The G-Body Platform was a rear-drive intermediate passenger car platform for midsize cars of the time with a 108-inch wheelbase. Apart from a rear-drive layout, it came with a large engine bay and body-on-frame construction which allowed GM to reduce the weight by hundreds of pounds. It was an incredibly popular platform that gave birth to some of the coolest cars of all time. After all, around 10 million GM G-body cars were sold in the United States alone.
However, the platform didn’t have G in its nomenclature from the start. Earlier it was called GM A-body for rear-wheel drive cars. Although, GM was already using a front-wheel drive A-Body setup. So instead of keeping it A-Body RWD, GM decided to rename it as the G-Body RWD platform from 1982.
Some of the iconic G-Body cars are Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Pontiac Bonneville, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, and Buick Regal T-Type which was among many other performance variants built on the G-Body. On a side note, G-Body shares some similarities with the X-Body platform too which was used for compact cars such as the Buick Skylark, Pontiac Phoenix, and Oldsmobile Omega.
- Chevy Monte Carlo
- Buick Regal
- Pontiac LeMans
- Chevrolet El Camino
- Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
- Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds
- Chevrolet Malibu
- Pontiac Grand Prix
- Pontiac Bonneville
- GMC Caballero
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10. Chevy Monte Carlo
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo started as a 2-door coupe. It was built on the General Motors G platform with rear-wheel drive. Its production has two periods. For the first time, its production started in 1969 and ended in 1987. This covers four generations of Monte Carlo with G-Body construction.
However, GM decided to revive the Monte Carlo nameplate once again for the 1995 model year and then production continued till 2007. That being said, the 1969-1988 Monte Carlo is not the most popular Chevrolet G–body car out there but it does have its own fan following. Besides that, the Monte Carlo SS also exists today which was relaunched in 1983 after previous unsuccessful runs. It came back with a 5.0L V8 engine that made 175 horsepower.
9. Buick Regal
The Buick Regal was introduced for the 1973 model year. The first generation lasted till 1977. The second generation reduced the Regal in size. Now it was carrying the same wheelbase as other G-Body cars: 108.1 inches. The new generation also brought the latest 3.2L V6 engine and a refined 3.8L V6 as an upgradable engine.
Buick also unveiled a performance version of it. Some popular models included the Buick Regal T-Type which was powered by a 180 horsepower making 3.8L Turbo V6 engine. Meanwhile, how can we not mention the Grand National Experimental or GNX model? The Buick GNX was launched for the final model year in 1987 with a base price of $29,900.
8. Pontiac LeMans
Its name is inspired by the famous 24 Hours LeMans Endurance race in France. The Pontiac LeMans are closely related to the Chevrolet Malibu. Both models from GM were offered in three body styles: coupe, 4-door sedan, and wagon. 1978 was the start of the 5th generation before getting a green flag for discontinuation in 1982. The 1982-83 Pontiac Grand LeMans is considered a part of the G-Body cars. However, the Grand LeMans model was available for only Canadian buyers who were basically buying the G-body Bonneville with the Grand LeMans badging.
7. Chevrolet El Camino
1978 marked the start of the 5th generation El Camino coupe utility truck. It was followed through 1987. From 1978 to 1981, the Chevy El Camino was running on the A-Body platform. Although it had received many changes after its debut in 1978, Chevrolet decided to give it a design refreshment in 1982 as it adopted the G-Body. Now it looked more athletic from the front with the crosshatch grille and quad rectangular headlights.
The Chevrolet El Camino SS was a more aggressive and powerful version that was along the regular El Camino as a separate model. In 1982, Chevrolet sold 22,732 El Caminos out of which 3,207 were the ‘SS’ models. Currently, on average you will pay $10,616 for a 1982 El Camino coupe truck.
6. Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
The Supreme was the top-ranking luxury model in the Cutlass range of models from Oldsmobile. Its production run was from 1965 to 1997. Meanwhile, just like the rest, the Cutlass Supreme went under downsizing in 1978. The new Cutlass Supreme boasted notchback styling that quickly became popular.
From 1982 to 1988, the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme enjoyed the rear-wheel drive G-body platform, and different versions like the Supreme Classic and the Cutlass Cruiser were also produced in some years. That being said, the Cutlass Supreme came in a variety of body styles such as coupe, sedan, station wagon, and salon. The average price for a G-body Cutlass Supreme is $13,818.
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5. Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds
The 442 was basically an optional package on the Cutlass models. It transformed the regular Cutlass into a high-performance model. However, the collaboration of Hurst Performance and Oldsmobile gave birth to Hurst/Olds which was a “limited-edition performance model”.
It was to commemorate the 15th year anniversary of the first Hurst/Olds model. It had a notchback body with black with silver rocker panels, a revised 170 horsepower making 5.7 V8 engine, Dual exhausts, and many other awesome features. The Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds from 1983 to 1984 fall under the G-body car category.
4. Chevrolet Malibu
The Chevrolet Malibu finally took over as a Chevelle successor in 1978. Back in those times, it was just a normal car but now hot rodders have transformed the G-Body Malibu into an aggressive beast. It carried on with the A-body from 1978 to 1981 before getting on board with the G-body platform in 1982.
However, the Malibu G-Body rear-wheel drive was sold with 4-door sedan and 4-door station wagon body styles till 1983. After a long break, in 1997, the Malibu made a comeback with a front-wheel drive setup. That being said, the 1982 Malibu was also powered by a 5.0L V8 engine that made up to 145 horsepower.
3. Pontiac Grand Prix
Among other A-body models, the Grand Prix was also subjected to downsizing. In 1982, the fifth generation Grand Prix from Pontiac was built on a G-body platform with a wheelbase of 108 inches. It continued till the end of a generation in 1987 and before the introduction of front-wheel drive W-body coupes, the Grand Prix went through several changes.
The crosshatch grille and revised taillight lenses were new in 1979. However, in 1980 brought back a vertical bar grille with taillight lenses with “GP” logos. The design was slightly revised and made more aerodynamic in 1981 along with a new grille. In 1982, V8 engines were absent from the Pontiac Grand Prix US models, the 1983 model lost some exterior elements such as the rear trunk lock cover but the octagonal Pontiac hood ornament was back again in 1984.
The checkerboard grille design made its debut with the 1985 Grand Prix Coupe. The 1986 Grand Prix 2+2 was a new model given for hom*ologation so that the model could race in NASCAR competition. The base, LE, and Brougham versions of the Grand Prix Coupe lived in the final year of the Grand Prix.
2. Pontiac Bonneville
The Pontiac Bonneville was a full-size car for the majority of its life. However, when it ran on the G-body platform from 1982 to 1986 within the 7th generation, it had a midsize structure. For this generation with G-body, it was called the Pontiac Bonneville Model G.
It carried the mantle of the Pontiac LeMans midsize car whose sales were sharply dropping. Its contemporary models from sister companies include the Chevrolet Malibu, Buick Century, and Oldsmobile Cutlass. The engine choices included 3.8L V6, 4.4L V8, 5.0L V8, and 5.7L Diesel V8. After 1987, the Bonneville was baked for a full redesign and the 1987 Bonneville came out as the front-wheel drive car with H-body.
1. GMC Caballero
It started as GMC Sprint but in 1978, the name was changed to Caballero which means gentleman, horseman, or knight. The new GMC Caballero also had a G-Body platform from 1982 to 1987. It shared mechanical features with the Chevrolet Malibu just like the El Camino 5th gen models but it had a wheelbase of 117 inches as opposed to 108 inches given in the other G-body cars.
Meanwhile, like the Grand Prix, Caballero also received different grille designs but overall its design language did not get dramatic changes. Furthermore, from 3.8L Chevrolet V6 to 5.7L V8, a range of engine options were offered on the 1978-87 GMC Caballero. Having said that, the Caballero had a coupe utility/pickup truck body style. The average estimated value of a GMC Caballero between 1978 and 1987 is $13,534. Lastly, the GMC Caballero coupe utility/pickup truck’s sales figures were inferior to the El Camino.
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