Traditionally, GM platforms were long-running vehicle families aimed at similar market niches. For example, the E-body Oldsmobile Toronado lasted through four generations from 1966 through 1992, but retained the same name throughout. Customers began to use the platform names as well. For example, many economy car owners called their cars J-bodies rather than the multitude of different names used by the various GM divisions.
In some cases, the name was retained for a market segment even while the architecture diverged radically. In 1982, the A-body switched from front- to rear-wheel drive. The former chassis continued, now with the G-body name, while the new A-body was all-new.
Current platformsTemplate: GM platforms
Historical platformsAs mentioned above, GM used platforms to make a heirarchy of models aimed at different market segments. The following table attempts to place each shared platform in context.
Front wheel drive
| Vehicle Type | Platform | Chevrolet | Pontiac | Oldsmobile | Buick | Cadillac |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| economy | J-body | Cavalier | Sunbird | Firenza | SkyHawk | Cimarron |
| compact | X-body | Citation | Phoenix | Omega | Skylark | - |
| compact | N-body/ L-body |
Malibu/ Beretta |
Grand Am | Cutlass Calais/ Achieva/ Alero |
Skylark | - |
| compact coupe | N-body/ L-body |
Beretta | Grand Am | Cutlass Calais | - | - |
| midsize | A-body | Celebrity | 6000 | Cutlass Ciera | Century | - |
| midsize | W-body | Lumina/ Impala |
Grand Prix | Cutlass Supreme/ Intrigue |
Regal/ Century |
- |
| midsize coupe | W-body | Lumina/ Monte Carlo |
Grand Prix | Cutlass Supreme | Regal | - |
| fullsize | H-body/ G-body/ C-body/ K-body |
- | Bonneville | Eighty-Eight/ Ninety-Eight/ Aurora |
Le Sabre/ Park Avenue |
Deville/ Seville |
| personal luxury | E-body/ V-body |
- | - | Toronado | Riviera/ Reatta |
Eldorado/ Allante |
| minivan | U-body | Lumina APV/ Venture |
Trans Sport/ Montana |
Silhouette | - | - |
Rear wheel drive
GM re-used some platform names between the front- and rear-wheel drive families.
| Vehicle Type | Platform | Chevrolet | Pontiac | Oldsmobile | Buick | Cadillac |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| economy | T-body | Chevette | 1000 | - | - | - |
| compact | A-body | Corvair | Tempest | Cutlass | Special | - |
| compact coupe | H-body | Vega/ Monza |
Astre/ Sunbird |
Starfire | SkyHawk | - |
| midsize | G-body | Malibu | Grand Prix/ Bonneville |
Cutlass Supreme | Century | - |
| midsize coupe | G-body | Monte Carlo | - | Cutlass Supreme | Regal/ Grand National |
- |
| fullsize | B-body/ D-body |
Caprice/ Impala SS |
- | - | Roadmaster | Brougham |
| fullsize wagon | B-body | Caprice | - | Custom Cruiser | Estate/ Roadmaster |
- |
| GT coupe | F-body | Camaro | Firebird | - | - | - |
| sports car | Y-body | Corvette | - | - | - | XLR |
Others
GM also has a number of non-shared and international platforms:
And the company has used the platform name for badge-engineered and non-GM products:
