 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2009) |
.jpg) 1948 Pontiac Streamliner coupe |
|
| Manufacturer | General Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | 1936–1996 |
| Successor | GM H platform (FWD) |
| Class | Full-size car |
| Layout | FR layout |
The B platform, or B-body, was General Motors' full-size rear-wheel drive automobile platform. It was closely related to the C-body and D-body and was used for convertibles, hardtops, coupés, sedans, and station wagons.
From at least 1936 through 1958, GM used at least four different designations for various bodyshells/platforms including the A-body for Chevrolet, most Pontiacs, and the Oldsmobile Series F and Series 60, the B-body for the Pontiac Streamliner Torpedo and Streamliner, the Oldsmobile Series L, Series 70 and Series 88, the Buick Special and Century, the LaSalle Series 50 and Series 52 and the Cadillac Series 60, Series 61 and Series 63, and the C-body for the Pontiac Series 24/29 Torpedo, Oldsmobile 90, the Buick Roadmaster, Super and 1958 Limited and all remaining Cadillacs except for the Series 90, Series 85 and the Series 75 which were built on the D-body, along with all remaining Buick Limiteds. For the 1959 model year, the previous A and B bodies were bult on the new B-body that lasted until 1996. The A-body designation would be resurrected by GM in 1964 for a new series of intermediate-sized cars including the Chevrolet Chevelle, Pontiac Tempest, Oldsmobile Cutlass and Buick Skylark.
The GM B-body had at least 12 major re-engineering and restyling efforts, in 1937, 1939, 1941, 1949, 1954, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1965, 1971, 1977, and 1991; along with interim styling changes in, 1942, 1969 and 1980 that included new sheetmetal and revised rooflines. The platform was downsized in length by approximately 10 inches in 1977 and reduced in weight by an average of 800 pounds. In 1991, the platform received its last major redesign, regaining several inches in length, numerous frame improvements and reinforcements, while the shorter wheelbase remained unchanged. The last B-cars rolled off the line in 1996, leaving only Ford producing domestic large rear wheel drive sedans, with Chrysler reentering the market with their LX platform in 2005.
Known for being durable and reliable, most B-body cars used suspensions utilizing coil springs both front and rear, exceptions include the 1959-60 Oldsmobile 88 which used coil springs in front and multi-leaf springs in the rear. All B-body cars since 1965 have used perimeter frames with side rails, along with the 1961-64 B-body Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles. The 1958-60 Buicks used a ladder-type frame while an X-frame without side rails was used on 1959-60 Pontiacs and 1959-60 Oldsmobiles, 1959-64 Chevrolets and 1961-64 Buicks.
The Rear Drive B-body was the last platform design to have the gasoline tank filler port behind the license plate. Exceptions included all station wagons, as well as all 1961-64 cars - which had the tank filler in the rear fender on the driver's side and 1965 Buicks which had their fuel filler door above the license plate.
By 1986, the Buick LeSabre and Oldsmobile Delta 88 moved to the GM H platform. No rear drive successor for this platform was made after 1996, when the Buick Roadmaster and Chevrolet Caprice ceased production.
Sedans built on the rear wheel drive B platform include:
- 1936-1938 Cadillac Series 60
- 1939 Cadillac Series 61
- 1941-1942 Cadillac Series 63
- 1941-1947 Cadillac Series 61
- 1951 Cadillac Series 61
- 1940 LaSalle Series 52
- 1936-1940 LaSalle Series 50
- 1936-1942 Buick Century
- 1954-1958 Buick Century
- 1936-1958 Buick Special
- 1959–1985 Buick LeSabre
- 1959–1962 Buick Invicta
- 1991–1996 Buick Roadmaster
- 1962–1970 Buick Wildcat
- 1971–1973 Buick Centurion
- 1959–1972 Chevrolet Biscayne
- 1959–1975 Chevrolet Bel Air
- 1976–1979 Chevrolet Bel Air (sold only in Canada, as a rebadged Impala)
- 1959–1985 Chevrolet Impala
- 1965–1996 Chevrolet Caprice
- 1994–1996 Chevrolet Impala SS
- 1936-1939 Oldsmobile Series L
- 1939 Oldsmobile Series G
- 1940 Oldsmobile Series 70
- 1942-1950 Oldsmobile 76
- 1942-1948 Oldsmobile 78
- 1949-1958 Oldsmobile 88
- 1959–1964 Oldsmobile Super 88
- 1965-1985 Oldsmobile Delta 88
- 1964-1966 Jetstar 88
- 1967–1968 Oldsmobile Delmont 88
- 1959–1966 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88
- 1940 Pontiac Deluxe
- 1941 Pontiac Streamliner Torpedo
- 1942-1951 Pontiac Streamliner
- 1959–1981 Pontiac Bonneville
- 1966–1969 Pontiac Grande Parisienne (Canada only)
- 1959–1981 Pontiac Parisienne (Canada only)
- 1983–1986 Pontiac Parisienne
- 1959–1981 Pontiac Catalina
- 1959–1966 Pontiac Star Chief
- 1960–1961 Pontiac Ventura
- 1962–1981 Pontiac Laurentian (Canada only)
- 1959–1970 Pontiac Strato Chief (Canada only)
- 1967–1970 Pontiac Executive
- 1971–1975 Pontiac Grand Ville
Coupe-only offerings include:
- 1962 Buick Wildcat
- 1965–1969 Chevrolet Impala SS
- 1961–1966 Oldsmobile Starfire
- 1964–1965 Oldsmobile Jetstar I
- 1962–1968 Pontiac Grand Prix
- 1964–1967 Pontiac 2+2
- 1964–1965 Pontiac Parisienne Custom Sport (Canada only)
- 1966–1970 Pontiac Parisienne 2+2 (Canada only)
- 1971–1975 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe
- 1977–1978 Buick Riviera
Station wagons include:
- 1941-1942 Buick Special Estate
- 1954-1958 Buick Century Estate
- 1954-1958 Buick Special Estate
- 1959–1963 Invicta Estate Wagon
- 1959–1964 LeSabre Estate Wagon
- 1970 Buick Estate Wagon
- 1977–1979 Buick Estate Wagon (with LeSabre trim)
- 1977–1979 Buick Estate Limited (with Electra trim)
- 1980–1989 Buick Electra Estate Wagon
- 1980–1989 Buick LeSabre Estate Wagon
- 1990 Buick Estate Wagon
- 1991–1996 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon
- 1966–1968 Chevrolet Caprice Estate
- 1969–1970 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate
- 1977–1996 Chevrolet Caprice Estate
- 1962–1968 Chevrolet Impala
- 1969–1970 Chevrolet Kingswood
- 1977–1985 Chevrolet Impala
- 1962–1968 Chevrolet Bel Air
- 1969–1970 Chevrolet Townsman
- 1977–1979 Chevrolet Bel Air (sold only in Canada, as a rebadged Impala)
- 1962–1968 Chevrolet Biscayne
- 1969–1970 Chevrolet Brookwood
- 1949-1950 Oldsmobile 88 station wagon
- 1949-1950 Oldsmobile 76 station wagon
- 1957 Oldsmobile 88 Golden Rocket Fiesta
- 1957–1963 Oldsmobile Super 88 Fiesta
- 1958–1964 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 Fiesta
- 1977–1992 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser
- 1942-1951 Pontiac Streamliner station wagon
- 1959–1970 Pontiac Bonneville Safari
- 1977–1981 Pontiac Bonneville Safari
- 1959–1970 Pontiac Parisienne Safari (Canada only)
- 1977–1981 Pontiac Parisienne Safari (Canada only)
- 1967–1969 Pontiac Grande Parisienne Safari (Canada only)
- 1983–1986 Pontiac Parisienne Safari
- 1959–1970 Pontiac Catalina Safari
- 1977–1981 Pontiac Catalina Safari
- 1959–1970 Pontiac Laurentian Safari (Canada only)
- 1977–1981 Pontiac Laurentian Safari (Canada only)
- 1987–1989 Pontiac Safari
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
