Decoding General Motors Body Style Designations

*Back by popular demand: This article is a re-post from May of 2013. It seems that some of our readers are confused by General Motors’ use of alphabetic codes to designate the many different GM vehicle “families,” so we thought it would be a good time to present this information once again.

General Motors vehicles have long been produced on shared platforms with each platform or body type fitting into designated GM vehicle “families” that use alphabet letters to separate them. The alphabetic codes used were always single letters and way back in 1946 GM began using a standard set of body style codes consisting of just the four letters A, B, C and D. Four different letter designations were all that was needed at the time because GM’s assortment of vehicles was relatively small in the years prior to World War II. At that time, the alphabet letter codes also corresponded to the 4th letter of each car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). In those early years, GM also began using the standardized alphabetic body style designations to identify parts and accessories for each body style as well as applying the codes to service manuals, owner manuals, and other vehicle-specific publications.

The simple, four body style codes worked as intended, and GM continued to use the A,B,C and D designation system all the way up until 1960 when things started to get more complicated. At that time, GM began creating new cars with many different body styles and the alphabetic code system had to grow and change with the passage of time. What began as a simple four letter code system eventually grew to contain many different alphabet letters and it became increasingly difficult to identify the different GM body styles correctly. In the years following 1960, the year of a vehicle’s production started influencing the alphabetic body style codes and some cars changed designations from one letter to another, making both year and body style interdependent when attempting to identify a GM body style correctly. From 1961 to 1965, GM added three more letter designations (E, X and Y) and some cars, like the Buick Special, that were “B body” prior to 1961, became “A body” cars in the mid ‘60s.

In the years that followed, the once simple alphabet codes became far less simple and some cars changed codes after major redesigns, and some did not, like the “E-body” Oldsmobile Toronado that retained the “E” letter designation even though it was heavily redesigned four times from 1966 to 1992. In the years from 1966 to 1970 GM kept the codes to eight letters, but the letters changed. The “Y” code was dropped and “F” and “G” were added, transforming the code letters to A, B, C, D, E, F, G and X. In the period between 1971 and 1975, GM added an “H” code as well as a new “K’ code.

The code continued to grow and between ’76 and ’80 GM added a “T” code for the Chevy Chevette compact. Things got more complex in the first half of the ‘80s when GM added the letters J, K, N, R, S, and T. More confusion came in 1982 when GM transformed the entire “A body” line from rear-wheel drive cars to front-wheel drive versions. At that time GM also decided to re-designate the remaining rear-wheel drive cars to the “G” code.

For those GM car owners who are uncertain as to exactly which code matches their classic car, the individual models are listed by year and body code up to the year 1985 below:

From 1946 to 1960 –
The “A-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: 150, 210, Bel Air, Del Ray, Biscayne, Impala, El Camino. Pontiac: Chieftain, Star Chief, Super Chief, Bonneville, Catalina, Ventura.
The “B-Body” cars include – Buick: Special, Century, LeSabre, Invicta. Oldsmobile: Eighty-Eight, Ninety-Eight, Starfire Ninety-Eight.
“C-Body” cars include – Cadillac: Series 60 Special Fleetwood, Series 62, Eldorado, Deville. Buick: Super, Roadmaster, Limited, Electra, Electra 225.
“D-Body” cars include – Cadillac: Series 75 Fleetwood, Series 6700 Fleetwood.

From 1961 to 1965 –
“A-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Chevelle, Malibu, Malibu SS, El Camino. Buick: Special, Skylark, Sportwagon. Oldsmobile: F-85 Cutlass, Vista Cruiser. Pontiac: Tempest, LeMans, GTO (’64-’65).
“B-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala, Impala SS. Buick: LeSabre, LeSabre Custom, Invicta, Wildcat. Oldsmobile: Eighty-Eight, Starfire, Jetstar.  Pontiac: Catalina, Star Chief, Bonneville, Ventura, Grand Prix.
“C-Body” cars include – Cadillac: Series 60 Special, Fleetwood, Fleetwood 60 Special, Deville, Calais, Eldorado, Series 6200. Oldsmobile: Ninety-Eight. Buick: Electra, Electra 225.
“D-Body” cars include – Cadillac: Fleetwood 75, Series 6700.
“E-Body” cars include – Buick: Riviera.
“X-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Chevy II, Nova, Nova SS.
“Y-Body” cars include – Pontiac: Tempest (’61-’63), LeMans. Buick: Special (’61-’63), Skylark (’61-’63). Oldsmobile: F-85 (’61-’63), Jetfire (’62-’63).

From 1966 to 1970 –
“A-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Chevelle, Malibu, Malibu SS, Monte Carlo, El Camino. Buick: Special, Skylark, Sportwagon. Oldsmobile: F-85, Cutlass, Vista Cruiser. Pontiac: Tempest, LeMans, GTO.
“B-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala, Impala SS, Caprice.  Buick: LeSabre, Wildcat. Oldsmobile: Eighty-Eight, Starfire, Jetstar. Pontiac: Catalina, Star Chief Executive, Bonneville, Grand Prix (’66-’68).
“C-Body” cars include – Buick: Electra, Electra 225. Cadillac: Fleetwood, Fleetwood 60 Special, Deville, Calais. Oldsmobile: Ninety-Eight.
“D-Body” cars include – Cadillac: Fleetwood 75.
“E-Body” cars include – Buick: Riviera. Cadillac: Eldorado. Oldsmobile: Toronado.
“F-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Camaro. Pontiac: Firebird.
“G-Body” cars include –  Pontiac: Grand Prix (’69-’70).
“X-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Chevy II, Nova, Nova SS.

From 1971 to 1975 –
“A Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Chevelle, Malibu, Laguna, Monte Carlo. Buick: Skylark and Century, Regal, Sportwagon. Oldsmobile: F-85, Cutlass. Pontiac: Tempest, LeMans, Grand Am, GTO (’71-’73), Grand Prix.
“B-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala, Caprice.  Buick: LeSabre and Centurion. Oldsmobile: Delta Eighty-Eight, Pontiac: Catalina, Bonneville, Grand Ville.
“C-Body” cars include – Buick: Electra 225. Cadillac: Fleetwood, Deville, Calais. Oldsmobile: Ninety-Eight.
“D-Body” cars include – Cadillac: Fleetwood 75.
“E-Body” cars include – Buick: Riviera. Cadillac: Eldorado. Oldsmobile: Toronado.
“F-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Camaro. Pontiac: Firebird.
“H-Body” cars include – Buick: Skyhawk. Chevrolet: Vega, Monza. Oldsmobile: Starfire. Pontiac: Astre. Cadillac: Seville.
“K-Body” cars include – Cadillac: Seville.
“X-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Nova. Pontiac: GTO (’74).

From 1976 to 1980 –
“A-Body” cars include – Buick: Century, Regal. Chevrolet: Malibu and Laguna, Monte Carlo. Oldsmobile: Cutlass. Pontiac: LeMans and Grand Am, Grand Prix.
“B-Body” cars include – Buick: LeSabre, Riviera (’77-’78). Chevrolet: Impala, Caprice.  Oldsmobile: Delta Eighty-Eight. Pontiac: Catalina, Bonneville, Grand Ville.
“C-Body” cars include – Buick: Electra 225. Cadillac: Fleetwood Brougham, Deville, Calais. Oldsmobile: Ninety-Eight.
“D-Body” cars include – Cadillac: Fleetwood 75, Fleetwood Limousine (’77-’80).
“E-Body” cars include – Buick: Riviera. Cadillac: Eldorado. Oldsmobile: Toronado.
“F-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Camaro. Pontiac: Firebird.
“H-Body” cars include – Buick: Skyhawk. Chevrolet: Vega, Monza. Oldsmobile: Starfire. Pontiac: Astre, Sunbird.
“K-Body” cars include – Cadillac: Seville.
“T-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Chevette.
“X-Body” cars include – Buick: Skylark. Chevrolet: Nova, Citation. Oldsmobile: Omega. Pontiac: Ventura, Phoenix.

From 1981 to 1985 –
“A-Body” cars include – Buick: Century, Regal. Chevrolet: Malibu, El Camino, Monte Carlo, Celebrity. Oldsmobile: Cutlass, Ciera. Pontiac: LeMans, Grand Prix.
“B-Body” cars include – Buick: LeSabre. Chevrolet: Impala, Caprice Classic. Oldsmobile: Delta Eighty-Eight. Pontiac: Catalina, Bonneville, Grand Safari, Parisenne.
“C-Body” cars include – Buick: Electra. Cadillac: Fleetwood, Fleetwood Brougham, Deville, Fleetwood Limousine. Oldsmobile: Ninety-Eight.
“D-Body” cars include – Cadillac: Deville, Fleetwood Brougham, Fleetwood Limousine.
“E-Body” cars include – Buick: Riviera. Cadillac: Eldorado. Oldsmobile: Toronado.
“F-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Camaro. Pontiac: Firebird.
“G-Body” cars include – Buick: Regal. Chevrolet: Malibu, El Camino, Monte Carlo. Oldsmobile: Cutlass. Pontiac: Bonneville, Grand Prix (’82-’85 all).
“J-Body” cars include – Buick: Skyhawk. Cadillac: Cimarron. Chevrolet: Cavalier. Oldsmobile: Firenza. Pontiac: J2000, Sunbird.
“K-Body” cars include – Cadillac: Seville.
“N-Body” cars include – Buick: Somerset, Somerset Regal. Oldsmobile: Calais, Calais Supreme. Pontiac: Grand Am.
“R-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Spectrum.
“S-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Nova.
“T-Body” cars include – Chevrolet: Camaro. Pontiac: T-1000.
“X-Body” cars include – Buick: Skylark. Chevrolet: Citation. Oldsmobile: Omega. Pontiac: Phoenix