1959 Pontiac Parisienne - The "Frankenstein" Canadian Pontiac

From Rare Classic Cars:
Description of the made-in-Canada only 1959 Pontiac Parisienne. Significantly different from a Bonneville, Star Chief or Catalina.
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[@johnnytranna]

Thanks for this, I have a picture of me at the age of 4 in laneway in Toronto Canada, 1964 standing beside my dad's 1959 Pontiac Parisienne. I probably have not seen one since. I think the only difference between this one had his was a 3 on the tree shifter. otherwise identical. I don't remember too much from my childhood, but things like this sure open up the floodgates. Thank you.

[@stevebyrne4235]

Great French; I'm a Montrealer, have owned several Parisiennes including a 64 ragtop

[@robertcroft8241]

Really ? Un Voiture ? and Very Unique ? he needs to go back to school. Seriously, GM made many different cars for the Australian and South African markets which had features different to the original US cars. 10 years earlier Canadian Buicks for export to the then British Colonies were much more luxurious and better equipped , (The Royal Family had 6) and the King of England and Mrs Simpson had one each.

[@rouelibre1]

I was about to say it. The most attractive Parisienne has to be the '64 convertible.

[@wa1ufo]

Montreal is an incredible city. I wish I could afford property up there.

[@b58hustler71]

I had an American 1959 Pontiac, sedan, Catalina. Red interior, red with white painted top. 389 with a 2 barrel which I changed to a quad. What a perfect car for the drive in it was.

[@althunder4269]

Yet another rare classic car. I like how the glass wraps around, especially the rear window. The cabin is so airy with no B post and all that open space. She looks good with the wheels tucked in; like it's hovering. Thanks for sharing another beauty.

[@armedinbama]

Agreed, that rear glass is a thing of beauty! 🤙

[@brunobandiera2062]

Amazing time capsule, remarkably preserved ! As an Italian kid growing up in Montreal, we used to call the Parisienne, "the St. Leonard Cadillac". Montrealais will get the reference...

[@stuckinmygarage6220]

Hi, If u can, please explain the reference 🙂Thank u

[@6667anne]

@@stuckinmygarage6220 The Town of St. Leonard, a Montreal suburb, and now incorporated in the Montreal Urban Community, was in the 50's-60's (and still is) heavily populated with immigrant Italian working-class families. Few could afford a Caddie, nor would they likely have spent the money even if they could. The Parisienne, in one of the higher trim levels, was perceived as a sort of status symbol, a sign of having "made it" Kind of like owning a Bonneville, or Oldsmobile, or Mercury, in the USA.

[@stuckinmygarage6220]

@@6667anne Merci beaucoup

[@codyluka8355]

Adam, I'm impressed that you know quite a bit about our Canadian Pontiacs! Very nice Parisienne!

[@rodneygreene9102]

To me that is the prettiest car you have shown thus far it is beautiful I love it thank you for all your videos you make and put out God bless you my friend

[@drakbar5957]

The un wide track Pontiac! Love the flattop roof and curved windshield and rear glass!

[@jamesfox2579]

Me Too! No Blind Spots!!

[@Platos-Den]

Very beautiful! Loved the 59 GMs And the 59 Ford.

[@gregoryobrien8323]

These were also sold in Australia, New Zealand in South Africa and Knock-down kit form.

[@t.b.g.504]

The days before the Auto Pact came into effect... when we could sell our vehicles to other British Commonwealth countries and other select markets.

[@johnd8892]

@@t.b.g.504 Assembled in the Holden factory from mostly Canadian parts from the thirties until late sixties. Even the T Ford was made here that way. By the mid thirties Australian plants started stamping parts to make utility pick up versions well before the Ranchero and El Camino. My father drove Maple Leaf trucks for a while here in Australia.

[@keithammleter3824]

A friend had an Australian Pontiac Parisienne. It came with the Holden 186 6-cyl "red motor". Barely able to keep up with traffic, but it was quiet and smooth.

[@jeffreycottongim976]

Interesting info on Commonwealth autos, thanks, Everyone! (I'm from the U.S.)

[@Circlotron]

Here in Australia I had a 61 Laurentian (not a runner) and a 64 Parisienne, both with Fisher bodies. They had 283 Chevy motors and the 64 had Pontiac stickers on the rocker covers. Dashboard was essentially the same as a 64 Impala.

[@5797029]

When we went to Niagara Falls in the early eighties, on the Canadian side, we saw a few of these Pontiacs. Also interesting to see were some Mercury branded Ford pickup trucks.

[@donaldstanfield8862]

Yeah, Mercury trucks....whaaaaaatt!?

[@5797029]

@@donaldstanfield8862 Mercury M Series trucks were made for the Canadian market from 1946-1968. Same as the F Series Fords.

[@shawncromwell2230]

My father owned a 1965 Mercury pickup when I was a small boy in the early Seventies.

[@Christianpreaching]

Glad to know I'm not the only one who appreciates a quiet car. That car is gorgeous btw

[@Kagaines]

I love quiet.. 🤫 🤐

[@michaeltipton5500]

Cars should be seen and not heard in my opinion.

[@Kagaines]

@@michaeltipton5500 agreed

[@budlewis721]

There's a place for quiet cars; I like them too, and driving a loud car can be really annoying. But am I to believe that none of you like the low grumble of a big V8 with true dual 'packs? Or the sound of speed as interpreted by a dual overhead cam '50s 3.6L Jaguar engine at cruising RPMs?

[@ihave35cents95]

My 65 Thunderbird is very quiet with two mufflers and then resonators at the rear before it exits the bumper quiet factor is unbelievable

[@JeffKing310]

Very interesting Pontiac. Being a Canadian, I have a soft spot for the Canadian market cars - including the Pontiacs, Meteors, Acadians and the like. Thanks for sharing this beauty.

[@chuckhaugan4970]

This is the car I was waiting to see and hoping it is Adam's car. Noticed it, I think, on another vid, when he drove passed. Love the "cloud roof" of those late 59 and early 61, GM design.

[@chrisjeffries2322]

The roof is called a flat top.

[@darrellbedford4857]

Wanted to see trunk space. Great looking car. We, as Canadians back in th e50s to early 70s did have our own brand of US cars. Love the hardtop roof line, no center pillar. Great video.

[@fordmuscleluis9710]

Very cool Pontiac

[@joe08867]

What a beautiful and strange mix. Man it has style though.

[@charliefunboy5210]

The interior is really stunning. It must get pretty hot in there with all that glass and no tinting on the glass. Nice videos

[@P.Galore]

I recognize that greenhouse design from our 1959 Cadillac.

[@unclebob7937]

That windshield was used across all the GM line in 59.

[@mercoid]

My father had a red Star Chief with white accents. He bought it new in ‘59. I was born in 66 and was a small child when we were involved in an accident in it. I must have been only 3 or 4 but I remember that day and the car. It was a beautiful automobile.

[@richardmartin1432]

Drove my new 60 Pontiac Ventura on my honeymoon to Niagara Falls and Toronto in 1960 and it got a lot of interest. Didn’t realize the difference until I saw their wheels tucked under.

[@ab348]

The 1959 models were a bit before my time, but when I was a little kid my father bought '62, '63, '65 and '67 Pontiacs, either Laurentians (the Chevy BelAir equivalent) or Parisiennes like this (the Impala equivalent). The latter two had 283 V8s under the hood. The '65 was my favorite. Great video and what a find!

[@martinliehs2513]

I remember the Pontiac Laurentian nameplate from the 70s. Did not realize that it was a Canadian exclusive until recently.

[@willyboy6126]

@@martinliehs2513 My Dad had a 1968 Pontiac Laurentian...really nice car! :D

[@jimfraser9898]

My dad ordered a brand new 1964 Parisienne Custom Sport 2 door hard top. It had a 327-250 hp engine with a 2 speed powerglide on the floor. Dark blue and gorgeous!

[@dlbrittain1976]

i remember seeing this model...as a a kid living in washington state...family friends brother drove down from british columbia in one....think he worked for GM canada..still remember the metal disk where the back-up lamps would be

[@michaeltutty1540]

Back up lamps were a factory option until the were mandated as standard equipment in the mid-60s.

[@dlbrittain1976]

@@michaeltutty1540 canada was cool to also mandate DRLs later

[@BarryTsGarage]

My uncle had a 1967 Pontiac Grande Parisienne that came with a Chevy 427 high output V8! 4 bbl, posi, etc That car would move!

[@michaeltutty1540]

Grande Parisienne in 67 used the Grand Prix front end with hideaway headlamps as well as the back end from Grand Prix. It looked particularly beautiful in the 4 door hardtop without vinyl roof.

[@LakeNipissing]

You just reminded me of a car I had for a year that bought for 500 $ when I was 16 and then sold for the 1967 Parisienne convertible I still have today: a 1967 Parisienne *2+2* which was a 2 door fastback with bucket seats and console, aqua with white metal roof. That one was 327 with Powerglide.

[@BarryTsGarage]

@@LakeNipissing wonderful cars

[@BarryTsGarage]

@@michaeltutty1540 the two door hardtop without vinyl was beautiful as well!

[@HFX1955]

Our neighbour had a 67 Grande Parisienne Safari - the station wagon in white with the woodgrain. It looked very much like the Pontiac Executive Safari, except with the Grand Prix's hidden headlights. Now that was a rare and beautiful car. You can see it in the Canadian Pontiac 1967 Brochure.

[@jamessimonds7362]

I have always had a soft spot for the 1960 pontiac

[@duster3404]

Magnifique et étrange à la fois

[@brianpetersen3429]

My first car was a 1959 Pontiac Bonniville that was wrecked (driveshaft disconnected), that I got for $100.00. I was in my first year of college with no mechanic experience. A friend of mine with mechanic experience took the carburetor apart and then left me to my own devices. I rebuilt the engine and fixed all the body panels and got everything back to normal and sold it. A great learning experience for me. Above all, I learned I did not want to work on cars ever again (they were not designed to be fixed).

[@keithoneil6711]

Very beautiful perfect looking car beautiful colour thanks friend have a very nice day my car just love it perfect

[@richroggio]

I love it and I would love to drive it !!

[@JK-rv9tp]

Wow what a beaut. Those cars were built right on GM's Chevrolet assembly line in Oshawa, Ontario, just a Parisienne body shell in place of the Impala one. My dad had a nearly new '63 Parisienne, then a '64 convertible, that same blue colour, with a white top. I remember him driving me to the theatre in it to see the Jimmy Stuart movie Flight of the Phoenix on a rainy evening in '65. Nowhere Man was playing on the radio when we parked in front of the Odeon theatre on Queen Street W in Toronto. My first car was a '64 Parisienne 2 door hard top with buckets and console, red on red, I bought in 1974 for $500. It looked good when I got it but was starting to rot out down under. I scrapped it in '77 when it was becoming too dangerous to drive with all the rot. It had a Chevy 283 V8 with Powerglide. My dad's '63 had a 327 with 4 barrel. Other Pontiac models sold in Canada however, like the Lemans/GTO and Firebird, were made in the US and had 389 and 400 cu in Pontiac engines with Pontiac 3 speed automatics. One of my brothers had a '69 Firebird with a 400.

[@donaldstanfield8862]

Stunning interior, amazing story, almost a hybrid vehicle.

[@timothykeith1367]

And when you take it out, someone will say that they had one like it

[@robgrear1142]

Did not realize how “Chevy” Canadian Pontiacs were at the time. Interesting!

[@kirbywaite1586]

I've always wondered why Pontiac established the split-Venturi grill treatment in 1959 only to completely abandoned it in 1960. Then it reappears in 1961 and lasts for decades .

[@codyluka8355]

It was like that until the end of the 1969. Beaumont, Acadian and other "Chev-iacs". They are pretty unique.

[@michaeltutty1540]

@@codyluka8355 Acadian was in the market so Pontiac Buick dealers had an entry in the compact segment. It disappeared when Pontiac introduced the Ventura II both sides of the border. Beaumont was the same, as the market, pre Autopact, was too small to justify building the Tempest here. Laurentian became the base model Canadian Pontiac in 77. Strato Chief was discontinued. Parisienne remained the top model through the end of 1990 in the Safari wagon.

[@CycolacFan]

Same with Chevy going with oval taillights in ‘59 rather than the circular ones they had in ‘58 then from ‘60 onward. Perhaps the result of customer feedback, the previous design was found to be more popular…?

[@kirbywaite1586]

@@CycolacFan Yes, probably so. Then also consider the 1966 Impala where they did away with the Chevy trademark 3 individual rear lights in a row which they had used in '58 ( then gone in '59, then used again in '60 up to and including '65, then gone again for '66 ) and then back again in '67. lol They couldn't make up their minds.

[@paulhansen7667]

Super cool and a great color!

[@davedavis775]

Wow! What a great car. A time capsule from another era. Recently on ebay there was a 69 Parisienne equipped with the 427 . Those inline sixes are incredible durable and smooth. Chevrolet briefly considered going with a turbo charged V6 for the up coming C4 ZR1 . It got nixed for not being exotic enough and also for the V6 shake . A guy I knew drove a 59 Bel Air in the early to mid 80's as a daily driver. It was equipped with the inline 6 . Easy car to service. He was a carpenter and carried all his tools in the trunk.

[@homebuilthappiness2919]

What a beautiful car. The inline six engines of that era have never really gotten the credit they deserve. Naturally balanced, great low end torque, extremely reliable and so many of them got tossed aside for a V8 swap. Fantastic job retaining the all original essence of these vehicles.

[@hubertmantz1516]

Absolutely gorgeous! Never seen one before. Love it 😊 thanks 👍🏽

[@majorpayne5289]

👍Super styling. Loving that silent 6 cylinder! Pontiac used Chevy frames, drivetrains etc in many instances. I recall my high school friend drove his mother’s new 84 (I think) Pontiac Parisian. Everything looked Chevy Caprice except for it’s “tagging”, tail lights & such. Nice car. Thx for the information. Great channel! 👍

[@pl5624]

That would be a great engine for a lot of applications...what a sleeper....

[@MrSloika]

The I6 was once a common engine in US cars. The Chevrolet I6 was quite a good engine. The Ford 240/300 is legendary for its durability. Of course who could forget Mopar's Slant-6, aka 'the thing that wouldn't die".

[@jeromebreeding3302]

The inspectors at the motor vehicle lanes we're amazed how quiet my low mileage 235 six was in my 57 Chevy. The old stovebolt was a very smooth, durable engine.

[@asmodeus1274]

@@jeromebreeding3302 235 Chevy six had tons of problems with cracked heads, you couldn’t give me one.

[@jeromebreeding3302]

The only problems I'm aware if with cracked heads on a Chevy 235 six, is when the owner failed to have enough antifreeze in the engine, thus cracking the head, and the block !

[@asmodeus1274]

@@jeromebreeding3302 Well I owned my own garage and was a mechanic for 35 years, you probably haven’t seen as many 235’s in your lifetime as I’ve seen in 5 years. I can assure you, it was a huge problem with the 235 engine and it had nothing to do with a lack of antifreeze. It had more to do with getting a proper amount of oiling to the top of the head to fully lubricant rockers, pushrods and lifters thus causing the head to overheat and crack.

[@cantseeneedcaps]

I THOUGHT I WAS OLD BUT WHEN YOU STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE DISTRIBUTOR !

[@darkko1969]

Gorgeous car! So much character that is almost impossible to find today. Very elegant, and so dang quiet!

[@plhebel1]

Wow, This is a rare bird for sure and to find it with the shrink wrap still covering the interior is unheard of. I know you have many beautiful cars and I hope where ever you are housing them is a safe, secure building with some kind of fire alarm or suppression system. Not only a valued collection but in many ways quite historic.

[@williamlee5919]

My Dad bought a brand new Pontiac Laurentian 4 door hardtop in May of 1959. It had the same body as the Parisienne but was a lower trim level. The car was a light green in colour and had the 283. It was a big step up from his pink and grey 6 cyl 56 Plymouth with the push button automatic.

[@kirbyswarp]

I love your channel even though my perfered era is 1950-1964ish. Favorite car on your channel so far.

[@chrisgraham2904]

In 1969 my first car was the 1959 Pontiac "Laurentian" named for the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec here in Canada. A massive vehicle, also powered by the 261 V6 engine. The widest passenger car ever made, therefore it had the largest back seat (the couch) which was all important to a teenage boy. I sold it to a friend in 1972 who drove it for another year and a half, then entered it into a demolition auto race where it met its' end. At the end of the race the scrapers were line up to buy the demolished vehicles for the scrap price of $35.00 . A scraper gave my friend $100 for the vehicle because he wanted the engine.

[@iananderson7883]

Our neighbours had one of these when I was growing up in the 60 s in a small town north of Montreal. It was a light green.

[@Jasona1976]

Amazing video...I had no idea of the differences in Canadian cars from GM.

[@bbbl67]

OMG, look at how simple that engine and engine bay are! I bet there was no problem working on that engine from below or above!

[@Slimjim260]

It’s fabulous, you are a lucky owner

[@scottpopowski902]

Now that was a bullet proof combination , the straight six and the power glide , and a breeze to maintain !

[@devonnewest7990]

Belle, parfait et magnifique! What an awesome find, you never fail to amaze :)

[@andrewromano3105]

I was born in 1957 across the street a guy had a lot of cars and one was a 59 Bonneville four-door white with red interior love that car

[@darrylskerman6808]

My uncle had a '65 Parisienne here in Australia. It had a 327 with a Powerglide. They were assembled factory right hand drive as CKD kits and shared RHD dashes with the Chevy Impala which was also assembled here. I've always loved the name "Parisienne"! Thanks for featuring this one, Adam.

[@TestingPyros]

That is an AMAZING car! Beautifully kept, and wonderful color!

[@JoseLopez-ox6en]

In 1956, my grandfather bought 1957 Canadian Baby Pontiac in Cuba. It was about a foot shorter than the regular Pontiac, and was very plain, with a six cylinder engine. I remember the badging in the rear was different. The big American car had a sort of winged circle with the wings pointing down, while our car had PONTIAC in small block letters with a spear on either side. I was only 3 but I remember it had the coolest speedometer. It laid out flat, like a ruler, and it had a red stripe which somehow told the speed. Still wonder how they did that. Loved the vid 'cause now I know it must be a Chevy underneath. I have never been able to find anything on the net about our car. This is the closest I've seen. Thanks.

[@davemcguigan218]

A Canadian equivalent to our Bonneville back then.

[@DavidH-D]

My buddy Kevin from Canada drag races a 1966 Pontiac Beaumont here in Florida. Frankenstein Canadian Pontiac Chevelle.

[@alain99v6]

actually Beaumont was not sold as a Pontiac, it was labelled only Beaumont, as a model AND a brand . A 1 car model brand lol

[@DavidH-D]

@@alain99v6 I’ve heard them called Pontiac before. Acadian too. I think even on Barrett Jackson. Did not know that they were stand alone. Another GM oddity. I had a 77 LeMans in the 80’s that was built in Canada with the generic 305. My dad had a 77 LeMans wagon with a Pontiac 301. Go figure.

[@alain99v6]

@@DavidH-Dthey were sold by Pontiac dealers peoples often called them Pontiac beaumont but they had no Pontiac logos on them

[@apexerman1]

My uncle had a 60's Chevy II with a six-cylinder. It was so quiet you could hardly tell it was running. I remember the grind when he'd accidently turn the ignition while it was running!

[@RareClassicCars]

Done that on this one too!

[@stevenj9970]

She is a beaut. Please take care of that gorgeous girl

[@peterselten500]

We had them here in Australia as our cars came from Canada to save on tax an we had odd things for years like a 62 chev dash in all gm cars through to 67

[@mckessa17]

That is interesting, as a Canadian I did not know that.

[@peterselten500]

Ford did that also it was to do with commonwealth countries so anything out of those countries was cheaper shipped here an we were a year behind on some of the models sold here they were shipped in broke down form an assembled here an it started after ww1 an lasted till the 90s with the f series pickup an also we had to have a certain amount of local parts an cost in trucks an cars which gave us some different stuff to the USA the first ford fully built here was the falcon an gm which was gmh here built the first Holden here in 48 but still sold gm canadian cars till the late sixties an trucks till the 80s

[@kfl611]

Now that is a car with lots of style! Love those lines and curves!

[@johnbe4276]

I remember being in Canada in 1961. We were in a new Pontiac taxicab, which was stick-shift. I mentioned to the driver; “this sounds like a Chevrolet.” The driver confirmed it had a Chevrolet drive-train.

[@robertironside3166]

Canadian Pontiacs were fantastic. My dad had a 54 Stratochief... Arse of a 54 Chev but front of a Starchief... fantastic car! Great cars! This car here is set for Meats in the back lol So cool! Dig'n that glass in the back. Cool ride!

[@piercehawke8021]

Those Canadian Pontiacs were also built/sold in Australia and South Africa, RHD and all, till 1969

[@brentfellers9632]

I remember laying in the rear window shelve ,flying down the highway. Seat belts? Nah! Different times!

[@Louis-kk3to]

The most impressive car I've ever seen WOW!

[@bobross6802]

I had a new 1965 Parisienne 2 dr hardtop with the 300 HP 327 4-speed floor-shift. Wish I still had it !!

[@icypolar2294]

My dad owns a 1970 Parisienne Ragtop, original paint code was Fathom Green. We just had it repainted and she looks great. He’s owned it since 1975 when he bought it as his first car at the age of 15. I’ve never seen another like his outside of a junkyard. (You even rarely see them in junkyards) it’s equipped with the Chevy 350, never been rebuilt and the car has 88k on it. The engine runs surprisingly quiet, even with the dual exhaust my dad put on it. You’ve got a really nice car here, loved the video!

[@RareClassicCars]

Thanks!

[@CycolacFan]

That’s utterly glorious.

[@martentrudeau6948]

What a beautiful car, rare, the engine runs like a Swiss watch. Growing up my parents had a 1961 Pontiac Bonneville Safari Wagon, that was a great car that was reliable, fast, comfortable, that lasted many years.

[@DSP1968]

Thank you for sharing this very unique car. I really enjoyed seeing all of the unique details of a Canadian Pontiac.

[@daviatorcustoms3168]

Once again, you have found yet another INCREDIBLY well preserved piece of automotive beauty. You are so fortunate to have this car (as well as all your others).

[@manofthehour6856]

I live on the border with Canada, and Pontiacs were the middle class car of choice (or maybe EVERY class' choice) in the 1970s when I was a kid. The downsized 1977 to 1979 were INSANELY common here. But by that time, the Parisienne was the Bonneville (there was a Catalina sold in Canada too at that time, I believe), and the Laurentian was base stripper model equivalent to the Bel Air, this Chevy which was STILL SOLD IN CANADA through, at least 1980 several models years after the US model ceased. It was cool when I got in a taxi in Toronto in 1979, and it was a new Bel Air. I knew it had to be a Canada only model. A couple years ago, I saw a '64 Parisienne sedan traveling on the highway there, so still not entirely uncommon. I remember some cool marketing in the late 1980s / early 1990s in Canada with the Chevrolet Corsica sold as a Tempest, or some other obscure but intriuging models like the Firefly, the G3, the G5 (Sunfire). I didn't get to complete the video, but the reason for the Chevrolet-based full sized Pontiac models built in Canada until 1970 was due to trade / tarriffs as US models that were sold in Canada had a higher price tag in a market with a generally lower disposable income. That, coupled with the geography of Canada where a small community would have either a Chevrolet-Oldsmobile dealer or a Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealer to suit the motoring needs of the community. The GM hierarchy used in the States with a much larger and denser population made the five car brands plus GMC, Chevy trucks and not to mention the captive imports of Vauxhall and Opel was absolutely overkill there, except in a large city like Vancouver, Toronto, or Montreal. And LOL, how can I forget the Acadian and Beaumont brands sold through the Pontiac-Buick dealerships, or the Envoy (Vauxhall) sold through Chev-Olds dealers? The Canadian Pontiacs got the spotlight abroad as they were sold in Commonwealth Countries (Australia, and New Zealand) to avoid the taxes. Its a VERY fascinating story to anyone who loves cars, loves Pontiacs, loves history, loves marketing, and or loves the intricacies of trade. I guess that covers me well?

[@sirloinofbeef3862]

It's cool. That's all that matters.

[@jamesmcinnis208]

If you're 12.

[@brustar5152]

A gorgeous car. It has evidence of having heavy stuff fall or piled on it's hood and passenger side front fender. The car definitely deserves to have those addressed. My fathers '58' Chev Delray Blue Flame 6 accrued over 200K in Ontario before he gave it to my brother in B.C. who put another 30K on it with it then being uncertifiable due to frame rust whereupon the engine ended up in a commercial fishing boat out of Victoria B.C. Those 235/61's often found themselves grafted into small/medium size Cat bulldozers for independent logging companies on Vancouver Island with me as a newly minted general machinist (1965) working for Hafer Tool and Fabricating company in Victoria making up a bunch of bell housing mounting plates to accomplish an easy transplant.

[@stevepaquette5107]

What a sweet heart of a car!!! Thanks for sharing.

[@jamesblair9614]

You certainly have a beautiful example of the marque, and I love the Frankenstein description, it’s appropriate. It was tough through that era if you were a Pontiac fan in Canada, all the magazines we got had road tests with 389’s, 421’s, tri-power, 8 bolt wheels, and we got none of that, 283’s and the odd 327, usually backed up by a Power Glide. Not much of that Pontiac Excitement they used to advertise if you lived north of the 49th parallel.

[@dale116dot7]

The dual quad 409 was offered but I have not seen one, only the 283.

[@jamesblair9614]

You’re right, the W series engines would have been available as well, in 59, it would have been the 348, and I know I’ve seen a Parisienne with a dual quad 409, I think it was a 63.

[@itsnotme07]

Color and "model family" had me thinking Buick Invicta until I saw the title. A little Fast Times at Ridgemont High action there. Looks great!

[@bk14nyc]

1960 Buick! Fast Times!!!!!! 👍👍👍

[@kennethleebenjamin7360]

we had growing up a 59 Star Chief ,same color almost ,with a white top.4 door, huge car. sold it in 1969 when it was 10 yrs old for $500.00

[@basiliodubko6447]

Just one word: A-W-E-S-O-M-E !!!!!

[@jozsefimbrea9473]

I still do remember, that sometimes, in the autumn of 1964 somebody came to visit his or hers relative in the city where I was living with a gorgeous 1959 Pontiac Parisienne four door six-window sedan. The color was similar. Staring to those twin fins, I stood besides this wonder for lengthy minutes being literally mesmerized! Back to 2021, I was surprised to see the under-hood view of this Poncho! A six-cylinder truck egine of the Old Stovebolt lineage, closely related to the GMC 270, which powered the war-time CCKW 353?????

[@plestj]

Beautiful car!! Thanks for all the interesting background information about this Canadian model. The 1959 GM lineup is my favorite. Great video! 👍

[@agostinodibella9939]

This is cool and after saying it’s a Chevy chassis and seeing the wheels tucked in so far! And like you said the Canadian cars like the Chryslers had different models with mixed parts on them. I would have liked to see the distributor move when you hit the throttle.

[@keithammleter3824]

1960's era Bedford TK trucks (product of GM Britain) sometimes moved their distributors. It was a common fault causing loss of power. The bolt holding the distributor was too small and vibrated loose if a mechanic didn't correctly tighten it.

[@tripsadelica]

It is very interesting as Holden, GM's Aussie offshoot, assembled Chevys up until the late 60's and the top of the line was also a "Parisienne." I find the engine in this car is so similar to the Aussie red and blue motor straight 6s. They were also torquey and very quiet but they were only used in our local Holdens. The Aussie Chevys usually had the 327ci V8. BTW, the Holden 6 cylinder motors also had moveable distributors until the engine was fitted with electronic spark.

[@keithammleter3824]

@@tripsadelica : My father, when he was in the Australian Army, served in a liaison role with US forces. The Yanks assigned him a Chevy staff car - just a basic Chev painted drab brown. He was so impressed by it that when he got out of the Army, he bought one of the Holden-built Chevys (I was only a teenager at the time). I remember it as a lovely smooth quiet car, but I thought the engine was actually the same engine as in the Holdens. But my mother didn't like it. She considered it far too big and difficult to park. She eventually got her way and traded the Chev for a Morris Major. Compared to the Chev, it was noisy, there was a lot of engine vibration (being a 1600 cc 4 cyl) and there was a lot of general shuddering and shaking. And it proved nowhere near as reliable as the Chev. I'm certain that Holden motors, red or grey, never gave trouble with distributors moving, though they were held in place by the same method as in the Bedford TK trucks (which had a totally different British motor.) To set the static timing, you loosen the bolt and twist round the distributor. The vacuum advance moved the points baseplate inside the distributor in the usual manner. What the presenter meant in this video is that the Canadian Parisiennes, the baseplate is fixed, and the vacuum advance moved the whole distributor body. I had never seen nor heard of such a thing.

[@tripsadelica]

@@keithammleter3824 Yes, those early Morris cars had the British predeliction of soft valves and wonky gearboxes. Your dad's choice was far better! :)

[@michaelbenardo5695]

A real beauty, as are all 59 Pontiacs, "Cheviac" or otherwise. I used to see a 54 Canadian Pontiac fairly frequently when I lived in Oakland. I would see it when I was approaching the toll plaza. It had the front end styling and side trim of a 54 Pontiac, but Chevy taillights.

[@CSltz]

This is so much fun. I remember seeing a lot of these cars (the ones that you share ) around the Detroit area growing up. You sure get some classic and as this one lots more interesting information than I realized or paid any real attention to back then. Thanks I look forward to these.

[@frequencyfluxfandango8504]

Yes, a friend owned a light blue 1966 'Cheviac' Parisienne some years ago, in Eire. Not many years ago actually, as he was an old school mechanic -and it just kept on running for YEARS. A hope it still is, as he sold it eventually to ?? (not to me, dammit.)

[@antonfarquar8799]

I wish they still made that inline 6 - just as a crate motor if nothing else.

[@alanblanes2876]

Good idea.

[@heitorbernardes7977]

They made it up to the 90's

[@davidkastin4240]

Fascinating Pontiac. You went for the drive without us 😕

[@RareClassicCars]

Was having trouble with editing software. I'll post a driving video shortly.

[@erikalbertson7483]

What an absolute stunner ! Very cool !

[@tobysettle8595]

Gorgeous original car! My Dad had a 1959 Bonneville Vista that he ordered new. Had it for 6 years before trading it in on a 1965 LeMans. He was a lifelong Pontiac guy. So cool to learn about this Parisienne and the differences, the Chevy running gear, etc. That Chevy six is a bulletproof gem! So weird to see the wide track body on the Chevy running gear. Thanks for this one!

[@akickboxralph1]

My 1959 Buick Invicta 4dr. HT had the same door cards, minus of coarse the Pontiac logo. Thanks also for verifieing my belief the Canadian Pontiac rode on a Chevy chassis. Nobody ever believed in my conclusion. I always thought it to be the reason for the wheels being so inboard.

[@guywill7875]

So beautiful.

[@caplings]

I grew up in Montreal and my Dad had a 1969 Pontiac Laurentian. We drove from Montreal to Atlanta in that car. We were in the States and it started making a funny noise, so my Dad stopped at a garage to have it looked at. The mechanic put it up on the lift and started poking around. He was looking at the car, then at my Dad, then back at the car... either concerened or confused. He checked the Pontiac badge, took another look under the car and said "This isn't a Pontiac - - it's a Chevrolet".

[@howardscott7521]

I had a 1959 Parisienne convertible about 15 years ago. Sunset glo inside and out and a 283 power glide drive train. The unique parts on the car were challenging to find when you needed them. American front fenders don’t interchange,, wheel covers are different and mine was missing the Parisienne emblem on the trunk lid . Found an NOS one in Ontario, but it took lots of time and effort to get it.

[@jverrelli1]

What an amazing find, please keep em coming

[@riles479]

Here in Australia we got Parisiennes also, but not until about 1964 as I remember. They came from Canada, and a very good reason for that was import tariff protection. There were no import duties between British Commonwealth countries like Australia and Canada, but from non Commonwealth countries like the USA, the duty was 100%. So GM and Ford had some models made (or probably just assembled), in Canada, and then exported from there to other Commonwealth countries to get around the import duties.

[@jroeger]

Just great to see the Parisienne as it brought back my vivid memory of first seeing one on a summer trip. The family was traveling to Lake Simcoe and I spotted one from the backseat of our 1959 StarChief. The inset wheels looked weird as hell. Really enjoyed learning the minutia on the paint , trim, mirrors and most of all the blue flame 6 mated with powerglide. The roof was the “Vista roof”. Thanks for a great video!

[@marksandstrom4248]

Being a Seattleite, I had more exposure to Canadian cars than many US residents as a kid (the border with the big city of Vancouver is barely 100 miles away). My grandparents took their US '57 Pontiac to Banff in the early 60s and had fuel pump failure in Yahk BC, basically nowhere. It was a confusing multi-day ordeal to have it repaired because of its US Pontiac 347 V8 which the Canada Pontiac parts suppliers were little help for. (Grandpa's car was also odd in that despite its V8 and Hydramatic, it didn't have power steering; he must have found some great deal buying it off the lot)

[@TheTwick]

Nice car. Beautiful inside. My first car was a 1962 Pontiac Tempest another Frankencar. It had a 4 cylinder engine - they did not make a 4 cylinder - they took an 8 cylinder and cut it in half! Half of the cars had an oil filter, half did not (my car). There was no room for the automatic transmission in the front, so they put it in the trunk!. The rear axel came from the front of another car (all of the threads on the lugs were backwards - watched a mechanic strip them trying to get them off). Won $10 from a mechanic who bet me I had to have an oil filter - he searched for 15 minutes. The Tempest was Pontiac’s attempt to make a compact car without having to do too much retooling. I think they made them for a couple of years.

[@jessiejames2155]

Love that untouched interior ! KEEP IT OUT OF THE SUN !