What cars are B-bodies?
B-bodies are General Motors’ full‑size cars built on the GM B-body platform. Representative examples include Chevrolet Bel Air, Impala, and Caprice; Pontiac Catalina and Bonneville; Oldsmobile Ninety‑Eight and Delta 88; and Buick LeSabre and Electra 225.
What follows explains what defines a B-body, how GM used the designation across divisions, and which specific models are commonly cited as B-bodies. It provides a historical snapshot of GM’s large, rear‑wheel‑drive "big cars" and how their underpinnings were shared across brands.
What is a B-body?
GM used lettered platform designations to categorize its cars by size and shared engineering. The B-body designation referred to the company’s traditional full‑size, rear‑drive cars that were built on a common chassis shared by multiple GM brands. These vehicles were the backbone of GM’s most recognizable large sedans and coupes from the late 1950s through the 1970s—and in various forms, into the early 1980s—before downsizing and platform shifts changed GM’s approach to large‑car design.
Representative B-body models by division
Representative B-body Chevrolet models across the era include the Bel Air, Biscayne, Impala, and Caprice.
- Chevrolet Bel Air
- Chevrolet Biscayne
- Chevrolet Impala
- Chevrolet Caprice
Chevrolet’s B-body lineup typically featured Bel Air and Biscayne as the more affordable full‑size options, with Impala and Caprice serving as the higher trim levels on the same underlying platform.
Representative B-body Pontiac models
Representative B-body Pontiac models include Catalina and Bonneville.
- Pontiac Catalina
- Pontiac Bonneville
Pontiac’s Catalina and Bonneville were the main full‑size offerings on the B-body chassis, with Bonneville often serving as the top‑tier model in the Pontiac lineup.
Representative B-body Oldsmobile models
Representative B-body Oldsmobile models include Ninety‑Eight and Delta 88.
- Oldsmobile Ninety‑Eight
- Oldsmobile Delta 88
Oldsmobile’s Ninety‑Eight (often styled as Ninety‑Eight) and Delta 88 were the flagship full‑size models that shared underpinnings with other GM brands on the B-body platform.
Representative B-body Buick models
Representative B-body Buick models include LeSabre and Electra 225.
- Buick LeSabre
- Buick Electra 225
Buick’s LeSabre and Electra 225 comprised Buick’s large-car offerings on the B-body chassis, delivering the brand’s distinctive styling and luxury emphasis for full‑size sedans and coupes.
Historical context and lifecycle
The B-body concept originated in the late 1950s as GM sought to maximize economies of scale by sharing a single, robust full‑size platform across multiple divisions. Through the 1960s and 1970s, the B‑body cars defined GM’s flagship sedans and coupes in each brand’s lineup. In the 1980s, shifting market demands—particularly fuel economy and competition from compact and mid‑size cars—led GM to downsize and diversify platforms, gradually reducing reliance on the traditional B‑body design. The nomenclature remains of interest to enthusiasts and historians tracing the evolution of GM’s full‑size cars, even as the exact platform families evolved or were replaced by newer architectures.
Summary
In short, B-bodies describe GM’s family of full‑size, rear‑wheel‑drive cars shared across Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick on a common platform. Notable examples include Chevrolet Bel Air/Impala/Caprice, Pontiac Catalina/Bonneville, Oldsmobile Ninety‑Eight/Delta 88, and Buick LeSabre/Electra 225. These cars defined a era of American automotive design and were eventually reworked or phased out as GM downsized and shifted to newer architectures.
What is B-body type?
The B platform or B-body was the name of two of Chrysler's midsize passenger car platforms – at first front-engine, rear-wheel drive, from 1962 through 1979; and the later, unrelated front-wheel drive platform, used by the Eagle Premier / Dodge Monaco, from 1988 through 1992.
What was the last B-body car?
The last B-cars rolled off the line in 1996, leaving only Ford producing domestic large rear-wheel-drive sedans until the line was phased out in late 2011, with Chrysler reentering the market with their LX platform in 2005.
What cars are B-body?
The B platform was used for the Pontiac Streamliner Torpedo and Streamliner; the Oldsmobile L-Series, Series 70, and Series 88; the Buick Special and Century; the LaSalle Series 50; and the Cadillac Series 60, Series 61, and Series 63.
What is a B-body?
Two years after the A-Body arrived, Chrysler launched the B-Body in 1962. This was the midsize platform, and it set the stage for some of the most legendary muscle cars ever built. Wheelbases stretched from 115 to 118 inches, giving them a bigger presence on the road and room for Chrysler's monster engines.
