General Motors has embraced the sharing of automobile platforms globally, although the company currently uses the term architecture rather than platform.
Traditionally, General Motors used letters from the latin alphabet to designate long-running vehicle families aimed at similar market niches. For example, the E-body Oldsmobile Toronado personal luxury coupe was redesigned significantly through four generations from 1966 through 1992, but retained the same letter designation throughout.
The chassis identification can generally be found as the 4th letter of the Vehicle Identification Number. GM also uses the letter designations to identify service manuals, owner manuals, and other publications. Frequently, the letter designations were used in mainstream automotive reporting and were familiar to customers, especially in the case of car families that were visually similar, such as the J-bodies.
In some cases, the name was retained for a market segment even while the architecture diverged radically. In 1982, the A-body switched from rear to front wheel drive. The former chassis continued, now with the G-body name, while the front drive A-body was new design. In other cases, GM has used varied letter designations for similar products. The modern G, H, and K platforms are reported to be closely related, but GM has given different letter designations to various models.
In the 2000s, GM began using a more explicit platform naming scheme based on the greek alphabet. However many latin letter-designated products are still being sold.
Current platforms[]
Current GM platforms:
- Gamma - subcompact FWD
- Delta - compact FWD
- Epsilon - midsize FWD
- W - midsize FWD
- Sigma - midsize RWD
- H/K - fullsize FWD
- Theta - crossover SUV AWD
- U - minivan FWD
- Lambda - crossover FWD/AWD
- Zeta - midsize/fullsize RWD
- Y - sports cars RWD
- GMT355 - mid-sized pickup truck RWD
- GMT900 - full-sized pickup truck and SUV RWD
Future platforms:
- Alpha - smaller midsize RWD
Current and Historical platform applications[]
As mentioned above, GM used platforms to make a hierarchy of models aimed at different market segments. The following table attempts to place each shared platform in context. As General Motors has integrated worldwide operations, platforms are now shared globally.
Front wheel drive[]
| Vehicle Type | Platform | Chevrolet | Pontiac | Oldsmobile | Buick | Cadillac | Saturn | Geo | GMC | Opel | Daewoo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subcompact | M-body | Sprint Metro |
Firefly | - | - | - | - | Metro | - | - | - |
| Subcompact | GM4200 | Celta | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Corsa | - |
| Subcompact | Daewoo T | Aveo | G3 Wave |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | Kalos |
| Subcompact | Gamma SCCS |
Corsa | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Corsa Meriva Combo |
- |
| Compact | X-body | Citation | Phoenix | Omega | Skylark | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Compact | J-body | Cavalier | 2000 J2000 Sunbird Sunfire |
Firenza | Skyhawk | Cimarron | - | - | - | Ascona | Espero |
| Compact | N-body L-body |
Beretta Corsica Malibu |
Grand Am Tempest |
Cutlass Calais Achieva Alero Cutlass |
Skylark Somerset |
- | - | - | - | - | - |
| Compact | P-body | Spectrum | Asüna Sunfire | - | - | - | - | Storm Spectrum |
- | - | - |
| Compact | T-body | - | LeMans Asüna SE/GT Passport Optima |
- | - | - | - | - | - | Kadett Astra Zafira |
LeMans Cielo |
| Compact | S-body | Prizm Nova |
Vibe | - | - | - | - | Prizm | - | - | - |
| Compact Compact MPV |
Delta | Cobalt Cruze HHR Orlando |
G5 G4 Pursuit |
- | - | - | Ion Astra |
- | - | Astra Zafira |
Lacetti |
| Mid-size | A-body | Celebrity | 6000 | Cutlass Ciera Cutlass Cruiser |
Century | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Mid-size | W-body | Lumina Monte Carlo Impala |
Grand Prix | Cutlass Supreme Intrigue |
Regal Century LaCrosse |
- | - | - | - | - | - |
| Mid-size | GM2900 | - | - | - | - | - | L-Series | - | - | Vectra | - |
| Mid-size | Epsilon | Malibu Malibu Maxx |
G6 | - | Regal LaCrosse |
BLS | Aura | - | - | Vectra Insignia |
- |
| Full-size | H-body G-body C-body K-body |
- | Bonneville | Eighty-Eight Ninety-Eight Aurora |
LeSabre Electra Park Avenue Riviera Lucerne |
Deville Seville DTS |
- | - | - | - | - |
| Personal Luxury | E-body V-body |
- | - | Toronado | Riviera Reatta |
Eldorado Allante |
- | - | - | - | - |
| Compact Crossover Mid-size Crossover |
Theta | Equinox Captiva |
Torrent | - | - | SRX | Vue | - | Terrain | Antara | Winstorm |
| Minivan Mid-size Crossover |
U-body | Lumina APV Venture Uplander |
Trans Sport Montana Aztek |
Silhouette | Terraza Rendezvous GL8 |
- | Relay | - | - | Sintra | - |
| Full-size Crossover | Lambda | Traverse | - | - | Enclave | - | Outlook | - | Acadia | - | - |
Rear wheel drive[]
GM reused some platform names between the front and rear wheel drive families.
| Vehicle Type | Platform | Chevrolet | Pontiac | Oldsmobile | Buick | Cadillac | Saturn | GMC | Hummer | Opel | Holden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subcompact | H-body | Vega Monza |
Astre Sunbird |
Starfire | Skyhawk | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Subcompact | T-body | Chevette | T1000 | - | - | - | - | - | - | Kadett | Gemini |
| Compact | Y-body Z-body |
Corvair | Tempest LeMans |
F-85 Cutlass |
Special Skylark |
- | - | - | - | - | - |
| Compact | X-body K-body |
Nova | Ventura Phoenix |
Omega | Apollo | Seville | - | - | - | - | - |
| Mid-size | A-body G-body |
Malibu Chevelle El Camino |
Tempest Grand Prix LeMans Bonneville |
Cutlass Cutlass Supreme |
Special Century Regal |
- | - | Caballero | - | - | - |
| Mid-size Full-size |
V-body | - | GTO | - | - | Catera | - | - | - | Commodore Omega |
Commodore Caprice Monaro |
| Mid-size Mid-size Crossover |
Sigma | - | - | - | - | CTS STS SRX |
- | - | - | - | - |
| Full-size | B-body C-body D-body |
Impala Caprice |
Bonneville Catalina Parisienne Safari |
88 98 Custom Cruiser |
LeSabre Electra Estate Roadmaster |
DeVille Fleetwood Brougham |
- | - | - | - | - |
| Full-size Pony car |
Zeta | Camaro | G8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Commodore Caprice |
| Personal Luxury | E-body | - | - | - | Riviera | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Pony car | F-body | Camaro | Firebird | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sports car | Y-body | Corvette | - | - | - | XLR | - | - | - | - | - |
| Roadster | Kappa | - | Solstice | - | - | - | Sky | - | - | GT | - |
| Compact Pickup Mid-size Pickup |
GMT300 GMT355 |
S10 SSR Colorado |
- | - | - | - | - | S15 Sonoma Canyon |
- | - | Colorado |
| Full-size Pickup Full-size SUT |
GMT800 GMT900 |
Silverado Avalanche |
- | - | - | Escalade EXT | - | Sierra | H2 SUT | - | - |
| Compact SUV | Tracker | Sunrunner | - | - | - | - | Tracker | - | - | - | |
| Mid-size SUV | GMT300 GMT360 |
Blazer TrailBlazer |
- | Bravada | Rainier | - | - | Jimmy Envoy |
H3 | - | - |
| Full-size SUV | GMT800 GMT900 |
Tahoe Suburban |
- | - | - | Escalade | - | Yukon | H2 | - | - |
| Minivan | M-body | Astro | - | - | - | - | - | Safari | - | - | - |
| Full-size Van | GMT600 | Express | - | - | - | - | - | Savana | - | - | - |
Others[]
GM also has/had a number of non-shared and international platforms:
- GM P platform - 1984–1988 Pontiac Fiero mid-engined sports car
- U platform - 1974–1980 Holden Torana Rear wheel drive compact
- W platform - 1980–1984 Holden WB Rear wheel drive full-size
- GM Z platform - 1991–2002 Saturn S-Series compacts
- GM/Fiat Premium platform - Alfa Romeo models
- Daewoo T platform - Daewoo Lanos, Daewoo Kalos, Daewoo Gentra
- Daewoo J platform - Daewoo Nubira, Daewoo Lacetti
- Daewoo M platform - Daewoo Matiz
- Daewoo V platform - Daewoo Leganza, Daewoo Magnus, Daewoo Tosca
Badge-engineered and non-GM products:
- GM M platform (Suzuki) - Chevrolet Sprint, Geo Metro
- GM P platform (Isuzu) - Chevrolet Spectrum, Geo Storm
- GM S platform (Toyota) - Chevrolet Nova, Geo Prizm, Pontiac Vibe
External links[]
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