1962-77 gm B-/C-body/platform complex

 

1962~1964

After the wild fins era of the late 1950s, GM decided to reduce its (full) size by 1961. By 1962, when the greenhouses became less ostentatious, the full size GM models were available in five wheelbase lengths: 119” for the Chevrolet, 120” for the Pontiac Catalina, 123” for the Pontiac Star Chief/Bonneville (Pontiac wagons: 119”), also 123” for the regular Oldsmobile and Buick, 126” for the C-body Ninety-Eight and Electra, in addition to 129.5” for the regular Cadillac.

As before, the Pontiac Star Chief and Bonneville were designed to have a (4-inch) longer deck with increased trunk space, and to balance the look of the car, 3 inches were added in front of the rear wheels, preserving the rear end doors of the Catalina and its B-body compartment room (Pontiac didn’t build C-bodies). Some body styles had a deck longer than the hood.

The extra 4 inches on the Oldsmobiles and Buicks, compared to the Chevrolet, was evenly spaced behind the front wheels and ahead of the rear wheels. Despite the differences in wheelbase, interior roominess of the B-body models by body style basically was identical and partly dependent on the roof, with minor variations largely determined by the trim, while the rear doors of all B-bodies were the same width.

The 3" extra space from the C-body's in the rear compartment was also facilitated by the longer and higher roof, while the Cadillac had another 3.5” ahead of the cowl. The compartment of the four-window models gained less of that 3 inches than the six-window models, which had a longer and higher roof. The front doors of the C-body were the same dimensions as those of the B-bodies, and on Buick and Oldsmobile they were the same as those of the LeSabre and 88. The rear doors of the C-body models were therefore wider than those of the B bodies. C-bodies also had a longer deck, except for the short-deck '62 Cadillac Town Sedan and '62~'63 Park Avenue Sedan, with less luggage space than a Chevy II.

It is noteworthy that on the 1959~60 models the C-body rear doors were the same size as those of the B-body's, and on Buick and Oldsmobile they were the same as the LeSabre and 88. So the front doors on the 1959~60 C-body models were wider than the B-body's. While in 1959 and 1960 the front doors of the C-body models were wider than the rear doors, in 1961 they became the same width and from 1963 the rear doors were the widest.

All the usual body styles (2/4-door saloon, 2/4-door hardtop, 4-door wagon and 2-door convertible) were offered by the four B-body divisions, except for the 2-door sedan at Oldsmobile, for which 1961 was the last year. The B-body sedan and two-door hardtop roofs were renewed for 1962, while with the major body change for 1963 only the wagon roofs were kept. There was one example of each B-body roof style, until the arrival of the 1963 specialty 2-door hardtop roof, which was used on the Pontiac Grand Prix and Oldsmobile Starfire (and 1964 Jetstar I).

The identical 2/4-door (4-window) hardtop roofs of the C-body were renewed in 1962, while by 1963 identical 6-door 4-door sedan/hardtop roofs were new (except for the different Sixty Special 4 door hardtop roof), alongside the new (three years in a row) Cadillac 2-door hardtop roof, based largely on the B-body 4-door hardtop roof, short enough to give Cadillac the longest deck among GM full size models, with the shortest deck for the Park Avenue Sedan, for which 1963 was the final year.

1964 saw the introduction of rear fender skirts on the C-body Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight and Buick Electra, joining the Cadillac, and to set them apart from the B-body models.

After the creation of the Sedan de Ville in 1956, basically a 4-door hardtop, Cadillac didn't sell any 4-door sedans from 1957 to 1964 (except for the Seventy-Five). Cadillac called the 2-door hardtop a Coupe, a body style that was called Sport(s) Coupe in the other divisions (Holiday at Oldsmobile), 4-door hardtops were called Sport Sedan at Chevrolet, 4-door Vista at Pontiac, and Holiday Sedan at Oldsmobile, where the 6-window 4-door hardtop was called Luxury Sedan in 1963/64, and by 1964 at Buick pillarless Sedan.

GM's full-size cars of this era were mounted on an X-frame, but Pontiac and Oldsmobile replaced it from 1961 with a perimeter frame with the side beams brought out to the door sill. Oldsmobile finally replaced the rear leaf springs by coils. Canadian Pontiacs were based on the 119-inch Chevrolet X-frame, with the rear wheels one inch forward (much like American Pontiac wagons) from 1962 to 1964.

In 1959/1960 and 1963/1964 each of the rear wheels of the Canadian Pontiacs had been placed an uncomfortable 6 cm more inwards in the wheel arches than on the US ‘wide track’ Pontiacs, and each of the front wheels well over 4 cm in 1959/1960 and about 3 cm in 1963/1964. 

By 1963 the styling had become less modest and sharper, but not for long.

extra inch* w/b

compared

center pillar to:

thin C-pillar

specialty

61-62 curved A-pillar

w/b

 to:

front

rear

2S

4S

2H

2H

4H

4H

2H

4W

Cv

Chevrolet

119

0

0

62

62

61-62

62

61-62

61-62

61-62

Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala

Chevrolet

119

 

0

0

63-64

63-64

 

63-64

 

63-64

 

63-64

63-64

Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala

Catalina '61

119

Chevrolet

0

0

 

61

61

61-62

61

+ Ventura

Catalina '62

120

Chevrolet

0

+1

62

62

62

62

62

+ Grand Prix

Catalina

120

Chevrolet

0

+1

63-64

63-64

 

63-64

 

63-64

63-64

63-64

+ Grand Prix

Pontiac wgn

119

non-wagon

0

-1

 

62

Pontiac wgn

119

non-wagon

0

-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

63-64

 

incl. Bonneville

Bonneville

123

Catalina

0

+3

62

61

62

61-62

61-62

+ Star Chief

Bonneville

123

Catalina

0

+3

 

63-64

 

63-64

 

63-64

 

63-64

+ Star Chief

Pontiac CDN

119

Catalina '62

0

-1

62

62

62

62

62

Strato-Chief, Laurentian, Parisienne

Pontiac CDN

119

Catalina

0

-1

63-64

63-64

 

63-64

 

63-64

 

63-64

63-64

Strato-Chief, Laurentian, Parisienne

Olds 88

123

Chevrolet

+2

+2

62

61

62

61-62

61-62

61-62

+ Starfire

 

Olds 88

123*

Chevrolet

+2

+2

 

63-64

 

63-64

 

63-64

63-64

63-64

63-64

+ Starfire, Jetstar I

LeSabre

123

Chevrolet

+2

+2

62

62

62

61-62

61-62

61-62

+ Invicta (Wildcat)

LeSabre

123

Chevrolet

+2

+2

63

63-64

 

63-64

 

63-64

 

63-64

63-64

+ Wildcat (Invicta)

 

* AMA: wagon 121.7

          * not GM-sourced

'62 Bel Air

Grand Prix

Starfire, Jetstar I

extra inch* w/b

compared

center pillar to:

 

 

 

thin C-pillar

 

 

w/b

 to:

front

rear

4S6w

4H6w

4S6w

4H6w

2H

4H

2H

4H

2H

4H6w

4L

Cv

Ninety-Eight

126

88

0

+3

61-62

61-62

 

61

61

62

62

61-62

Ninety-Eight

126

88

0

+3

 

 

63-64

63-64

 

 

63-64

63-64

 

 

 

63-64

Electra

126

LeSabre

0

+3

61-62

61-62

 

61

61

62

62

61-62

Electra

126

LeSabre

0

+3

 

 

63-64

63-64

 

 

63-64

63-64

 

 

 

63-64

de Ville

129.5

Ninety-Eight

+4.5

-1

61-62

 

61

61

62

62

61-62

+ Sixty-Two, Eldorado Biarritz

de Ville

129.5

Ninety-Eight

+4.5

-1

 

 

 

63-64

 

 

 

63-64

63-64

 

 

63-64

+ Sixty-Two, Eldorado (Biarritz)

Sixty Special

129.5

de Ville

0

0

 

 

 

 

61-62

Sixty Special

129.5

de Ville

0

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

63-64

 

 

Seventy-Five

149.75

Sixty Special

0

+20.25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

59-62

 

Seventy-Five

149.75

Sixty Special

0

+20.25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

63-65

 

 

          * not GM-sourced

 

1965~1968

Then came the dazzling 1965 models. Preceded by the 1964 intermediates, GM's full sizers had a more integral look thanks to the curved side pillars and windows. Also, developed from the intermediates, perimeter frames were now commonly used for all full-size GM models (1966 for the Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five).

Pontiac's styling was certainly the most spectacular, Oldsmobiles had a bold look with their open rear wheel arches, Chevrolets were simply attractive, while Buicks looked more reserved, but all had the rising beltline introduced by GM in 1963 with the Buick Riviera, and in 1964 on the Chevelle hardtop and started out as a character crease on the 1961 Pontiacs. As a distinctive brand, Cadillac didn't pick up on this and eventually gave up its raised fins, creating an understated yet stately look, while retaining the rear fender skirts, introduced in the late 1950s. Ironically, on the 1953 Eldorado, Cadillac had introduced used drop-down window lines, which were soon adopted by the other divisions, and by 1957 it was close to what would happen in the 1960s.

The roof sail panel of the spectacular sweepline 2-door B-body hardtop was positioned directly over the rear wheels on the Buick and long Pontiacs, while on Chevrolet, Catalina and Oldsmobile the wheels were 3 inches 'off-balance' towards the front.

On Chevrolet and Pontiac Catalina (wheelbase lengths of 119” and 121” resp.), the hood became longer, the deck shorter, with the Pontiac Executive and Bonneville (124”) kept the same rear doors as the Catalina, the extra inches in front of the rear wheels, as well as the longer deck.

In a surprising move, the 4 inches extra wheelbase on B-body Oldsmobiles was now allocated entirely to the hood, while on Buick it was allocated ahead of the rear wheels, largely mimicking the Electra's rear doors, without adding to ease of entry of the rear compartment as GM's B-body compartment dictated a narrower interior door opening than with the C-body. In this way Pontiac (without C-body) did not bother to widen its rear doors for the Executive and Bonneville.

So, the Buick LeSabre's greenhouse started just as far from the front wheels as the Chevrolet, with the rear wheels 4 inches backward, while the Oldsmobile's compartment/roof ended in the same place above the rear wheels as the Chevrolet, with the front wheels 4 inches. forward. Buick's B-body Wildcat also had the 3-inch longer hood of the Electra, minus the 4 portholes in a row. These layouts would last from 1965 to 1968.

So, the C-body Electra used equally wide rear doors as the B-body Buicks, with its increased roominess and different windows mainly defined by the C-body roofs, while the extra 3 inches of wheelbase were attributed to the longer hood, now justifying the extra porthole. The Wildcat had exactly the same layout (wheelbase, windshield position, door length), but less leg and headroom at the rear due to its B-body roof. As before, Electra and Ninety-Eight front doors were the same as used on the LeSabre and 88.

The Ninety-Eight had the same long hood as the B-body Oldsmobile and, as usual, had 3 inch wider rear doors. The position of the compartment between the front and rear axles was about an inch less backward than on the Electra, due to the fact that the Delta 88's compartment started at Chevrolet's position and that of the LeSabre ended there with a wheelbase difference of 4 inches between the Chevrolet (where the B-body fits exactly) versus the 3 inches between the Oldsmobile/Buick B- and C-bodies.

The rising beltline was also used on the Electra and Ninety-Eight, distinguishing them from the earlier models. Six-window models with the sixth window behind the rear doors were no longer offered (except for the extended Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five), and the Ninety-Eight Luxury (a trim line) and Town Sedans became sedans with frameless windows, as did the Electra Sedan.

By 1965 Cadillac extended the wheelbase of the Fleetwood Sixty-Special to 133” with the 3.5 inches granted to the rear compartment.  Thus, the 15-inch longer wheelbase compared to the Chevrolet was roughly evenly spaced behind the front wheels on one side and in front of the rear wheels on the other, as was the case with the 7 inches that distinguished the Ninety-Eight and Electra from the Chevrolet.

B-body sedan roofs were the same from 1965 to 1968, and wagon roofs until 1970. Hardtop roofs were renewed with the bi-annual body changes, including the special 2-door hardtop, while a formal 2-door hardtop roof was made for the Caprice by 1966, retained with the 1967 body change, but refreshed by 1968, when it was also offered as an Impala Custom.

C-body sedan roofs were also the same from 1965 to 1968, while the hardtop roofs were refreshed with the biannual body changes. Cadillac initially shared the 4-door hardtop roof with the other C-body divisions and also used it for the 2-door hardtop, but offered its own roofs from 1967.

Two-door sedans were now limited to Chevrolet until 1969 and Pontiac, until 1968.  This forced Pontiac Canada to add Strato-Chief and Laurentian 2-door hardtops, at a higher price than the 4-door sedans.

After Buick and Oldsmobile in February 1964 released intermediate skyroof wagons on a 5-inch extended wheelbase, the 1965~69 full size wagons were limited to Chevrolet and Pontiac.  The Chevrolet Caprice models (initially in February 1965 as option pack) were hardtops and called Custom Sedan and Coupe (added for 1966), Caprice Sedan and Coupe by 1968.  Pontiac lost the Sport and Vista designations by 1967.  The Cadillac Sedan de Ville now got a fixed center pillar, but the windows remained frameless, while the 4-door hardtop (w/o center pillar) was called the Hardtop Sedan de Ville.

It should be noted that with the 1965~1968 LeSabre rear wheel arch set 4 inches back, a possibly designed wagon would have too little room for the 3rd seat. Actually, the skyroof wagons, could be considered, although less wide, as downsized B-body wagons 12½ years in advance, with the benefit of a forward-facing rear seat (with limited room due to a well over the rear axle).

Canadian Pontiacs still were based on the 119-inch Chevrolet frame, and due to the now 121-inch wheelbase of their US equivalents, both front and rear wheels were set one inch toward each other.

The flamboyant ‘65/’66 styling was further accentuated by 1967, when Cadillac adopted the beltline rise, even for their limousines, making the 1966 limousine a one-year rarity. The Wildcat received rear fender skirts in 1967 and 1968, which became optional on the Chevrolets.

1969~1970

By 1969, all wheelbases increased by an inch, except on Chevrolet and Cadillac, resulting in a 3-inch difference between Pontiac and Chevrolet, as in 1959. The fastback roofline on the B-body 2-door hardtops, after four years, was ‘out’ and replaced by a more formal roof. Major changes to the body layout occurred on Buick, which now shared the same layout as Oldsmobile, with narrower rear doors, and granting the now 4 extra inches to the hood (now as long as that of the Electra, despite one less porthole), and the C-body's 3 inches in front of the rear wheels. The Wildcat became a rebadged LeSabre, as it did at its start in 1962.

The dimensions of the front and rear doors were again approximately the same on the C-body models, as in 1961. The wagon roof was the only roof that was not renewed.

By 1970, Buick discontinued its skyroof wagons and introduced the B-body Estate Wagon, taking advantage of the revised body/platform positioning. Sales were considerably higher than those of the skyroof Sportwagon.

The rise in beltline now was less rounded, more stylized, and only rudimentary at the end of the rear doors of the 4-door models.  You could say it now had a more convex than concave appearance which was especially welcome on the luxury C-body models.

The Canadian Pontiacs' wheelbase was now 3 inches less than that of the US Pontiacs, prompting GM Canada to move the front wheel wells 2 inches backward, with the usual 1 inch forward placing of the rear wheels within their wells, rather than shortening the entire front end as was done at the 3 inches difference in 1959 and 1960.  Placed on the Chevrolet chassis, each of the wheels was also further moved inward about a quarter of an inch.

Using the Chevrolet wagon chassis for all of its models, the front track on the 1968 Canadian Pontiac became a half inch wider than in the US, but this reversed the next year, when the Americans added an inch, making it as wide as the rear track. 

Grand Prix

extra inch* w/b

Grande Parisienne

Caprice

Caprice +

compared

center pillar to:

 

 

Starfire, Jetstar I

Impala Custom

 

 

w/b

 to:

front

rear

2S

4S

2H

2H

4H

4H

2H

4W

Cv

2H

2H

2H

2S

4S

2H

4H

Chevrolet

119

0

0

65-66

65-66

65-66

65-66

65-66

65-66

66

 

 

Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala (Super Sport), Caprice

Chevrolet

119

 

0

0

67-68

67-68

 

67-68

 

67-68

 

67-68

67-68

67

68

 

 

 

 

 

Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala (SS), Caprice

Chevrolet

119

 

0

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

69-70

69-70

 

 

69-70

69

69-70

69-70

69-70

Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala, Caprice, Brookwood, Townsman, Kingswood (Estate)

 

 

w/b

 

Catalina

121

Chevrolet

+2

0

65-66

65-66

65-66

65-66

65-66

65-66

65-66

Catalina

121

 

+ Grand Prix (+ 2+2)

Catalina

121

Chevrolet

+2

0

67-68

67-68

 

67-68

 

67-68

67-68

67-68

67-68

Catalina

121

 

 

 

 

+ Grand Prix (+ 2+2, Ventura)

Catalina

122

Chevrolet

+2

+1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

69-70

69-70

Catalina

122

 

69-70

69-70

69-70

+ Grand Prix (+ Ventura)

Bonneville

124

Catalina

0

+3

65-66

65-66

65-66

65-66

Bonneville

124

 

+ Star Chief (Executive)

Bonneville

124

Catalina

0

+3

 

67-68

 

67-68

 

67-68

 

67-68

Bonneville

124

 

 

 

 

+ Executive

Bonneville

125

Catalina

0

+3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

69-70

Bonneville

125

 

69-70

69-70

69-70

+ Executive

Pontiac CDN

119

Catalina

-1

-1

65-66

65-66

65-66

65-66

66

65-66

65-66

Pontiac CDN

119

 

Strato-Chief, Laurentian, (Grande) Parisienne (Custom Sport)

Pontiac CDN

119

Catalina

-1

-1

67-68

67-68

 

67-68

 

67-68

67

67-68

67-68

Pontiac CDN

119

 

 

 

 

Strato-Chief, Laurentian, (Grande) Parisienne (2+2)

Pontiac CDN

119

Catalina

-2

-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

69-70

69-70

Pontiac CDN

119

 

69-70

69-70

69-70

Strato-Chief, Laurentian, (Grande) Parisienne, 2+2, Safari

Olds 88

123

Chevrolet

+4

0

65-66

65-66

65-66

65-66

65-66

Olds 88

123

 

+ Starfire, Jetstar I

Olds 88

123

Chevrolet

+4

0

 

67-68

 

67-68

 

67-68

 

 

67-68

Olds 88

123

 

 

 

 

Olds 88

124

Chevrolet

+4

+1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

69-70

Olds 88

124

 

69-70

69-70

69-70

LeSabre

123

Chevrolet

0

+4

65-66

65-66

65-66

65-66

LeSabre

123

 

LeSabre

123

Chevrolet

0

+4

 

67-68

 

67-68

 

67-68

 

 

67-68

LeSabre

123

 

 

 

 

LeSabre

124

Chevrolet

+4

+1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

70

69-70

LeSabre

124

 

69-70

69-70

69-70

incl. Wildcat, + Estate Wagon

Wildcat

126

LeSabre

+3

0

65-66

65-66

65-66

65-66

 

 

Wildcat

126

LeSabre

+3

0

 

67-68

 

67-68

 

67-68

 

 

67-68

 

 

 

 

 

 

LeSabre '69

123.2

Chevrolet

+4

+0.2

 

2S

4S

2H

2H

4H

4H

2H

4W

Cv

2S

4S

2H

4H

extra inch* w/b

compared

center pillar to:

 

 

w/b

 to:

front

rear

4S

4S

2H

2H

4H

2H

4H

2H

4H

2H

4H

2H

4H

Cv

4S

4S

4L(6w)

Ninety-Eight

126

88

0

+3

65-66

65-66

65-66

65-66

Ninety-Eight

126

88

0

+3

67-68

 

 

 

 

67-68

67-68

 

 

 

 

 

 

67-68

 

 

 

Ninety-Eight

127

88

0

+3

 

69-70

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

69-70

69-70

 

 

69-70

 

 

 

Electra

126

LeSabre

+3

0

65-66

65-66

65-66

65-66

Electra

126

LeSabre

+3

0

67-68

 

 

 

 

67-68

67-68

 

 

 

 

 

 

67-68

 

 

 

Electra

126.2/127

LeSabre

0

+3

 

69-70

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

69-70

69-70

 

 

69-70

 

 

 

de Ville

129.5

Ninety-Eight

+2.5

+1

65-66

 

65-66

65-66

65-66

+ Calais, Fleetwood Eldorado

de Ville

129.5

Ninety-Eight

+2.5

+1

67-68

 

 

 

 

 

 

67-68

67-68

 

 

 

 

67-68

 

 

 

+ Calais

de Ville

129.5

Ninety-Eight

+2.5

0

 

69-70

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

69-70

69-70

69-70

 

 

 

+ Calais

w/b

Sixty Special

133

de Ville

0

+3.5

Sixty Special

133

65-66

+ Fleetwood Brougham

Sixty Special

133

de Ville

0

+3.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sixty Special

133

 

 

67-68

 

 

+ Fleetwood Brougham

Sixty Special

133

de Ville

0

+3.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sixty Special

133

 

 

 

69-70

 

+ Fleetwood Brougham

Seventy-Five

149.75

Sixty Special

0

+16.75

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seventy-Five

149.75

 

 

66

Seventy-Five

149.75

Sixty Special

0

+16.75

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seventy-Five

149.75

 

 

 

 

67-68

Seventy-Five

149.75

Sixty Special

0

+16.75

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seventy-Five

149.75

 

 

 

 

69-70

          * not GM-sourced

 

1971~1976

The full-size GM line reached its ultimate dimensions in the 1971-1976 period, before the downsizing of 1977. GM emphasized the long hood, short deck look, and added 2.5 inches ahead of the cowl of the Chevrolet. The winners were the Pontiac Bonneville and Grand Ville (even beating the Electra and Ninety-Eight in overall vehicle length in the first year) which had an extra 2.5 inches of space between the front wheels and the cowl over the Catalina, which itself had 2 inches more hood space than the Chevrolet. But after two years, Pontiac wisely chose to bring its wheelbase in line with that of the regular Buick and Oldsmobile, which had a 2.5-inch longer hood than the Chevrolet. The 1973 Grand Ville got rear fender skirts as a sort of compensation, adopted for 1975 by the Bonneville, which previously had them from 1965 to 1970, when they were optional on other full size Pontiacs.

The front doors were now wider than ever, and those of the C-bodies were wider than the rear doors and matched those of the B-bodies. All of the C-body rear doors, which were 3 inches wider than the B-body rear doors, were the same width, including those on the Cadillac de Ville with a longer rear compartment, and the even longer Fleetwood Brougham with its 3-inch middle pillar.

On the B-bodies, the rise in beltline was gone at the 2-door hardtop models, except on Chevrolet, while Pontiac returned to the characterline rise that started it all 10 years earlier, resulting in one of the most attractive offerings among the divisions.  With a low-key sweep line, Buicks looked perhaps even better. The rear fender skirts on the Chevrolet Caprice were now standard equipment, Chevrolet added a ‘beltline-rise-free’ coupe by 1974, and, after 10 years, from autumn 1974, GM’s sedans got  a more even greenhouse bottom line.

Opera windows came by 1974 on the 2-door hardtop, transforming the Chevrolet into a coupe and also on the other marques, that kept the hardtop roll-down rear quarter window, and for 1975 on the 4-door hardtop models.  Conventional 2-door hardtop models remained available only on Chevrolet until 1975. By 1976 Oldsmobile offered an optional opera roof, turning the 2-door hardtop into a coupe.

For 1975 the sedans got an extra window in the rear doors to allow the glass to slide down, as the roof sail panel became narrower due to an increased glass area.

Sedans and convertibles were now denied to C-bodies (with the exception of the Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham sedan).

The rising beltline returned at the rear doors of the 4-door Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight and Buick Electra until 1975, when they disappeared at the 2-doors, with the addition of the opera windows in the roof sail panel, which began on the 2-door Cadillac with an upright B-pillar for 1974. At the same time, with the slightly backward sloping B-pillar of the 1971~74 hardtop body, Buick created the Landau option on the Electra with opera window by means of a multiform opening in the roof padding, later followed by Oldsmobile with a simple elongated opening on the Ninety-Eight Elegance, both with the rising beltline below.

While the 2-door hardtop 1971-72 Centurion was called Formal Coupe, due to its smaller back window, the 1971~76 2-door hardtop LeSabres and 2-door Electras were called Hardtop Coupe, regardless of roof edition.  The 1971 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale with the same roof as the Centurion, was called Hardtop Coupe, as were the 1971~76 Delta 88 and 1971 Ninety-Eight 2-door hardtops, while the 1972~76 2-door Ninety-Eights were named Coupe, with Oldsmobile hardtops losing the Holiday designation.

All 1971~76 2-door hardtop Pontiac full size models were called Hardtop Coupe, while Chevrolet called the 2-door hardtop Impala a Sport Coupe, except for the Custom Coupe models which shared the roof with the Caprice Coupe.

At Cadillac, the Sedan de Ville was a 4-door hardtop again, as it was before 1965.  The Caprice Sedan became a 4-door sedan by 1972, with the 4-door hardtop called Sport Sedan.

The third rear-facing seat in the wagons was now forward instead of backward. The Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser had rear fender skirts, making it look like a Cadillac wagon.

B-body roofs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

opera window:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

curved

obtuse

 

 

curved

obtuse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

triangular

trapezoid

 

triangular

trapezoid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chevrolet Impala:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sport Coupe

Custom Coupe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

extra inch* w/b

 

 

CDN + Bel Air

+ Caprice Coupe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

center pillar to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

w/b

compared to:

front

rear

4S

4S

2H

2H

2H

Cp

2H

Cp

4H

4H6w

4H6w

Wgn

Cv

 

 

 

 

 

Chevrolet

121.5

 

0

0

71-74

75-76

71-73

74-75

71-73

74-76

 

 

71-74

75-76

 

 

71-75

Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala, Caprice

 

Chevrolet wagon

125

non-wagon

0

+3.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

71-76

 

Brookwood, Townsman, Kingswood (Estate)

* Catalina

123.5

Chevrolet

+2

0

71-74

75-76

71-73

 

 

 

74-76

 

71-74

 

 

 

71-72

+ (CDN) Laurentian, Parisienne

 

 

Pontiac wagon

127

non-wagon

0

+3.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

71-76

 

(Grand) Safari

 

 

 

 

Bonneville

126

Catalina

+2.5

0

71-72

 

71-72

 

 

 

 

 

71-72

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonneville

124/123.4, rebadged Catalina

 

73-74

 

73

 

 

 

74

 

73-74

 

75-76

 

 

C-body roofs

 

 

 

 

Grand Ville

126

Catalina

+2.5

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

71-72

C-body roofs

 

 

 

 

Grand Ville

124/123.4, rebadged Catalina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

73-75

C-body roofs

 

 

 

 

Delta 88

124

Chevrolet

+2

+0.5

71-74

75-76

71-73

 

 

 

74-76

76

71-74

75-76

75

 

71-75

 

 

 

 

 

Oldsmobile wagon

127

non-wagon

0

+3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

71-76

 

Custom Cruiser

 

 

 

 

* LeSabre

124

Chevrolet

+2

+0.5

71-74

75-76

71-73

 

 

 

74-76

 

71-74

75-76

 

 

71-75

+ Centurion

 

 

 

 

Buick wagon

127

non-wagon

0

+3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

71-76

 

Estate Wagon

 

 

 

 

* notes: