1981 Pontiac Parisienne Specs

• The 1981 Pontiac Parisienne was the top-of-the-line Canadian version of the Pontiac Bonneville manufactured in the United States. The General Motors' (GM) Parisienne was manufactured in Ishawa, Ontario and sold only in Canadian showrooms. The full-size, rear-wheel drive Parisienne was made by Pontiac using the GM B platform. This platform, also known as the B-body, or bodyshell, was the last platform design to have the gas tank filler port located behind the license plate.
  
  

Engine Type

• The 1981 Pontiac Parisienne has the economical Chevrolet platform coupled with the outer-body Pontiac panels and interior instrument panels. The engines are the same as those found in full-size Chevrolets, including the 230- and 250-cubic inch six-cylinder, and the 283-, 327-, 350-, 396-, 409-, 427- and 454-cubic inch V8s. Transmissions feature the manual three- and four-speed, the two-speed Powerglide and the Turbo-Hydramatic automatic.
  
  

The B Platform

• The B platform in the 1981 Pontiac Parisienne is available on all sedans, coupes and station wagons. This type of body designation, known for being durable and reliable, began in 1959 when General Motors redesigned all of its luxury and standard-size cars. Major restyling and re-engineering efforts took place in 1961, 1965, 1975 and 1977, along with interim styling changes that took place in 1969 and 1980 -- including a revised roof line and new sheet metal. The body was downsized in length by about 10 inches in 1977 along with a weight reduction of about 800 pounds. All B-body cars, since 1965, use perimeter frames with side rails. Also, the 1981 Parisienne utilizes a suspension with coil springs in both the front and the rear. The last B-body car rolled off the assembly line in 1996.
  
  

Standard Features

• The Pontiac Parisienne cars were the nameplate for the top-of-the-line model and came with certain features that made them more distinctive, such as luxurious upholstery. Other standard features include courtesy interior and trunk lights, distinctive exterior accent chrome pieces, bright trim moldings in the interior and the option of convertible models, with two- and four-door hardtops.