Manufacturer General Motors Production 1962-1979 Layout FR layout | Also called X-Body Class Compact | |
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Vehicles Buick Apollo
Buick Skylark
Chevrolet Nova
Oldsmobile Omega
Pontiac Ventura
Pontiac Phoenix | ||
The rear-wheel drive X-body underpinned the Chevrolet Nova and similar cars of the 1960s and 1970s. It was also the basis for the Cadillac Seville's K platform and many components were shared with the contemporary F platform. Entry level badge engineered luxury coupes and sedans offered in the 1970s by Buick, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile appeared around the same time as the competing Ford Granada and Plymouth Volare.
Applications:
1968–1974 GM X-bodies positioned the steering linkage behind the steering gear ("rear steer" - also shared with the 1967-69 F platform), whereas 1975–1979 models had the steering linkage forward of the steering gear ("front steer" - shared with the second generation (1970-81) F platform including the 1973-77 A platform and 1977-96 B platform (control arms, steering knuckle assembly except steering linkage and front sway bar).
In the early 1970s, it was noticed that the first letter of each X-body model name (Nova, Omega, Ventura, Apollo) spelled out "NOVA", the cheapest model of the quartet.