GM A platform - Definition and Overview

The General Motors A platform (commonly called A-Body) was a midsize car automobile platform. The A-bodies evolved from rear wheel drive compact cars to front wheel drive midsize sedans over the course of 35 years. The switch in drive layout in 1982 spawned the G-body. In the end, every A-body car line was cancelled, but new nameplates on the GM Epsilon platform have taken their place.

1961

The first A platform was a "compact" (for the time) platform for the FR layout 1961 Buick Special, Oldsmobile Cutlass, and Pontiac Tempest and RR layout Chevrolet Corvair. It grew through the 1960s and 1970s as a rear wheel drive platform, finally to be discontinued for 1982. High sales, however, kept the platform alive as the re-named G-Body.

This single family of cars contained more innovative features than all other American products of the decade. Each model contained at least one notable advance:

• The Corvair's rear-mounted air-cooled flat-6 engine was the first American use of this engine design and location.
• The aluminum Buick/Oldsmobile 215 in³ V8 was the smallest-ever American V8 and father of the Rover V8 engine.
• Both of these engines were turbocharged in 1962, making the Turbo Jetfire the first factory turbo engine.
• Buick also introduced the first American V6 engine in 1962.
• Pontiac's Tempest had an innovative rear-mounted transaxle and flexible driveshaft, the first with this drivetrain design.
• Pontiac also had a notable half-V8 195 in³ I4, the largest straight-4 engine ever produced. The 1963 Tempest Le Mans was also the prototype for future muscle cars.

Ironically, every one of these new features was declared a failure and abandoned within a few years.

The original A-bodies were widely celebrated: The Corvair was Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year for 1960, the Tempest won in 1961, and the V6 Special won in 1962.

1982

The first front wheel drive A platform was built from 1982 to 1997. This A-Body consisted of 4-Door sedan, 2-Door sedan and station wagon bodystyles. It was updated in 1991 with a slightly longer wheelbase.

Applications:

• 104.5 in wheelbase:
  • 1982-1990 Chevrolet Celebrity
  • 1982-1991 Pontiac 6000
  • 1982-1990 Buick Century
  • 1982-1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera
  • 1982-1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser (station wagon)
• 104.9 in wheelbase:
  • 1991-1995 Buick Century
  • 1991-1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera
  • 1991-1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser (station wagon)
  • 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera

1990-1996 Chevrolet Lumina APV 1990-1996 Pontiac Trans Sport 1990-1996 Oldsmobile Silhouette