I remember as a kid of 10…walking to the Canadian Embassy in Vienna after my parents decided to emigrate to Canada from Czech Republic after the Russian invasion. My dad had his brand new Skoda MB 100 with its stable of 42 horses under the hood. It was finished off in a sober socialist shade of beige…but it was a source of pride for all of us at the time. With that said, on our short walk to the governor’s building, we rounded a corner and there sat a brand new gleaming burgundy Pontiac Parisienne Convertible with black leather interior…and the top down, chrome literally spilling out of it in every direction. I remember going into what I can only describe as a slight altered state as I gazed at this beautiful behemoth..with a dashboard that went on forever….and under which our Skoda could have served as an ashtray. It seemed impossible that a car like this existed. That it could somehow still float down the narrow streets of this ancient European city like some kind of another worldly vessel. I still remember trying to pronounce the name before knowing any English and how the oddity of it only added to the allure. To cut this story short, we ultimately left the Skoda at the Vienna airport, jumped on a red and white, maple-leaf adorned DC 8 and emigrated to Canada. In about a years time…my father actually bought his first American car…an absolutely gorgeous 1966 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88…finished in deep emerald…with well over 300 hp…leaving us wondering how that Skoda could ever function with just 42 horses. I actually still remember the first time we had a ride in an American car…it was white 1967..2 door Olds Delta 88 with a black hardtop roof…and when Mr. Jean leaned into it, which he seemed to do at every light, I almost flipped over while my 7 year old brother came close to losing his lunch. It was truly like a ride on a roller coaster after being used to my dad’s anemic shifts in our communist jalopy. What beautiful cars these American works of art were back then.
@@gravedigger525......And maybe when I do get into a discussion 'bout Communist and socialism maybe I should think 'bout this discussion!!!!.I can understand on why people would want to defect to the west , This is one such reason!!!!.
Thanks for commenting……we ( I am from Northern Indiana !)heard about, & a few came to US, FROM CANADA, WHEN I started Driving(* 1962, etc)….my “” AHA , Car moments were with seeing Lincoln’s,loaded Grand Prixs’, etc””.
Canadian Pontiac models were all built on Chevrolet frames with all Chevy underpinnings. This is due to tariffs and it didn't end until 1970. This is why you see different hoods, Chevrolet pedals and steering columns and of course Chevy powertrains. Canadian Pontiacs were not "Wide Track" but rather the narrower Chevrolet track width too. I don't know how you find all these great cars but please keep it up.
I can't say I really liked them either. Maybe it's just because we are used to things made or built in America is sort of the Standard for everywhere else! They just didn't look right to us, and also what was the need to make them different?
Interesting tidbit, 67 Grand Prix’s sold new in Pennsylvania used the valance mounted parking lights of the Catalina and Bonneville rather than above the bumper. This is because Pennsylvania didn’t allow parking lamps above headlamps. On these Pennsylvania GP’s they left out the upper parking lamp lenses so those slots in the head panels were just open slots. Another grande Parisienne tidbit is that 67 was the only year they used the Grand Prix roofline on two door hardtops. Before 67 the grande Parisienne used the regular Pontiac roof (like a Catalina) and in 68 they couldn’t use the Grand Prix roofline because the 68 GP had a unique rear end with unique quarter panels, trunk and bumper etc. So the 68 grande Parisienne reverted to the regular Pontiac roofline but using the 68 Grand Prix hideaway front end. For 69 and later the grande Parisienne used the standard Pontiac body look because there was no longer a full sized Grand Prix to copy.
"67 Grand Prix’s sold new in Pennsylvania used the valance mounted parking lights..." Wow, fascinating? Any photos? "Pennsylvania GP’s... left out the upper parking lamp lenses... just open slots" One would think Pontiac could just leave out the bulbs. Wouldn't dirt and water collect in those slots?
MarinCipolina There is, UP here in the Cleveland Ohio area a 1969 Acadian Beaumont SD396 that I'm aware of. Ofcoarse it looks alot like a 69 Chevelle SS396 but with all that Canadian Pontiac trim, as I understand it 1969 was the last year that GM did this.
Neat video! The red wagon you show isn’t a grande parisienne though. It’s actually a US model, an Executive wagon that someone added the Grand Prix front end bits to. You can tell because of three elements. First is the Executive name plate on the fender, second is the 8 lug wheels which were US model only and most importantly the hidden windshield wipers which were a Pontiac exclusive in 67 were not used on Canadian Pontiacs which were really just chevies with some Pontiac looking sheet metal.
How I was wish my father was still alive so he and I could watch your channel Adam. He would certainly have stories to tell me as he was working on the assembly lines in Oshawa when these very cars were being built. Thank you for preserving and educating us on our automotive history..
Adam, I am still grappling with the whole concept of a Grande Parisienne Safari. I wonder what sort of creatures one might encounter in the Bois de Boulogne. 🤔 On the day after the Academy Awards ceremony it is worth remembering, we'll always have Paris. 😁
As a former owner of a handful of classic Pontiacs, I considered myself well-versed in all models, including the Canadian models. I never knew this car existed until today. Thanks for sharing!
The 70's sucked but man, so many great great cars. Pontiacs, Buicks and models we have just forgotten about. Plus the paint colors were just great. I never thought I would have an affection for any of those cars as a kid, but now, they seem just right in their own way.
Surprising GM went to the trouble of making a separate hood for the Canadian Pontiacs -- apparently just to not include the US Pontiacs' hidden wipers. 5:35 stunningly beautiful 4 dr hardtop -- and I love the wheels too!
Canadian models were actually creative in how they were put together. The incomes were lower in Canada so that market could not afford the more upscale U S cars in large numbers. So rather than just insulting them by pushing the lower end US cars or de-contenting them, they developed unique models for Canada with unique names. To adjust for the price,many times they used engines and bodies from lower divisions but in the end came up with some sharp looking cars.
5:22 Thank you , why so many 60s/70s car owners put these over the top big wheels on their cars. Bad taste in my opinion. Same here in europe with 22" alloys on every car. Looks ugly.
Agreed. These land yachts of the ‘60s were designed for 14s & 15s. Most can tolerate 16s without looking bizarre (and having more tire choices in today’s market). Beyond that… no thanks!
Back in 1967 I knew 2 different people who owned gold with black top and interior Grand Prix convertibles. What cars for the time! Got to ride in one of them. That was a popular color combination for Grand Prixs that year. Great styling and was impressed seeing that front end on Grand Parisiennes on 4 doors and wagons on trips to Canada.
GP's were top of the line for Pontiac.Luxury with a bit of sport thrown in, back then they were much more fun than a Caddy and more upscale than a Chevy. Pontiac and Oldsmobile were my favorite GM brands. Back then GM gave each of it's brands a different feel with each division having its own engines, sheet metal, interiors, etc. When that ended it didn't make sense to market 5 different mediocre chevy''s. As GM's market share shrank year after year, only Chinese Buick sales saved them. Buick doesn't make cars any more, just SUV's. GM's EV program went from first to dead last, in a decade. Like Chevy, Buick doesn't build passenger cars any more. nor do they plan on doing so in the future. So says Mary Barra, GM's beloved CEO. She says GM can't make a profit from ICE cars, except for the C8. She declined all questions about the next gen Vette. EV or hybrid? My guess is that it will be hybrid,
What most people don't think of i,s the fact that Canadian Pontiac were Pontiac body with Chevy engines. there were no Pontiac engines in Canada in the 1960's. The Canadian Pontiac I liked best was the 1969 Beaumont SS396.
Great video I love how our Canadian Pontiacs have unique models and drivetrain options when compared to their US cousins....this even applied to the T-body ....in the US Pontiac didn't have a Chevette counterpart untill 1981 but Pontiac Canada had the t-body Acadian starting in 1976....I'd love to have a 427 Grand Parisienne Safari 4spd...I'll keep dreaming as I rebuild my 1964 Parisienne 2dr 283 Powerglide....same as my grandfather had...Karl from eastern Canada
Has anyone ever come across a Beaumont, similar to the Chevelle and GTO, that has the "Cheetah" package? These were low volume dealer installs from Conroy Pontiac Buick in B.C. Some offered with a 427. Pretty cool cars!! And rare.
As a kid I remember the N & N logging truck that lost brakes coming down Taylor Way's 9% grade, ending up in Conroy's showroom. May have been Rogers Pontiac before Conroy???? Those logging trucks had water cooled brakes, us kids were amazed at the steam and bit of water trailing behind.
I’ve always considered the ‘67 Pontiacs to be the most daring in their already excellent styling. From the brand new Firebird, the intermediates and the full size. They were really pushing the envelope this year.
Only came across a couple 428s in my life. One was a guy from Church...other was a buddy in HS mid 80s. 68 FIrebird had headwork healthy cam and 4.11s Will never forget feeling that engines vibration in my chest when he fired it up and how easily with no throttle it would smoke the tires. That thing was frigging fast.
As an 70s kids we used to ride to the local dealerships to see the new models. Nice treat to look forward to . Today they all look the same to me. Cant tell a MB from a Toyota to a Kia or chevy. TIn boxes of electronics desined to fail.
Why only Pontiac came in a Canadian model? Why not Olds Buick and Chevy? What made Pontiac the chosen one? Love these reviews of cars from the mid to late 60s and early 70s. Especially when artist renderings of initial designs are shown. It's fun to see the concept and how it ended up. I love those mid to late 60s luxury cars like the 98, Electra and DeVilles. Those years in my opinion were the best and just before plastics became the standard over higher quality materials especially on the interiors.
Pontiac was a sales leader here in Canada because they were about the same price as Chevrolet, but with more style and nicer interiors. My father owned a 63 and a 65 Parisienne, and I owned a 74 and a 79.
I’ve mentioned my uncles car like this a few times already on your channel, thanks for featuring it, Adam! 🎉 his biggest problem is fender skirts limiting how much tire you can put under it to manage the 427 4bbl power…
Living in mid-michigan not very far from Port Huron Michigan We have the privilege of seeing The Canadian built Pontiacs, Quite a few live in the Port Huron,Michigan area be it a Beaumont, Acadian, Laurentian, Parisienne, etc. A lot of car people over there and a lot of Canadian people come over for the car shows with their Canadian built Pontiacs !
I love your videos. However, on the wagon, I think this was a Bonneville in that the name tag on the fender looked like it said Bonneville. Also the wagon had hidden windshield wipers, whereas the other models had exposed wipers.
Good eye. Bonneville Safaris didn’t have the hidden headlights. Someone had put the GP front end on it. However, Grande Parisiennes did have this front end.
My dad had a 1967 US Catalina Safari and you are on to something, the concealed wipers were standard on all US full size Pontiacs, not Chevrolets. Concealed wipers were in industry first in 1967 and only US Pontiacs had them. BUT, the Bonneville did not ever have the wood - only the Executive Safari came w/ wood - my dad later had an Executive Safari and that was the only full size Pontiac wagon w/ wood from 1967-70.
A friend inherited one from her grandfather. Hasn't seen pavement since the 80's. We did a bunch of work to get it running the other year. Few more bits to square up and we will have it on the road 1962 with the original 327
A friend i know has a 1978 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham 4-door sedan. He bought the car used in Lloydminster, Alberta. The car is alpine white with burgundy vinyl roof and interior. It is fully loaded with all the toys, and 1978 was the year Canada 🇨🇦 went on the metric system, and the speedometer is kilometers per hour large, miles per hour small.
I always remember the Chevrolet Tonawanda sticker on my sleeper 67 StratoChief with a 396 and Muncie M21 4-speed. To this day the 396 is my favorite engine!
That ‘67 wagon is so cool! Back in 1978 I went on family vacation to Canada and remember seeing these hidden headlights Pontiacs, also spotted Beaumonts and my first Mazda RX7. You can see what makes a wide-track Pontiac special if you compare it to a Chevy based Canadian model. I love the Expo 67 background drawings in the brochure!
Maybe, it's the "run what you brung" mentality, but I'd take the time to line up the headlamp doors for show and tell, especially pics. This goes for hoods and doors, as well. Show a little pride and do your part to cure OCD ;-)
I totally agree with you on this being OCD. You can't help but notice the ones that are bad. I've had the front bumper assembly of my 67 off twice to replace pivot bushings and stops to align the doors. Just do it!
Only US Pontiacs had concealed wipers in 1967, that was an industry first so that wagon is suspect. And only the Executive Safari had wood, not the Bonneville from 1967-70.
My first experience seeing these was when my parents took a trip to Alberta and British Columbia in 1972. I saw both 1967 and 1968 Pontiac’s with Grand Prix front ends. Very cool!
Thanks Adam. I learned a lot from this video...my brother has the likely 1-of-1 376hp 428 HO red/red 4-spd US GP convertible...knew very little about Canuck variants.
Always loved the unique aggressive and sporty look Pontiac gave these vehicles. Never knew they were Canadian exclusive. Good to know. 👍🏻Excellent documentary on this.
Compare this art-gallery worthy nose with "Bunkie Beaks" of '70-71 T-Birds! Sublime-to-ridiculous doesn't begin to express it. (Kudos for your polite post about those Birds, dear gracious Adam🙏.)
I've always thought the '65 and '66 models were the standout Pontiacs of the decade. The '67 and later cars were, for me, a disappointment. I grew up in Montreal. When I was a kid, one of my brothers had a red four-door '64 Parisienne and the other a black '65 Parisienne Custon Sport Coupe. And our next door neighbour drove a silver ''63 Parisienne. They were all beautiful cars! I wish I could have that black '65...
Back in 1975 I saw a Gold 1964 Pontiac Grand Prix for sale on Lacey Way in Olympia, WA! It happened to be a very clean low miles example with something like 68000 miles. At the time it was for sale for $650 but that was a lot for a 16 year old kid washing dishes at a local restaurant! Anyhow I was driving a wore out 1962 Chevy 2. I had to sell the car I had before I could buy anything else. Unfortunately and sadly for me the Grand Prix sold before I got the Chevy 2 sold. It was one of my most serious car regrets of my life! Once the Chevy 2 was sold I did get a deal on a black 1968 Chevy Nova SS with 4 speed. It had a bad clutch and a rear end problem but it was a really decent car otherwise. Once I got those issues resolved it was a great car for a young guy!
Adam, having grown up in Alberta Canada, (note the 1967 Centennial plate on the car you feature here ^ ) and also being a French immersion kid in the Canadian school system, I clearly remember the Parisienne and Laurentian nameplates (and all the other Canadian model variations, such as Acadian, etc.) I especially wanted to thank you for pointing out the “assembly plant oddities” that I then never knew about: i.e. the “stealth turn signals” … of this stylish front end treatment going on the 4-door above but never being available on 4-door chassis in The States. Thanks to your research focus, I also enjoyed learning about your Canadian-built blue 6-cyl ‘59 Pontiac sitting on the slightly non-aligned Chevy chassis, making it your beloved, smooth idling but “slightly un-wide track” Pontiac 😊 Where else are we going to get deep-dive content like this ? Appreciation here 🤙🏼
Very happy you covered the 67 Parisienne model and please do more of these weird Canadian cars. Lot of us have very little idea what was available in Canada.
I miss my 67 Grande Parisienne, 4 door hardtop , Black Vinyl top , Black paint and kinda dark red interior Just a base small block engine and powerglide transmission , one of the best riding cars I owned , I am now about to turn 60 and being disabled , I could never find one affordable to fix up myself, I sure liked that car though ... I did find a 67 BOnneville a few years later , in better shapr bodywise , however I let it get away too , shame on me These are some of the best driving full size cars I have driven
Some of us in Canada wished for the wide tracks. Canadian Pontiacs were built on Chevrolet frames. I remember a guy here who had a 1961 Bonneville. That car was huge and long. They could be special orderd however the import tarrifs at that time pushed the cost 12:37 to the same price as a Sedan de Ville.
I owe someone an apology for insisting that Laurentian was lowest-line. It seemed so when I was a 🇨🇦kid, and is in print that way at times; but a Pontiac-produced document must be right.
I'll say it again, those mid 60s Pontiacs were just so beautiful. I remember my dad's 66 Bonneville, with that FM radio and reverb including that great interior .
The blue Grand Parisienne 4 door hardtop pictured was originally sold to the Russian Embassy in Ottawa! It's one of 2159 8 cylinder 4 door hardtops built. Owner still has original wheels/hubcaps.
These Pontiacs were the ultimate cruisers ! Super cool - even great with a big straight 6 cyl . Engine and a 3 spd . Transmission w/ the clunky column shift . Really good cars !
Good stuff. I think 67 was the year steering columns were re-engineered for safety on US built cars. Maybe that is the reason for the different steering wheel.
Laurentians followed by Parisiennes were probably the most common of the GM car models when I was young in the 60s. More than Chevys in the full size category. I don't recall anyone having a Strato Chief.
Living just south of montreal on the u.s. Side of the border i used to see parisienne as well as other canada only models from gm. I notice that some photos you show in the vid have hidden wipers but other models you show have exposed wipers
Hey Hey ... Some of use love American Racing Torque Thrust rims ! 👊🤣👍 Also note you could get a bucket seat interior with a 3 or 4 speed manual stickshift ! Wow ! What a gentleman's muscle car that would have been.
I actually owned a 67 Grand Parisienne coupe a few years back. Was a real head turner and looked good with the headlight doors closed or open. Kinda gave the car a completely different look.
Funny how that name that was popular in Canada wasn't used in the US until they put it on their full size car that they should have called the Bonneville but they put that name on a mid size car that should have been named the Lemans
Thanks for doing 67 Pon Tons. I didn't know about the Canadian Pontiacs in that way. Very cool. We used to see the Laurentians and Parisiennes on the Northway I - 87. I grew up in Schenectady NY.
I really enjoy the Canadian car features as that is right up my alley. Speaking of which I have three of the 67 Grande hardtops in my back yard that I collected to keep them out the the hands of the crushers. Very low production around 2500 if I recall correctly. They need work but you could make one really nice one out of the three. Every once in a while I look at those sexy front ends and get ambitious and then I remember my other projects. Too bad!
Could a U.S. citizen buy a Canadian Pontiac back then to own in the U.S.? BTW, when I was a teen ,my mom & dad & family visited our relatives in Canada in the late sixties. I used to see those Pontiac, & called them “Paris- Scenes” . They were beautiful cars indeed. I thought more stylish than US GM cars.
Gold with a black top and interior was my first car. It had a 350 hp 400 and would absolutely grind the right rear tire until cords were showing !!! Loved that car and wish it had survived my youth. I always wanted to put the engine into a much lighter Ventura and race around with that but after the sad demise of the GP I got a Cuda with a 440 6 pack and was Mopar from then on.
