Photo: i-deal-it/eBay
Founded in 1918, ten years after General Motors was established in the US, GM Canada manufactured several well-known Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, and GMC vehicles. But it also produced a series of Canada-exclusive models that remain relatively unknown outside the North American country. The Acadian Beaumont is one of them.
The Acadian resulted from the Auto Pact (APTA) signed between the US and Canada in the 1960s. The deal prohibited sales of certain American-made cars in Canada to stimulate local manufacturing. And GM responded by creating new marques for the Canadian market.
Introduced in 1962, the Acadian Beaumont was based on the then-new Chevrolet Chevy II / Nova. The cars were sold at Pontiac-Buick dealers. Starting in 1964, GM of Canada began selling a Beaumont based on the Chevelle, all while continuing to offer the Nova-based version. And that's not the only confusing part.
The cars also sported an arrow emblem based on Pontiac's and came with instrument panels taken from the Tempest. In 1966, GM decided to separate the Acadian and Beaumont names. While the former remained a Chevy Nova affair, the latter became a standalone marque exclusive to Chevelle-based automobiles.
Both brands remained in Canadian showrooms until 1969, when they were replaced with Chevrolet Chevelle and Pontiac LeMans models identical to their US counterparts. Despite the long production run, Acadian and Beaumont sales totaled fewer than 90,000 units (nearly 30,000 sold in the first two years).
So, besides being almost unknown outside Canada, these somewhat odd GMs are also rare. The convertibles are arguably the scarcest, with only a few hundred cars produced through 1969. The 1964 Beaumont you see here is one of them.
A first-year Beaumont based on the Chevrolet Chevelle, this two-door convertible is one of only 128 drop-tops delivered that year. And it's in surprisingly good condition for a vehicle that's nearly 60 years old as of 2023. But as you might have already guessed, it's not an unrestored survivor.
The Silver Blue paint is far from perfect, but the two-door got a refinish and some body repairs years ago. The interior appears to be original for the most part, but the seller mentions that the seat covers and the carpet are newer. It's also fitted with an aftermarket Pioneer CD player in the glovebox.
But that's not the only surprise hiding inside this Beaumont. The most significant upgrade lurks under the hood, where a 327-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) V8 replaced the original inline-six. It's not a run-of-the-mill powerplant either. The lump was reportedly sourced from a 1965 Chevy Corvette and sends 300 horsepower to the rear wheels. This number puts the Beaumont on par with a US-made Chevelle SS from the same era.
The car is obviously located in Canada, but the seller is willing to "deliver the car to Buffalo, NY for easy shipping across the USA." And it would certainly make for a unique car Stateside. However, this Beaumont is not exactly a bargain. The seller is asking CAD$45,000, which converts to around $32,944. For reference, US-made 1964 Chevelles are valued at $25,500 to $63,700 depending on condition (Fair to Concours), according to Hagerty.
Introduced in 1962, the Acadian Beaumont was based on the then-new Chevrolet Chevy II / Nova. The cars were sold at Pontiac-Buick dealers. Starting in 1964, GM of Canada began selling a Beaumont based on the Chevelle, all while continuing to offer the Nova-based version. And that's not the only confusing part.
The cars also sported an arrow emblem based on Pontiac's and came with instrument panels taken from the Tempest. In 1966, GM decided to separate the Acadian and Beaumont names. While the former remained a Chevy Nova affair, the latter became a standalone marque exclusive to Chevelle-based automobiles.
Both brands remained in Canadian showrooms until 1969, when they were replaced with Chevrolet Chevelle and Pontiac LeMans models identical to their US counterparts. Despite the long production run, Acadian and Beaumont sales totaled fewer than 90,000 units (nearly 30,000 sold in the first two years).
So, besides being almost unknown outside Canada, these somewhat odd GMs are also rare. The convertibles are arguably the scarcest, with only a few hundred cars produced through 1969. The 1964 Beaumont you see here is one of them.
A first-year Beaumont based on the Chevrolet Chevelle, this two-door convertible is one of only 128 drop-tops delivered that year. And it's in surprisingly good condition for a vehicle that's nearly 60 years old as of 2023. But as you might have already guessed, it's not an unrestored survivor.
The Silver Blue paint is far from perfect, but the two-door got a refinish and some body repairs years ago. The interior appears to be original for the most part, but the seller mentions that the seat covers and the carpet are newer. It's also fitted with an aftermarket Pioneer CD player in the glovebox.
But that's not the only surprise hiding inside this Beaumont. The most significant upgrade lurks under the hood, where a 327-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) V8 replaced the original inline-six. It's not a run-of-the-mill powerplant either. The lump was reportedly sourced from a 1965 Chevy Corvette and sends 300 horsepower to the rear wheels. This number puts the Beaumont on par with a US-made Chevelle SS from the same era.
The car is obviously located in Canada, but the seller is willing to "deliver the car to Buffalo, NY for easy shipping across the USA." And it would certainly make for a unique car Stateside. However, this Beaumont is not exactly a bargain. The seller is asking CAD$45,000, which converts to around $32,944. For reference, US-made 1964 Chevelles are valued at $25,500 to $63,700 depending on condition (Fair to Concours), according to Hagerty.
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