looks like it both that year?

I have supplied that brochure to a number of members on Board. It is also posted in the library. It is GM Canada.

In terms of history 1970 was the year that GM Canada transitioned to adopting the US cars as well as Canadian as US import duties began to be relaxed.

1970 was the first year that US models like Grand Prix, GTO, Tempest, LeMans Bonneville, Catalina and Executive were made available in the mainstream Canadian Pontiac dealer network. Prior to 1970 these cars were "imports" and while some were available they were more expensive due to duties.

Oshawa began building Tempest in 1970 replacing the Beaumont as the Canadian A-Body. Along with Tempest, Lemans and GTO were built in Oshawa as well. These cars even had Pontiac motors in them the first time a Canadian built A-body sold by Pontiac had this feature, although sbc would continue to be available as well. Acadians were now built in Michigan signalling the begining of the end to that line as well when the Ventura II was released in 1971.

An interesting legend exists that says 11 1970 GTO's left Oshawa with 396, AKA 402 Big Blocks due to supply problems with Pontiac engines, although no one has ever been able to prove or disprove this.

-- Edited by 73SC at 00:37, 2009-01-24

Carl Stevenson wrote:

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I once read that the easy way to tell the Canadian brochures was that the art work was drawings long after the American brochures went to photos. I forget exactly what year the American literature changed over. I would say 66 maybe, or 65?

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American Poncho brochures continued to use drawings into at least the early 70's.

You know Hillar you are probably right to some degree,  I remember seeing GTO's at Hogans in 69 and a guy on our street had a green 69 GTO But Beaumont was still there. It was 1970 that Tempest started here and we got one in October 69. I also remember our nieghbour bought a gold 1970 Bonneville at Hogan in September 1969, I'll never forget that car, brown vinyl top, 4 dr hardtop, 455 flashes on fender, wire wheels, and it throbbed.

-- Edited by 73SC at 00:16, 2009-01-27

Sloan had a good theory, my dad started with Chevs then into Pontiacs, he got into a Buick once but it was all wrong for him because he went from a G body Grand Prix 1980, to an 85 loaded Somerset, then back to an 89 Grand Prix. That Somerset was OK but I guess it was all the Buick he could afford and it just didn't cut it for him.

Me on the other hand, Chev, Pontiac, GMC, Buick, Cadillac, I'm the poster boy. Never owned an Olds, don't know why.

i have that brochure too fred

Stephenzone wrote:

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i have that brochure too fred

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 didnt want to share?

427carl wrote:

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68sd wrote:

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70 pontiac with acadian

http://www.pontiacpulse.ca/static/pdfs/1970_grand_prix_2_sm.pdf

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       Was that a misprint?   Why would they mix Acadian with Pontiac?  Were not those Acadians, American built?  hmmm

 

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Everybody knows that back in those days when someone said Pontiac they were talking about a big B Body. This is because in the 50's thats all there was at Pontiac. When the intermediates came along and compacts even thought they were Pontiacs common phase-iology referred to them as LeMans, Firebird, Grand Prix and what not.  They were still Pontiacs but that identified them better. All those cars in that brochure were obviously 1970 Pontiacs in GM Canada eyes otherwise they wouldn't have put that title on the brochure.

-- Edited by 73SC on Friday 10th of April 2009 12:14:22 PM

Astro Jet wrote:

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73SC wrote:

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In terms of history 1970 was the year that GM Canada transitioned to adopting the US cars as well as Canadian as US import duties began to be relaxed.

1970 was the first year that US models like Grand Prix, GTO, Tempest, LeMans Bonneville, Catalina and Executive were made available in the mainstream Canadian Pontiac dealer network. Prior to 1970 these cars were "imports" and while some were available they were more expensive due to duties.

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I think 69 was the year when the transition started:

http://canadianponcho.activeboard.com/index.spark?forumID=118110&p=3&topicID=20752262

Also Acadians were still available in 71, not sure if there was a 72?

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Very true. I have a 1969 Pontiac ad from a Reader's Digest (Canadian edition) that shows a dark brown '69 Firebird 400 convertible, plus an orange '69 GTO (not a Judge, a coupe with whitewalls & wheelcovers). I have had this particular ad since it was new in '69 (I'm 47 now). The Beaumonts were still offered in '69, but the GTOs really came online in Canada in a big way starting in '69. In 2003 a family friend in Hamilton sold his '69 GTO convertible he bought new from Douglas Pontiac-Buick-Cadillac. Also when I grew up in Ancaster a local doctor to me had a Verdoro Green '69 coupe from new (he died in '71). I have never seen a '68 GTO sold new in Canada, though I know of a '67 GTO convertible sold new out of Gus Brown Pontiac-Buick-Cadillac in Whitby, Ontario.

I have the '71 Acadian brochure, plus I also have a mailer sent to my dad around New Year's 1971 that shows various cars sold by GM Canada. It shows among other things, a Parisienne coupe, the new Ventura II (replaced the Acadian in mid-year '71), plus the Firenza (the renamed Vauxhaul / Epic sold only in Canada & the U.K. that was destined to be cancelled in Canada in mid '72 in disgrace).

The Acadians, although sold only in Canada, were built only in Lordsdown, Ohio starting with 1968 and ending with 1971 models. Of course the Acadian name came back for 1976 on a Chevette sold at Pontiac dealers in Canada.

73SC wrote:

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I can agree about the 69 GTO but one model is not a transition, I still stand by 1970 as the year that Bonneville, Catalina, Executive, Tempest, Lemans came to Canada. That sort of outnumbers 1969 by 5 to 1. In fact GTO was always available on an import basis from 1964 on as Astro-Jet has already pointed out.

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Agreed.