By Marcal Eilenstein 
One of the cars I saw this past Saturday at the Big Rock car show was this 1967 Pontiac Beaumont Sport Deluxe.
Here are some of the specs the seller wants you to know:
Big block Chevrolet 454
Holley 4-barrel carburetor
Edelbrock intakes
3-speed automatic with a Turbo 400 transmission
3-inch headers, Magnaflow mufflers, 2.5-inch exhaust
Frame off restoration and custom interior
Center Line wheels
$14,750.00 OBO
On paper, it sounds like an average restoration with a few performance modifications bolted on. In person, well, it kinda looks like an average restoration with a few performance modifications bolted on. I’m thankful the seller didn’t go with the small-block GM 350 crate motor, although it would be completely understandable if he did.
So rare is this car that I frankly had never heard of it. Thanks to some quick work by Bing (yes), I learned that these were built for the Canadian market for the purpose of avoiding trade tariffs. Originally equipped with a Chevy 396 engine, the Sport Deluxe was the SS396 of the Canadian market. After 1968, they went out of production. Essentially, this car is all Chevelle beneath the skin, with a few Pontiac styling cues tacked on to make it official. It seems some things never change.
Here a few more Beaumonts I found on the interwebs, to give you a better perspective on this cousin to the Chevelle.
It seems many of these are still in Canada, making the one that showed up at the car show all the more interesting. It also makes the asking price more reasonable, given its rarity.
What do you think of this Canadian cousin to the Chevelle?
[Lead Photo Copyright 2013 Hooniverse/Marcal Eilenstein]
Jeff Glucker
That sounds like a REALLY GREAT DEAL. A quick perusal of ebay shows anything even close going for $20k. With REAL SS project cars going for almost $15k. If I lived closer I might try to get it and flip it for a few bucks on ebay.
Pay the gas and I'll meet you halfway.
That would also require me actually having the $$$ to buy the thing in the first place. Going from a household with about 1.5 incomes and no children to a household with 1 child and about 1.1 incomes hasn't helped.
This might be one case where paying the shipping would be cheaper than paying the gas. I'm 2,700 miles from Seattle. At maybe 10mpg, that a bunch of gas at $3.50 to $4.00/gal. Last time I checked cross country shipping was about $600.
Pontiac actually sold a bunch of wacky models in Canada. I like the idea of owning a uniquely Canadian car. Even if it is just an elaborate rebadge.
Ugh. This is NOT a Pontiac, it's a Beaumont! Essentially, a Chevy sold at Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealers (as opposed to Chev-Olds-Caddy places) but under its own marque.
The first gen Chevy Nova was sold as an Acadian Canso. Nice Nova Scotia imagery, warms the heart of this transplanted Bluenoser every time I see one at a car show.
Until the Auto Pact came into effect and signalled the death knell of the standalone Canadian marque, you could get rebadged Fords as Meteors and rebadged Mercuries as Monarchs. Yes, there later was a Mercury Monarch, but that was a different car, although you could get one of those as a Mercury Monarch Rideau 500 which was not a US trim level. Mercury places had rebadged Ford Falcons as Frontenacs.
Chrysler did all kinds of weird things. In the '50s, a Dodge was just a US Plymouth body shell with Dodge front sheetmetal. The early to mid '60s Dodge Darts were actually the US Plymouth Valiant with Dodge Dart fenders, hoods and grilles. Makes it interesting if you're restoring, say, a '65 Dart, because you need to know if you have a US or Canadian model. I lived in Woodstock, NB for years, and it's about seven miles from the US border crossing and the start of I-95. Lots of locals have relatives on the other side of the border and plenty of folks buy and sell cars among each other, so it was common growing up to see Canadian models with Maine license plates.
YOUR COMMENT IS MOSTLY WRONG, OTHER THAN THE DRIVE TRAIN AND MAJOR BODY PANELS, EVERYTHING ELSE IS DIFFERENT, THEY HAVE A GTO DASH, COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FRONT AND REAR CHROME, NO BIG BLOCK 396 MARKINGS, ONLY A V8. A LOT OF AMERICANS ASSUME THE SD MEANS SUPER DUTY AND OF COURSE IT IS SPORTS DELUXE. I WAS IN GRADE 10 IN 1967 AND A CLASSMATE HAD A WHITE WITH BLACK TOP AND RED INTERIOR 350HP CONVERTIBLE . 2 YEARS LATER I ENDED UP BUYING THE EXACT SAME COLOURS IN A HARDTOP. BOTH STICK CARS. I OWN 2 REAL HEMI CARS NOW BUT HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A 67 SD 396. ONLY 451 WERE MADE, AND BEING CANADIAN MANY ROTTED AND WERE SCRAPPED.
We have 2 SD396 cars that are awaiting restorations. Once we get our Nova's done, they're next. Both cars are 396-325hp automatics. One was gold on gold with black vinyl top, and the other is Emerald turquoise with black interior and vinyl top. Original drive trains are long gone but they'll still make nice rides. Located in Bluenose country, N.S!!
Hey there , I'm looking for a Beaumont. I had a 67 396 SD convertible. Did you get the Beaumonts completed yet? Are they for sale?
Hi James – have you started either of the Beaumonts yet? Do you have any pictures or a website?
If one has been started, is the other for sale?
THERE WERE 259 MADE WITH THE 350 HP 396 OF THE 451 PRODUCED. THE REST WERE 325 HP 396. NO BREAK DOWNS ON THE AUTOS OR 4 SPEEDS. 68 RAGTOP 396 CONVERTABLE CARS BUILT IN 67.
It is a Pontiac , made in the Pontiac plant in Oshawa Ontario. I have a 1967 Beaumont.
I love Beaumonts, they look a little more upscale than the average Chevelle
The Acadian. (Which I would do some pretty unspeakable things for.)
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/1963_Pontiac_Acadian_Beaumont_convertible.jpg">
That's a good looking piece of Detroit Steel! "Badge Engineering" was common place at General Motors in the 60's and 70's.
Beaumont was the stand-alone marque GM used in the Canadian market from 1966-1969. The vehicles were sold through Pontiac-Buick dealers and utilized a slightly tweaked Chevrolet Chevelle body with some Pontiac Tempest/LeMans/GTO trim and interior bits thrown in. Even the badge was different to help set the cars apart from its US siblings. The Pontiac arrowhead design was used but incorporated two maple leaves.
I own this car if you are interested in buying it email me at da*********@ms*.com
Do you still have this car for sale?
I this car still up for sale?
Do any of you have a 1967 Beaumont for sale? Or do any of you know of one that might be for sale? E-mail me.
The last year for the Beaumont was 1969.
The 1967 SD is a very low numbers car…even lower for convertibles. The value of the car is significantly diminished without the original or a date-correct 396BB. Pontiac emblems should all have a maple leaf above it and the gauge cluster should look almost exactly like that of a 1967 GTO. When restored correctly, this car is a head-turner and should do very well at any Super Chevy event. Folks (and judges) are blown away by these cars.
Is this car still for sale? It looks like the original post was from June 6, 2013. How do I contact the seller?
This car also came with a 283 and ran like a top end speedster. I had a four on the floor in mine jacked up rear and it looked sharp wish I still had it. The nicest looking and best running car I ever owned drove from Ottawa to Toronto in 2:45 min. Doing over 100 miles an hour once I got to the 401 man what a drive that was. Good thing I never saw a cop I wouldn’t have a license to drive loved that car.