Beaumont SD: Canada’s answer to the Chevelle SS

The Beaumont Sport Deluxe, or SD, was the high-performance version of the Beaumont, a mid-sized car that General Motors of Canada sold from 1964 to 1969. It was the Canadian equivalent of the Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport and could be ordered with the same 396 cubic-inch big-block V8.

Beaumont SD at a glance

The Beaumont SD is described in the English Wikipedia articles on the Beaumont and Acadian makes; this page draws on both.

History of the Beaumont SD

The Sport Deluxe name first appeared in 1963, when the Acadian range was offered in four series and the Beaumont Sport Deluxe stood in for the Chevrolet Chevy II Nova Super Sport. It brought upgraded upholstery and trim in six possible colours, extra padding in the bucket and rear seats, deluxe door handles, a glove box light and chrome-plated heater and instrument panel knobs. With the Powerglide automatic a console and floor-mounted shift lever were standard, and only a six-cylinder engine was available.

For 1966 the SD was combined with the 230 cubic-inch six, the 283 or 327 small-block V8, or the 396 cubic-inch Mark IV big-block, together with the same optional bucket seats and console package as the Chevelle SS 396 plus unique trim and emblems. Until about December 1966 the Sport Deluxe was an option, code A51, on a Beaumont Custom; after that date it became a model of its own, and the Strato bucket seats and floor console became options rather than part of the package. From December the separate model carried the number 738.

The Beaumont itself became a standalone make in 1966, still sold by Pontiac-Buick dealers and still using the Chevrolet Chevelle body, with Beaumont-exclusive taillight housings and lenses. The interior took its dashboard from the American Pontiac Tempest, LeMans and GTO. The SD396 is the most desirable Beaumont today: only 451 SDs were built in 1967, and the 1966 SD 396 with the four-speed manual is rarer still, with just 41 made. Most cars succumbed to harsh Canadian winters, which left few originals. Production ended after 1969, when Canadian dealers moved to the Chevrolet Chevelle and Pontiac LeMans.

Design and features

• SS equivalent: the SD was the Beaumont version of the Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport, with matching trim and emblems.
• Big-block power: the 396 cubic-inch Mark IV V8 was available from 1966 to 1969.
• Bucket seats and console: the Strato bucket seats and floor console package mirrored the Chevelle SS 396.
• SD identification: body striping and unique badges set the model apart from other Beaumonts.
• Rarity: low production and Canadian winters make surviving SDs much rarer than equivalent Chevelles.

Beaumont SD versions

• Acadian Beaumont Sport Deluxe (1963): six-cylinder luxury version of the Chevy II-based Acadian.
• SD as option A51 (to December 1966): a package on the Beaumont Custom.
• SD model 738 (from December 1966): a separate series with optional bucket seats and console.
• SD396: the 396 big-block version, the most sought-after Beaumont.

The earlier compact series is covered in the article on the Acadian Beaumont, and more Canadian models are in the Beaumont collection.

Sources

• Beaumont (automobile), English Wikipedia: SD series, engines, option A51, production numbers, end of production
• Acadian (automobile), English Wikipedia: 1963 Sport Deluxe equipment and the Acadian context