Story
The 1969 Beaumont SD 396 was the final factory muscle-car chapter for General Motors of Canada's Beaumont make. It was not a Pontiac model and it was not a separate SD body series that year. RPO Z25 transformed either the base Deluxe 73427 two-door thin-pillar coupe or 73437 two-door sport coupe into an SD 396. No factory convertible belonged to this 1969 package.
Two hydraulic-lifter 396s
The factory brochure lists a 325-horsepower 396 as standard and a 350-horsepower 396 as optional. The solid-lifter 375-horsepower L78 was not offered. Both factory engines used four-barrel carburetion and dual exhaust. The standard transmission was a floor-shifted, fully synchronized heavy-duty three-speed. A four-speed manual or Turbo Hydra-Matic three-speed automatic could be ordered; the marque record specifically excludes the TH350.
The SD package included power-assisted front disc brakes, 14 x 6 wheels with wide-oval tires, heavy-duty springs and shocks, a larger front stabilizer bar, a heavy-duty rear axle, and rear-suspension frame reinforcement. A simulated hood-scoop treatment, body stripe, wheel covers, and SD identification made the package visible, but none of those bolt-on pieces authenticates a car.
A stripped-down performance path
Unlike the 1968 SD series, the 1969 Z25 package was limited to the lower-priced Deluxe coupe bodies. Cloth-and-vinyl bench upholstery was available in black, medium blue, or medium green, with all-vinyl black as another documented path. Buckets and a console should not be assumed. The 1969 stripe rises over the front fender with the SD 396 identification above it, and the metal panel between the backup lamps follows the stripe color.
Authenticate the package, not the badges
Start with a GM Canada Vintage Vehicle Services report and a 73427 or 73437 body record. Then reconcile the dash VIN, passenger-side cowl tag, original dealer documents, engine and transmission evidence, rear-axle code, paint, trim, and options. A 396, grille, hood, stripe, or SD emblem can be installed later. Published references report 91 cars in one auction description and 43 L34 cars in an owner feature, but those scopes require GM Canada production records before they can be treated as a complete census.