Those familiar with the French-sounding Parisienne automobile will likely associate the name with a Canadian-built and sold Pontiac sold with Chevrolet hardware. But from 1983 to 1986, it would be sold in the U.S. as a replacement for the Bonneville. The cars were largely Chevy Caprices, including the front clip. The seller has one from 1984 in Brougham 4-door sedan trim. Located in Gardiner, Maine, this car is one of 25,000 sold when new, yet you seldom see one now. It’s available here on craigslist for $11,000.
A mix-up in the model line-up and platforms used in the early 1980s left a void in the Pontiac line-up for buyers who like bigger luxury cars. So, between 1983 and 1986, the Parisienne was recruited to fill that need. Production continued in Oshawa, Ontario (Canada), and likely also added to the Kansas plant in Kansas City. The Parisienne is hard to distinguish from the Chevy Caprice of that era, except for badging.
The seller’s car presents as a nice survivor with 94,000 miles. It has a V8 engine, which we’ll speculate is a Chevy 350 cubic inch motor with a TH-350 automatic transmission. Because it’s also a Brougham, it’s loaded with goodies and has upholstery that’s as plush as they came in those days. The color scheme is brown, and it seems to be everywhere, including the vinyl top. This appears to be a well-kept car that Grandma or Grandpa could have driven most of its life.
While cash is always king, the seller is open to trades, including firearms made before the 20th Century. But if you have a motorcycle, truck, or SUV, he/she might also be interested. What have you got that would be worthing of replacing with a Parisienne? BTW, thanks for the tip, Tony Primo!
Great article Dixon. 👍 love these big GM sedans. Good eye Primo as usual.
The Chevy Bel-Air model was offered in Canada until the early 80s.
The grill pattern differ from the Caprice one, hubcaps too but it’s an evidence.
Vent shades on rear doors only? Who rode in back?