GM car and truck platforms

[joe_padavano]

An oldie but a goodie, it's probably time to make this a sticky.

Here's a primer on GM car line nomenclature (note this list is about 10 years old and GM has changed the nomenclature since then, but it covers most of the cars of interest to this forum):

GM Passenger Vehicles:

A - 64-81: RWD Cutlass/Skylark/Chevelle/LeMans/Malibu/Regal/Special
82-96: FWD Ciera/Century/Celebrity/6000
A Special - 69-81: RWD Coupe Monte Carlo/Grand Prix

B - 62-96: RWD Delta 88/LeSabre/Caprice/Bonneville/Roadmaster/
Parisienne/Catalina/Impala,etc
92-96: Buick Roadmaster
94-96: Impala SS

The B-body has always been RWD, and ceased to be produced around December 14th, 1996. The B body Bonneville was discontinued in 1981 and then brought back as the Parisienne in about '84. 1985 marked the last year for Olds and Buick RWD B-cars, and the new for '86 FWD models were built on the 'H' platform, which closely resembled the FWD 'C' cars. B-body wagons continued past '85; Pontiac was the first to be discontinued ('90??), followed by Olds ('92), then Chevy and Buick early in 1996.

C - 83-Dn: RWD 98/Electra 225
84-Up: FWD 98/Park Ave

D - Dn-96: RWD Fleetwood/Sedan DeVille/Limo
85-96: RWD Cadillac

When the 'C' cars went FWD in '85, the rear drive Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham (renamed only Brougham from '87 -'92) continued to be produced, and became the D-body.

E - 64-94: Toronado/Eldorado/Riviera

F - 67-up: Camaro/Firebird

G - 82-88: RWD Sedan Cutlass/Regal/Malibu/Bonneville
95-up: FWD Aurora/Riviera
G Special - 82-88: RWD Coupe Cutlass/Regal/Monte Carlo/Grand Prix

I'm sure many Canadians would associate the '80s use of the Bonneville nameplate with the 'G' platform (4-dr), while 'Parisienne' would grace the Canadian B-body conterparts. The G body was renamed the Bonneville instead of the LeMans in 1981.

There are some contemporary magazine articles (Motor Trend, for example) that actually use the G-body designation to describe the Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, and Cutlass Supreme as early as 1970. It would also make sense chronologically, since that would have been between the F-body, first used in 1967, and the H-body, first used in 1971.

Note that while the 78-88 intermediates are all referred to as "G-bodies", the G-body designation was not formally used until the FWD A-body cars were released for the 1982 model year.

H - 71-77: Vega
H Special (HS body) - 75-80: RWD Starfire/Skyhawk/Sunbird/Monza
(also called H07)
H - 85-Up: FWD Bonneville/Delta 88/LeSabre

Pontiac introduced their FWD H-body, the Bonneville, in 1987.

J - 81-Up: FWD Firenza/Skyhawk/Sunbird/Cavalier/Sunfire/Cimarron

K - 75-79 RWD Seville
80-Up: FWD Seville
K Special - 84-Up: FWD Deville/Concours

When this small Cadillac was introduced in 1975.5, it was based on the Nova's X-body platform, but GM made so many changes to the 'X' chassis that they gave the Seville a K-body designation (GM's K-car !). The 'K' platform remained a separate entity until about 1991. If I remember correctly, it was amalgamated with the 'C' cars in '92. The K-cars had much in common with '80 and up E-cars.

L - 87-96: FWD Corsica/Berretta

M - 85-Up: FWD Chevy Sprint/Geo Metro

N - 85-Up: FWD Calais/Somerset-Skylark/Grand Am

P - 84-88: Fiero
97-Up: Electric - EV1

P-90 - 97-Up: FWD Malibu/Cutlass

R - Geo Spectrum/Storm

S - 84-Up: Chevy Nova/Geo Prizm

T - 74-85: RWD Chevette/T-1000

U - Lumina APV/Silhouette/Transport

V - 87-93: Allante
97-Up: RWD Cadillac Catera

W - 88-97/98: FWD (GM-10) Cutlass Supreme/Regal/Grand Prix/Lumina
97/98-Up: FWD (MS-2000) Intrigue/Monte Carlo/Grand Prix/Century/Regal/Impala

X - 62-79: RWD Nova/Omega/Ventura/Apollo/Phoenix
74: GTO
75-79: F-85, Skylark
80-85: FWD Omega/Skylark/Phoenix/Citation

Y - 53-Up: Corvette

Z - 58-69: Corvair
90-Up: Saturn

GM Trucks:

C - All: Full Size 2WD Pickup
Dn-87: 2WD Blazer/Jimmy/Suburban/Crew Cab
92-Up: 2WD Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban/Crew Cab

G - All: Full Size Van

K - All: Full Size 4WD Pickup, including Blazer/Suburban/Crew Cab except 88-91
Dn-87: 4WD Blazer/Jimmy/Suburban/Crew Cab
92-Up: 4WD Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban/Crew Cab

L - 91-Up: AWD Astro/Safari

M - 85-Up: 2WD Astro/Safari

P - Delivery Van

R - 88-91: 2WD Blazer/Jimmy/Suburban/Crew Cab (old-style body)

S - 82-94: 2WD S-10 Pickup/S-15 Pickup/S-10 Blazer/S-15 Jimmy
95-Up: 2WD S-10 Pickup/Sonoma/Blazer/Jimmy

T - 82-94: 4WD S-10 Pickup/S-15 Pickup/S-10 Blazer/S-15 Jimmy/Bravada
95-Up: 4WD S-10 Pickup/Sonoma/Blazer/Jimmy/Bravada

U - 88-96: Lumina APV/Trans Sport/Silhouette
97-Up: Venture/Trans Sport/Silhouette

V - 88-91: 4WD Blazer/Jimmy/Suburban/Crew Cab (old-style body)

[Olds64]

Very cool information Joe. I never knew there were so many designations. I stick to B/C body stuff and I am aware that A and G bodies exist.

[Oldsguy]

Wonder why they never designated the Q body?????

[citcapp]

No Q body. thats queer isn't it

[Oldsguy]

Yes it is quite odd.

[Olds64]

There wasn't an I or an O body either. You have something against those letters? You are such a bigot.

[mugzilla]

They look like numbers ..?

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by mugzilla

They look like numbers ..?

I believe you are exactly correct.