When I spoke with George Kelly about his Safari the first thing I did was to verify his claim that such a car was indeed built by Pontiac/GM of Canada Limited (because of the trade restrictions at the time, GM Canada built some unique cars, among them the Beaumont which was covered previously on automotivetraveler.com). With the help of the Pontiac Historical Society (PHS) who verified the VIN and a copy of the 1963 Canadian full-line brochure, which clearly shows that such an engine was offered, we know that the car is the real deal. The car was built on 18 June 1963 and shipped the next day to Murray’s Garage in Neepawa, Manitoba. In a letter dated 24 January 2001to Mr. Kelly, George Zapora, a vintage specialist at GM Canada Limited stated that the car has the same mechanical specifications as the US Chevrolet model 1835 which according to the Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975 is a six-passenger 1963 Impala station wagon. Apparently the Canadian-built Pontiacs were built on the same platform as south-of-the-border-built Bowties. Read more at Automotive Traveler.

Continue reading after the jump!

The Beaumont was introduced for the 1964 model year as the Acadian Beaumont, and it utilized the new Chevrolet Chavelle body and drivetrain. The major styling difference between the Chevelle, and the Beaumont is the Pontiac inspired split gril, distinctive tail lamps, and the use of pontiac wheel trims. The interior utilized the Pontiac Tempest instrument panel, and door trim. Almost any engine and transmission combination that was available for a Chevelle, was available for the Beaumont. As with the Chevelle SS package, the Beaumont could be ordered as a Beaumont SD (For Super Deluxe, not Super Duty as many magazined of the day published). Though they were sold through Pontiac dealerships, there is little reference of mention of the nameplate Pontiac in the manual or instruction booklet.

For 1966, the Beaumont was based on the all-new GM intermediates, and car became a make in its own right by not using the Acadian name. The SD became more of a hybrid combination, with Chevelle SS and Pontiac GTO elements combined in one package. In 1967, with big block muscle cars popular on both sides of the border, the Beaumont could be equipped with Chevy’s 350-horsepower, 396-cubic-inch V8 along with a Muncie M20 4-speed manual transmission. However, the SD396 didn’t offer the 396/375 like its American counterpart.

For 1968, the Beaumont was once again re-designed, adopting the sloping rear look of the Corporate GM Intermediates, while becoming less distinctive. The changes between the Beaumont and it’s Chevelle twin were subtle, as only the Grill and tail lamp lenses were changed. GM Did continue utilizing the Pontiac LeMans dashboard, to give it a distinct Pontiac flavor. The SD was still available with the 396, 4 Speed combo, so it was still quite a performer. By 1970, the trade laws were relaxed; the unique Beaumont became superfluous and was discontinued.

CarDomain Members Rides

Did you know that there are over 47 Beaumonts showcased within the CarDomain community? Take a look at them here. In the meantime, lets take a look at an example from each of the three different versions. Here is a classy 1964 Acadian Beaumont Coupe, owned by Chris of Kincardine, Ontario. He’s got quite a ride page, so check it out.

Here is Linda and Jerry’s 1967 Beaumont SD 396, one of only 451 made. They hail from Taylorsville, Kentucky, so it must be a rare sight to spot a Beaumont so very far away from where it was produced in Oshawa, Ontario. It really is a unique ride!

And here’s Jesse’s 1969 Beaumont, from Windsor, Ontario. Jesse has been working on this car for the past 7 years, and it looks great. Notice the differences between this car and it’s cousin, the Chevelle. Go over to his ride page, and leave a comment.

This is really nothing but a Canadian Cousin of the Chevrolet Chevelle, and in it’s hottest form, it can compete with any muscle car from this time frame. However, I think it’s also obscure enough that it belongs in the Obscure Parking Lot. Tell me what you guys think? Of course it’s muscle, but does it follow the guidelines I set up for this feature? Let me know.

Read Rich Truesdell’s excellent article on the1967 Beaumont SD396 at Automotive Traveler.