I found this 1965 Acadian at a golf course in Calgary last week. I’m not very knowledgeable about Detroit (Oshawa) iron, but many of you are, and CC has done several posts on them, here, and here.
The owner was just leaving when I returned after taking photos; he stated that original engine had been replaced with a 350; no further details. A friend on that site researched that only 274 out of 674 were built with a V8, the rest with a 6.
Nice find, the Nova SS for the people who didn’t have a Chevy dealer near by.
I’d love to have any of the Canadian alternate universe cars and this would be one of the best, for blowing peoples minds, when they see something so familiar but also so wrong.
Maybe because I’m close to the border but the Acadian trim isn’t as weird to me as the chrome-accented window “frames” all rolled up on a hardtop. It shows off my biggest issue with these early compact hardtops, they’re just not as well-proportioned as the sedans with their higher roofs and conning-tower window area.
I’m not generally a fan of mid-’60s GM cars, nor of 2-doors, but this one ain’t bad, and seems in lovely shape.
“Canso”, though? Name fail. Sounds way too much like “cancer”, and lends itself way too easily to mockery (“Can not!”).
I agree it’s not the strongest-sounding model name, but was the name a (very) subtle play on words regarding the Chevy Nova? Since “Canso” undoubtedly comes from the Canso Strait in Nova Scotia… as in NOVA Scotia… as in the Chevy NOVA? Which goes along well with the Acadian theme? Just a guess… but then again, maybe I’m over-thinking things.
They should have just called the thing a Pontiac Acadian, and left it at that. I think GM were the ones thinking too hard. LOL
There was a Pontiac Acadian years later – a rebadged Chevette.
GM Canada also revived the Pontiac Tempest name for a version of the Chevy Corsica.
As Eric pointed out, the name is likely a historical nod to Canso, Nova Scotia. An important early settlement. And for marketing, the association to the word ‘Nova’ was likely one reason it was chosen. Today, most Canadians would likely think of the more recently constructed Canso Causeway. I found the historical Canadian names GM and Ford used to lend a local flavour to re-branded American cars seemed patronizing. Ford’s use of the model name ‘Montcalm’ for the ‘Meteor’ brand seemed strange. Montcalm was the losing French General who died at the Battle of Quebec in 1759. But the General’s official title, ‘Marquis de Montcalm’ made the name seem appropriate later, when the ‘Marquis’ model name was introduced. A Meteor Montcalm was sold in Canada. A ‘Mercury Marquis Montcalm’ would have been clever, but confusing. 🙂
Well in the case of the GM cars it would have most likely been Canadians coming up with those names and sticking the Maple Leaf on the cars. These were a product of CPC, Chevrolet Pontiac Canada and I’d bet it was someone in that office that came up with the names and insisted on the Maple Leaf badges.
I would expect that the Fords with the Canadian names were also picked by, or at least suggested by Canadians.
Did I say it was Americans who made those decision? 🙂 I was suggesting it was a marketing decision by GM and Ford that seemed patronizing.
Canso was also the name of the PBY patrol bomber when used by the Royal Canadian Navy in World War II. It is better known in the US as the Catalina.
Thailand has a WalMartish Mega store called The Big C.
Nice find. These are definitely less common than their Nova siblings.
The Consolidated PBY flying boat/amphibian was called the Canso in Canadian service. It was license built by both Canadian Boeing in Vancouver as well as Vickers in Montreal.
Exactly, we have a Canso flying boat locally that I see occasionally.
A guy I knew in college had a really nice black 4 door Acadian with the six. Pretty cool student car for 1986
Obviously a badge engineered Chevy II for the Canadian market. It is obviously in excellent condition.
Picking a geographic name is an easy way out from dealing with trademarks or other rights. By using Canso they may have saved legal fees, and made GM Corporate happy.
The split grille theme on the mid-60’s Acadians (based first on the Chevy II, later on the Chevelle) is one of the few examples of Canadian market variations that, to me, look better than the American original.
One of my friends has a mate with an Arcadian its a V8 though whether it left the factory like that I dont know its had the street rod treatment but a really rare car here there is a convertible in country somewhere Ive seen pics of it but not the car in the metal yet.
It would be interesting to see a CC on Exported car names NOT chosen by the locals of the country they went to. I suspect there are some duzzies out there! This could be an interestIng topic for a clever writer.
I own a canadian acadian canso in ont. and there is no difference to the nova exept the chrome is not all stamp steel some is actual billet which is more durabel and last longer.it has a pontiac nose but it is not a pontiac it is an Acadian that was sold at BOP dealerships to fill the grocery getter bill. Manitoba register it as a acadian, Ont. as a pontiac,, I lived both provinces and its not a poncho its an (make) Acadian (model) Canso. I love my pro street Canso had it for 48 years
My first car was a 1965 Acadian Canso sport deluxe. It had the Nova SS consul – but that was about it for SS options. The hubcaps were PMD – Pontiac Motor Division. It had a 283 engine – I didn’t know the car was so rare. I bought it for C$1,650 from a guy in Burnaby.
People kept stealing the chrome off it – eventually they stole the entire car. I did get it back but upgraded to a 1965 Mustang fastback – wish I still had either car.