a brand new one. My first one also got 25 mpg on the highway, before ethanol was added to gas. How very very sad that Pontiac, as well as Olds, which both made such elegant, fun, reliable cars are gone now. I believe in keeping these great old cars on the road as long as possible. They’re even more striking now than they were then, because of being surrounded by computers on wheels, with all the styling of a toothbrush
The inverted air cleaner cover speaks volumes regarding how it was driven
I inverted the air breather on my 1975 Impala and all that did was make it noisier. But then I was only 24 years old then. Kids will be kids.
Did it on my 1971 Caprice, mandatory back in the day.
Missing vinyl top saved the roof!