It’s proof positive miracles happen! For your consideration, it’s a forty some year old Pontiac Acadian still on the road. Come on…really? These little econo-boxes were never meant to last this long. Offered in two or four door hatchback body styles, this “T-Platform” car (Chevrolet had a version too) was for a time GM’s lowest cost, smallest and most economical offering. Think plain and simple. A throw away city car you drove it into the ground and bailed at the first sign of trouble. Get a flat? Scrap it! Need a fill? Scrap it! It’s a safe bet few made it too 100k kms nor much beyond five years. Of course there are exceptions…like here. All things considered, it’s not in bad shape, a little rust maybe but relatively solid looking otherwise.
The taillights tell us it’s a first generation example, so from 1976-1979. Production continued into the 1987 model year with little change. These could be had with tiny lawnmower sized engines, gas sipping but horribly under powered. Zero to a hundred…never. The quarter mile…eventually. Passing power…no! The base 1.4 engine was rated at just over fifty horsepower, while the optional 1.6 made about ten more. Whatcha going to do with all those extra ponies? Interestingly the mighty BIGDoer-mobile has a similar sized power plant rated about 150hp and in spite of being a big and heavy car in comparison, and fairly spirited, it still gets better gas mileage. The Acadian seats four…but the people in back will hate you. Odd, it’s rear drive.
There were several brand variants, only differing in badging and trim, the Chevrolet Chevette (most popular, see: Haphazardly Made, Sparsely Trimmed & Underpowered), along with a Pontiac T1000 (later 1000) for the US mostly and the Canada only Acadian, the least common. Almost three million combined were made in total. Attrition quickly took a toll and by the 1990s they were pretty rare out in the wild. There was a 1960s era Acadian, incidentally, also generally an economy model, even if performance options were available. I wonder which one would win in a race?
That’s a trailer hitch…he said in amazement. Just what did they hope to tow? A shopping cart?
We found this little beastie by chance in southern Calgary in May 2019 and never expected to publish this shot. Yet here it is – recall we pull these randomly. The intent was to have it be photographic evidence should this find ever come up in discussion. No one would believe it otherwise.
Short Subjects: reports that for any number of reasons are brief in nature. They might be updates to older articles, previews of posts planned or not yet published, brief snippets of things that don’t fit in anywhere else or subjects that are so obscure that information on them can’t be found. Or sometimes we just ramble on about Lord knows what.
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Date of adventure: May, 2019. Location: Calgary, AB.
Interesting. We’ve heard from others who have spotted the car there too. Had a friend who owned the Chevy version, and drove it once. Not a comfy car for someone tall as I. Thanks for commenting!
We used to drive those as pizza delivery cars when I grew up in Brandon, Manitoba. That was back when the stores bought the cars. I shudder now when I think about how we could get them wound all the up to 85 miles an hour. Not that we were ever hard on the cars, mind you.
It may be only a humble hatchback (sold in the UK too, the Vauxhall Chevette) and this is a rare survivor, but every dog has its day. The Chevette was a successful competition car driven by e.g. Jimmy McRae (5 times UK Rally Champion, father of Colin McRae) and “Flying Finn” Pentti Airikkala. The link is to a photo of Airikkala doing what he does best … in a 1978 Chevette
Amazing stuff! Thanks for sharing. We always love an underdog and anyone brave enough to do it in Chevette gets our respect. The Vauxhall hatchback version is not all that different looking from the ones over here.
Shocking that it has lasted this long. The hitch reminds me of the joke about the guy who walks in to a parts store and says “Can I get a hitch for my Acadian?”. The parts guy says “Sounds like a fair trade, park it around back”. My Grandparents here in Ontario had one of the original Acadians. It was the only one I ever saw.
If there ever was a throw-away ride, this is it. Yet here it is, over forty and counting. And it’s not even in that bad of shape. The 60s Acadian was a different breed altogether, even if it too was often optioned as a budget car. We’ve seen one hotrodded and it was zoomy.
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Beer Parlour Fridays: The Cadillac Hotel in Cadillac Saskatchewan, visited in June 2024 by Chris and Rob. Sadly, they unexpectedly closed soon after their visit, but it is for sale and hopefully will reopen under a new owner. Those amazing SK skies! Watch for the Cadillac Hotel and others appearing at https://www.BeerParlourProject.com. Celebrating old school watering holes!
Scroll down to the comments for more!👇 _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Johanna (Connie).
Beer Parlour Fridays: before Pilsner in Saskatchewan, there was Bohemian or simply Boh. For decades, it was the most popular beer in the province. Incidentally, both Pil and Boh were for decades products of Sick's Brewery. This Boh cap was found in the basement of an old hotel in SW Saskatchewan during a visit by the Beer Parlour Project. It celebrates the beer winning a prestigious best in world award in the late 1960s.
Beer Parlour Fridays: here's a standard issue cast-metal leg round-top Beer Parlour table. These were supplied through the liquor control board (who heavily regulated the business) and therefore could be found at most drinking establishments. They date back to the 1940s-1960s period and surprisingly, we still see them out there in the wild all the time. Often they were covered in terrycloth to help sop up spilled beer. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Johanna (Connie).
Beer Parlour Fridays: The Tompkins SK Hotel/Lucky Loon Saloon, previously Woody's. It was just a drive by visit and not a stop on the recent Beer Parlour Project tour of SW Saskatchewan. Had it been open we would have checked it out, however. Celebrating old school watering holes at https://www.BeerParlourProject.com. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Johanna (Connie).
Beer Parlour Fridays: The Wildwood Hotel in Wildwood Alberta, built in the late 1950s to replace one that earlier burned down. Visited in October 2024 by Chris and Rob. Watch for this hotel and others appearing at https://www.BeerParlourProject.com. Celebrating old school watering holes!
Scroll down to the comments for more!👇 _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Johanna (Connie).
Must work at the library, I’ve seen the same box there last winter. Know these cars well, family business had a bunch as courtesy cars.
Interesting. We’ve heard from others who have spotted the car there too. Had a friend who owned the Chevy version, and drove it once. Not a comfy car for someone tall as I. Thanks for commenting!
I see a Great Beater Challenge entrant.
Yup, 2021 is not far away!
We used to drive those as pizza delivery cars when I grew up in Brandon, Manitoba. That was back when the stores bought the cars. I shudder now when I think about how we could get them wound all the up to 85 miles an hour. Not that we were ever hard on the cars, mind you.
Such cool memories! Most company cars (and rentals) get a lot of abuse.
It may be only a humble hatchback (sold in the UK too, the Vauxhall Chevette) and this is a rare survivor, but every dog has its day. The Chevette was a successful competition car driven by e.g. Jimmy McRae (5 times UK Rally Champion, father of Colin McRae) and “Flying Finn” Pentti Airikkala. The link is to a photo of Airikkala doing what he does best … in a 1978 Chevette
Amazing stuff! Thanks for sharing. We always love an underdog and anyone brave enough to do it in Chevette gets our respect. The Vauxhall hatchback version is not all that different looking from the ones over here.
Shocking that it has lasted this long. The hitch reminds me of the joke about the guy who walks in to a parts store and says “Can I get a hitch for my Acadian?”. The parts guy says “Sounds like a fair trade, park it around back”. My Grandparents here in Ontario had one of the original Acadians. It was the only one I ever saw.
If there ever was a throw-away ride, this is it. Yet here it is, over forty and counting. And it’s not even in that bad of shape. The 60s Acadian was a different breed altogether, even if it too was often optioned as a budget car. We’ve seen one hotrodded and it was zoomy.