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36-469: An innovative model was introduced on February 4, 1964. Using the new GM A platform (RWD) the Sport Wagon used a 120-inch (3,048 mm) wheelbase, that was 5 inches (127 mm) longer than the other Skylark four-door sedans and coupes. The 1964 to 1967 Sport Wagons had a standard skyroof that consisted of four tinted glass panels surrounding the elevated section of the roof over the cargo area that

72-679: A 118 in (300 cm) wheelbase and the Monte Carlo had a 116 in (290 cm) wheelbase. When the A- and G-body cars were restyled for 1973, the G-body design was renamed the A-special body. All GM A- and A-special body cars were completely restyled for 1973 with hardtop and convertible bodystyles eliminated due to pending Federal safety regulations. The 1973-77 cars were available in sedans, coupes and station wagons. General Motors described

108-472: A different grille with body color inserts, special paint treatment, sport wheels and sport suspension. Station wagons were manufactured as both Buick Special and Buick Special Deluxe separately using the Sport Wagon platform but were not identified or counted as Sport Wagons in production totals and Sport Wagons were manufactured without the second row skylight feature beginning in 1970. GM A platform (RWD) The GM A platform (commonly called A-body )

144-599: A lineup mostly or entirely made up of FR cars. Japanese mainstream marques such as Toyota were almost exclusively FR until the late 1970s and early 1980s. Toyota's first FF vehicle was the Toyota Tercel, with the Corolla and Celica later becoming FF while the Camry was designed as an FF from the beginning. The Supra, Cressida, Crown , and Century remained FR. Luxury division Lexus has a mostly FR lineup. Subaru's BRZ

180-623: A special-market version of the Chevelle called the Beaumont , which included Pontiac-type trim and unique front grilles as well as taillight assemblies. When the A-body cars were introduced in 1964, GM had set a corporate policy prohibiting V8 engines larger than 330 cu in (5.4 L) in these models. However, Pontiac fitted its 389 cu in (6.37 L) V8 in the Lemans to create

216-627: A transverse front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive layout. In Australia, FR cars remained popular throughout this period, with the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon having consistently strong sales until their discontinuation in the late 2010s. In Europe, front-wheel drive was popularized by small cars like the Mini , Renault 5 and Volkswagen Golf and adopted for all mainstream cars. Upscale marques like Mercedes-Benz , BMW , and Jaguar remained mostly independent of this trend and retained

252-423: A vent wing window assembly - 1969-72 models had a one piece door glass where GM's Astro Ventilation system (first used with the 1966 Buick Riviera) was phased in. Also using a variation of the A-body chassis and suspension were the 1969–1972 Pontiac Grand Prix and 1970–1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo — both of which were marketed as intermediate-sized personal luxury cars and coded as G-body cars. The Grand Prix had

288-597: Is an FR car. The fact that a driveshaft is needed to transfer power to the rear wheels means a large centre tunnel between the rear seats; therefore, cars such as the Mazda RX8 and the Porsche Panamera forgo a centre rear seat and divide both seats by a centre tunnel. In the 21st century, most cars are FF, including all front-engined economy cars, though FR cars are making a return as an alternative to large sport-utility vehicles. In North America, GM returned to

324-677: The 300 and Charger on a FR platform. They also maintain FR layout on the now unibody Grand Cherokee and Durango . Hyundai and Kia have also been working with new FR-based vehicles in the US, the Genesis Coupe and Sedan, the Equus and the new Kia Quoris . Ford, on the other hand, seems to be moving away from FR-based vehicles with the discontinuation of the Panther Platform in 2011 and

360-663: The Corvette , Firebird and Camaro . Ford's Mustang has stayed rear-wheel drive, as it must maintain a sporty presence, as were Ford's full-size cars based on the Ford Panther platform (the Ford Crown Victoria , Mercury Grand Marquis , and Lincoln Town Car ) until they were discontinued in 2011 in favour of the Ford Taurus, which Ford discontinued production in 2019, being formally available with either

396-480: The 1964–1972 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser and the 1964–69 Buick Sport Wagon . All A-body cars had a 115 in (292 cm) wheelbase except the stretched-wheelbase wagons, which were 120 in (305 cm). Some of GM's most successful products in the muscle car era were A-body models, including the Pontiac GTO , Chevrolet Malibu SS, Oldsmobile 442 and Buick GS . From 1964 to 1969, GM Canada produced

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432-507: The 1968 nine-passenger Sport Wagon with Custom trim package was US$ 3,869 ($ 33,899 in 2023 dollars ). Engine choices offered the standard 250 cu in (4.1 L) Chevrolet Straight-six engine , and included the 350 cu in (5.7 L) Buick V8 shared with the Skylark line and a 400 cu in (6.6 L) Buick V8 "big block" also available from the GS series . In 1970,

468-626: The 1970s. After the Arab oil embargo of 1973 and the 1979 fuel crises , a majority of American FR vehicles (station wagons and luxury sedans) were phased out for the front-engine, front-wheel drive (FF) layout – this trend would spawn the SUV-van conversion market. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most American companies set as a priority the eventual removal of rear-wheel drive from their mainstream and luxury lineup. Chrysler went 100% FF by 1990 and GM 's American production went entirely FF by 1997 except

504-579: The 1978 model year in response to CAFE requirements and the increased popularity of smaller cars. The redesigned models were similar in size to the previous X-bodies . The Buick and Oldsmobile were introduced with fastback coupe styles, while the Chevrolet and Pontiac received notchbacks. Four-door fastback sedan models were also available. An interesting design compromise was non-lowering rear door windows on four-door sedans and wagons, which also reverted to full window frames while two-door models including

540-583: The A-body for the 1938–48 Series 60 . All Chevrolets produced during this period, to include the Chevrolet Master and the Chevrolet Deluxe , and all 1936-39 Pontiacs, the 1940 Pontiac Special, the 1941 Pontiac Deluxe Torpedo and all Pontiac Torpedoes produced from 1942 through 1948 were A-bodies. From 1949 to 1957, only Chevrolets ( 150 , 210 , Bel Air , Del Ray ) and Pontiacs ( Chieftain , Star Chief , Super Chief ) were built on

576-596: The A-body. These cars were moved to the new B Body shared with some Buicks and Oldsmobiles in 1958, and all truck conversions were replaced by the C/K series in 1960. The A-body platform returned as an intermediate-sized platform introduced in the 1964 model year for two redesigned and two new mid-sized cars from four of GM divisions. Notable examples include the FR layout Chevrolet Chevelle , Buick Special , Oldsmobile Cutlass and Pontiac Tempest . The A-body cars were

612-542: The Australasia-only Falcon in 2016. Excluding trucks, vans, and SUVs, the Mustang is the only FR vehicle remaining in their lineup. With the increasing popularity of electric vehicles , RWD layouts have become more common again, as the packaging advantages of FWD layouts do not apply to these vehicles, whereas the generally more powerful drivetrains benefit from the better traction during acceleration of

648-699: The Chevelle SS-454, Pontiac 's 455 cu in (7.46 L) in the GTO, Oldsmobile 's 455 cu in (7.46 L) in the 442, and Buick 's 455 cu in (7.46 L) in the GS. The two-door had a 112 in (280 cm) wheelbase; four-door, station wagon, and the El Camino had a 116 in (290 cm) wheelbase; and the stretched-wheelbase wagon had a 121 in (310 cm) wheelbase. 1968 model year A-body 2-door hardtops and convertibles had

684-578: The El Camino retained frameless glass. Performance applications included the Chevrolet Malibu F41 and M80, Pontiac LeMans GT, Oldsmobile 442 and Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds . In 1982, with the introduction of the new front-wheel drive A-body , existing rear-wheel drive models were given the G-body designation. Rear wheel drive Rear-wheel drive ( RWD ) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which

720-542: The GTO — commonly considered the first popular muscle car. Though this violated the 330 cu in limit, Pontiac got around the rules by designating the GTO as a low-volume option package rather than a specific model. The sales success of the 1964 GTO led the corporation to increase the cubic inch limit for 1965 A-body cars to 400 cu in (6.6 L), opening the door for the other three divisions to offer similar muscle cars. The 400 cu in limit for A-body cars, as well as for other GM cars that were smaller than full-sized (with

756-419: The engine at the front of the car and the transmission at the rear of the car, in order to provide a more balanced weight distribution. This configuration is often referred to as a transaxle since the transmission and axle are one unit. Many of the cars built in the 19th century were rear-wheel drive, often with the engine mounted at the rear of the car. The first rear-wheel drive car with the engine mounted at

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792-586: The engine drives the rear wheels only. Until the late 20th century, rear-wheel drive was the most common configuration for cars. Most rear-wheel drive vehicles feature a longitudinally-mounted engine at the front of the car. The most common layout for a rear-wheel drive car is with the engine and transmission at the front of the car, mounted longitudinally. Other layouts of rear-wheel drive cars include front-mid engine, rear-mid engine, and rear-engine. Some manufacturers, such as Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Porsche (944, 924, 928) and Chevrolet (C5, C6, and C7 Corvettes), place

828-566: The exception of the Chevrolet Corvette), was continued through the 1969 model year. All GM A-bodies were completely restyled in 1968. The 400 cu in limit remained. It was removed in 1970, mainly due to Chrysler's domination in the drag racing and muscle car market with larger engines and highest power rated engines available in nearly all Chrysler "B" platform models. This led each of the four GM divisions to offer their largest engines: Chevrolet 's 454 cu in (7.44 L) in

864-473: The first intermediate-sized cars designed with a full perimeter frame and four-link coil-spring rear suspension, similar to that introduced on full-sized Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles in 1961 and on all other GM full-sized cars in 1965. The Chevrolet A-body line included the El Camino coupe utility . Two station wagons based on the A-body used stretched wheelbases and raised rear roof sections with skylights:

900-418: The front was an 1895 Panhard model, so this layout was known as the "Système Panhard" in the early years. The layout has the advantage of minimizing mechanical complexity, as it allows the transmission to be placed in-line with the engine output shaft, spreading weight under the vehicle. In comparison, a vehicle with the engine over the driven wheels eliminates the need for the drive shaft (replacing this with

936-600: The mid-sized Buick models were redesigned. From 1970 to 1971, the Sport Wagon became a deluxe trim version of the similar, less expensive Buick Skylark wagon and was the junior wagon to the full-sized Buick Estate Wagon while the Buick Special, including the station wagon, was discontinued. The distinctive skylights were not offered beginning in 1970 and the Sport Wagons were now built on the 116-inch (2,946 mm) wheelbase shared with four-door sedans. The skylight

972-447: The most appropriate speed for the wheels. As power is the product of torque and angular velocity, spinning the shaft faster for any given power reduces the torque and allows a lighter shaft construction. In an era when petrol was cheap and cars were heavy, the mechanical advantages of the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (FR) drivetrain layout made up for any disadvantage in weight terms. It remained almost universal among car designs until

1008-437: The pillared bodystyles with frameless doors and windows as "Colonnade" styling. Wheelbases for this generation were 112 for two-door coupes and 116 for four-door sedans and wagons. By this time, engine performance had diminished due to a combination of higher insurance rates, stricter emission standards, and higher fuel prices. Top performance options of this generation included: All GM intermediate-sized cars were downsized for

1044-774: The production of FR-based luxury vehicles with the 2003 Cadillac CTS . As of 2012, all but the SRX and XTS are FR-based vehicles. Chevrolet reintroduced the FR-based Camaro in 2009, and the Caprice PPV in 2011. Pontiac also had a short run with the FR-based G8 and Pontiac Solstice . A Chevrolet replacement for the G8 called the Chevrolet SS was released in 2013 and uses the FR layout. Chrysler and Dodge reintroduced

1080-537: The restyled Riviera , while the wagon's roof replaced the previously-used split main skylight with a one-piece skylight over the second-row seat, which carried over to 1969. The lengthwise skylights along the cargo area remained the same and the simulated woodgrain paneling was offered optionally. The SportWagon was offered as the Skylark Series 43400 and the Skylark Custom Series 44400 included

1116-431: The transaxle of lighter combined weight), but has the disadvantage of concentrating all the weight in one location. In order to reduce the relative weight of the drive shaft, the transmission was normally split into two parts: the gearbox and the final drive. The gearbox was normally produced with its highest gear being 1:1, which offers some mechanical advantages. The final drive, in the rear axle, would then reduce this to

Buick Sport Wagon - Misplaced Pages Continue

1152-477: The woodgrain appearance, and was applied below the "Sweepspear" character line for 1968 and above for 1969. The 1968–69 Sport Wagon models rode on a 121-inch (3,073 mm) wheelbase. This allowed for optional third row seats that was not available on the smaller 116-inch (2,946 mm) wheelbase Special and DeLuxe wagons. In 1969, the "Dual-Action" tailgate was introduced as an option on two-row models and standard equipment on three-row. The listed retail price for

1188-528: Was a rear wheel drive automobile platform designation used by General Motors from 1925 until 1959, and again from 1964 to 1981. In 1982, GM introduced a new front wheel drive A platform , and existing intermediate rear wheel drive products were redesignated as G-bodies . The earliest GM A-bodied based cars shared a common chassis with the Chevrolet Superior , with Pontiac Six replacing Oakland starting in 1926. Oldsmobile also used

1224-478: Was earlier introduced in 1954 on the GMC Scenicruiser Bus . The traditional three VentiPorts remained denoting its junior Buick model status. The 225 cu in (3.7 L) Buick V6 was standard with a three speed manual transmission, or the optional two speed Super Turbine 300 automatic. The 300 cu in (4.9 L) Buick V8 was optional. A forward-facing third row of seats

1260-478: Was optional. Sport Wagons were available in standard and more upscale "Custom" trim package and beginning in 1966 it revived the long-standing tradition offering the woodgrain using DI-NOC a vinyl wood-grained wrap appearance. The listed retail price for the nine-passenger Sport Wagon with Custom trim package was US$ 3,286 ($ 32,282 in 2023 dollars ). A body redesign for all 1968 Buicks featured an updated " Sweepspear " side sculpturing that showed influences from

1296-544: Was still available on the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser until 1972. The engine choices remained the standard 250 cu in (4.1 L) Chevrolet Straight-six engine , or the 350 cu in (5.7 L) Buick V8 shared with the Skylark line. While no longer a standalone model, a Sport Wagon package was available on the Century wagon from 1978 until 1980. It included different exterior trim like

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