GM A platform

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 1989 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:

* 1989-1996 Buick Century

* 1989-1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera

* 1989-1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser (station wagon)

* 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera (final year of the Cutlass Ciera/Cutlass Cruiser with "Cutlass" dropped)
1990-1996 Chevrolet Lumina APV
1990-1996 Pontiac Trans Sport
1990-1996 Oldsmobile Silhouette

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