How Pontiac Works

Of the four " companion " micturate introduced by General Motors in the 1920s , Pontiac was the only one to survive past 1940 . Yet its futurity was far from certain in the early Depression years . The first Pontiac , the 1926 Six , quickly boosted the popularity of its Oakland parent , pushing compound sales beyond 250,000 units within three old age . But sales plummeted with the Great Crash , as elsewhere in Detroit , and Oakland was ditched after 1931 and just 13,408 railroad car . Pontiac bottomed out in 1932 at a bit over 45,000 .

What saved Pontiac were the serene , confident insurance of GM president Alfred P. Sloan , who commingle Pontiac ’s manufacturing with Chevrolet ’s in former 1932 , thus save vast sums in tooling costs through increase sharing of bodies , chassis , and other major components . At the same sentence he immix Buick , Oldsmobile , and Pontiac sale operations , ask dealers for each make to trade the other two as well – albeit often unwillingly . These belt - tightening measures proceed through mid-1933 , effectively reducing GM to three divisions : Cadillac , Chevrolet , and B - O - P.

The well - style 1933 Eight completely turn Pontiac fortunes around , and production for that example class recovered to more than 90,000 . By 1937 , the division was back above 200,000 , and would go on to outrank among the top five or six Detroit nameplates well into the ' 50s .

A mathematical group of extremely competent people kick in mightily to this resurgence . Among the most notable : former Ford administrator William S. " Big Bill " Knudsen , division ecumenical director in 1932 - 33 and GM president in 1937 - 40 ; primary engineer Benjamin H. Anibal , father of the Pontiac eight ; and section design chieftain Franklin Q. Hershey , creator of the well-favoured 1933 and subsequent models .

Pontiacs of the 1930s

Mechanically , Pontiac ’s 1930 - 31 cars were practical reruns of the popular 1929 " Big Six " models , retain an orthodox inline L - head engine with 200 three-dimensional inches and 60 brake H.P. . Offerings comprised the customary exposed and closed in styles on a 110 - column inch wheelbase ( upped two inches for ' 31 ) circularise over a $ 665-$785 cost range . Sedans and coupes sell better .

For 1932 , the rough - functional V-8 Oakland became a 117 - column inch - wheelbase Pontiac , but met with no more success : outsold more than 6 - to-1 by " The Chief of the Sixes " on a new 114 - in chassis .

Wheelbase increased to 115 in for 1933 , when Anibal ’s newfangled straight - eight arrived in a svelte framework group downpriced to the $ 585-$695 area . Though smaller at 223.4 Criminal Investigation Command , the inline eight was much smoother than the 85 - bhp 251 - Criminal Investigation Command Oakland V-8 , and thus far more salable . H.P. climbed for 1934 from 77 to 84 , then to 87 with a bored - out 232 replacement for 1936 . The straight - eight was further enlarge for ' 37 , and would persist in at that 249 - cid size through 1949 . A highly true engine , it would remain a Pontiac staple until the partition ’s first modern high-pitched - concretion V-8 of 1955 .

Styling in these years watch over manufacture trends . The 1930 - 32s were boxy and undistinguished , but the transitional ' 33s and the more amply streamline ' 34 models were among the pretty medium - price cars of the epoch . The latter jumped to a novel 117.5 - inch build and boasted a notable origination in GM ’s " Knee - Action " independent front suspension . Though this was also have on ' 34 Chevrolets , components were not interchangeable between the two shuffle .

Many other parts were shared by then , thanks to Sloan ’s collective reorganization , yet the 1933 - 34 Pontiacs front unique . Credit Hershey and chief physical structure engineer Roy Milner . Hershey convince GM styling director Harley Earl of the need for more - aerodynamic Pontiacs , and consequently designed a Bentley - type radiator and elude front fender with horizontal " speed streaks . "

Milner gave open exemplar ( include Pontiac ’s last roadsters in ' 33 ) a smooth pack of cards and beltline moldings unlike from Chevrolet ’s . With this , Knee - Action , and Anibal ’s straight - eight , the Pontiac Eight was a pleasing package . Though it could n’t quite keep pace with a Ford V-8 or Hudson Terraplane , it did n’t lag them by much . Pontiac ’s future was now secure .

After two year of nothing but eight - cylinder railroad car , and with the mart still sluggish , Pontiac reinstated six-spot for 1935 : Standard and DeLuxe on a 112 - inch wheelbase . Sized at 208 Criminal Investigation Command , their " new " six was really just a big - eager translation of the one-time 200 . Surprisingly , it made only four fewer H.P. than that class ’s eight : 80 in all .

Standard Sixes cost about $ 100 less than comparable Eights , which was a band in those days , and for the rest period of the ten they outsold the fourth-year models by a wide margin . Eights were demoted to a slightly forgetful 116.6 - column inch chassis for ' 35 , and all Pontiacs boasted GM ’s new all - sword " Turret Top " construction that eliminate traditional framework roof insert .

" Trunkback " sedan with inherent baggage compartment had appeared for 1934 . These returned for ' 35 , but bodies were entirely new . Styling was unexampled also , by now of the rounded " potato " school . Pontiac gained added eminence with " Silver Streak " tailored , smart - alloy stripe running frontward from the bonnet , over the hood , and down the front of the radiator . This has been variously accredit to Hershey , " Big Bill " Knudsen , and a young designer named Virgil Exner , who would figure in early - postwar Studebakers and Chrysler ’s mid-’50s " Forward Look . " No matter : Silver Streaks made Pontiacs unmistakable , and would persist in as a make trademark for the next 20 old age .

After a mostly stand - pat 1936 , Pontiac egress Modern styling for a trimmer 1937 descent of DeLuxe Sixes and Eights on the corporate GM " B " body . various wheelbase lengthen five and six column inch , which made for better balance , and a racy reshaped nose with vertical streaks overlaid a more massive twine radiator , yielding a rather busy " face . " A bore - and - stroke Book of Job swelled the six to 222.7 Criminal Investigation Command , where it would stay through 1940 ; H.P. stand at 85 . The eight was stroked to reach its aforementioned 249 cid , adept for 100 bhp .

After five years of mostly unshakable gains , sales event ease to just over 97,000 in recessionary 1938 , pushing Pontiac from fifth to sixth behind Dodge . A four - door place wagon debuted in the DeLuxe Six series . Ads bubbled about all models ' " New Silver Streak Beauty , " but that was no more than a lift consisting mainly of a barrel - alike radiator with thick horizontal bars and erect alternatively of horizontal thug vents .

The rebodied ' 39s were prettier , with wider " pontoon " fenders , reduced overall height , heavy glass areas , and smaller pod - style headlamps well inboard of the front - fender pennant . Pontiac ’s cheek remained a piece confused , however , as Harley Earl applied his prefer " catwalk " perpendicular trim between the fender and a radiator behave four groups of horizontal chrome striation overlaid with Silver Streaks . Still , there was no mistaking Pontiac for Chevrolet .

Rumble - tush styles and four - door convertibles were absent for ' 39 , but a new serial publication anchored the crease : the 115 - column inch - wheelbase Quality Six . portion out bodies with Chevrolet , it heel coupes , sedans , and a woods - organic structure station wagon in the $ 760-$990 range . Some $ 55 more buy the same cars ( except the wagon ) in Modern DeLuxe 120 guise : a six - piston chamber variation of that class ’s 120 - inch - wheelbase DeLuxe Eight . Both DeLuxe lines included a sofa bed .

As ever , Pontiac ’s six was careful and authentic , its eight a bit thirstier but more refined , and potent enough . One English magazine publisher opined that a Pontiac Eight " might be suffer along by the nothingness " because it was so impressively quiet and smooth .

Depression gloom was lifting , though only because American industry was gearing up for anticipated warfare production . Still , Pontiac moved a creditable 144,000 cars in the improving 1939 economy to retain 6th behind Chevy , Ford , Plymouth , Buick , and Dodge .

For more on the amazing Pontiac, old and new, see:

1940, 1941, 1942 Pontiacs

Series inflate to four for 1940 : Special and DeLuxe Sixes and DeLuxe and Torpedo Eights . All listed four - passenger coupes and four - doorway sedans ; Special and the DeLuxes added a business organisation coupe and two - door saloon . There were also DeLuxe " cabriolet " convertibles and a Special wagon . All wore a heavy face lifting herald by a more tenacious font with a paint prow , still Silver Streaked , dividing a lower - profile horizontal - bar lattice . Also in evidence were wider front fenders with fully integrated sealed - beam headlight .

Wheelbase extended to 117 inches for Special ; DeLuxes returned at 120 . Sleekest of all were a new Torpedo coupe and sedan chair on a 122 - inch couple . Sixes gained two HP via light engine qualifying . Volume move up substantially , strain 217,000 for the model year .

A corporatewide restyle for 1941 gave Pontiacs higher , wide , crisper fender embellished with additional Silver Streaks , plus a close full - width horizontal - stripe lattice with prominent centre bulge . running game boards were newly concealed via flared threshold bottoms ( except on station waggon ) . Pontiac ’s six took the form it would hold through 1954 , being bored out to 239.2 cid for 90 bhp . The veteran soldier straight - eight was tweaked to 103 bhp in 1940 , where it would remain through ' 47 .

Series now numbered six , all call Torpedo : six- and eight - cylinder DeLuxe , Streamliner , and Custom . DeLuxes , which garnered 155,000 cut-rate sale , shared a new 119 - inch - wheelbase A - body political program with Chevrolet and thus provide the most body styles . Among them was the attractive midseason Metropolitan sedan patterned after the previous four - threshold Torpedo , with " courtly " close rear - cap quarters .

Streamliners and Customs used the same 122 - inch B - body as junior Buicks and Oldsmobiles , and included raw fastback four - doorway saloon and two - door " sedan coupe . " Convertibles , again DeLuxes , lacked rear side windows , a handling that recalled certain Packards but made for awful top - up visibleness .

Ever the next step up from Chevy on the GM cost / prestigiousness run , Pontiac was less luxurious than a Buick or Olds but cautiously built to very competitive prices . Its cheap model cost just $ 783 in 1940 and only $ 828 in ' 41 ; the costliest was the $ 1250 Custom Torpedo Eight place wagon of 1941 .

After record loudness of more than 330,000 , Pontiac built about 83,500 of its hard facelifted ' 42s , all but 15,400 in the closing months of 1941 . Styling again followed GM trends : a tatty grille , longer front fenders sweep back into the front doors , and brush up " deteriorate - off " rear fenders . Series were reduced to four : 122 - inch Streamliner and 119 - column inch Torpedo , each offered as a Six and Eight . The ' 41 Streamliners had been carve up into stock and Super submodels .

The ' 42s came in standard and Chieftain guise , each offer fastback " sedan coupe , " fastback four - threshold sedan , and " woody " wagon . Chieftains cost $ 50 more than standards , which run slightly above fit Torpedos . Eights deliver for only $ 25 more than Sixes , yet production rive about 50/50 .

1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 Pontiacs

Like most other makes , Pontiac issued warm - over ' 42 manikin for 1946 - 48 , but hairdresser made each succeeding version a little unlike . The ' 46s , which commence stream from Pontiac , Michigan in September 1945 , had a big bell - form grill of erect and horizontal bar .

The grille was simplify for ' 47 , then became busier again on the ' 48s , which acquire round taillights and were the first Pontiacs to carry Silver Streak badges .

Otherwise , the 1946 - 47 Pontiacs were wholly prewar in blueprint and spec . A three - speed manual of arms remained the only transmission available . Chieftain submodels did not return , though other prewar offerings did . eighter cost about $ 30 more than Sixes for 1946 , and postwar inflation pushed all prices steady upward through ' 48 , when the spread reached $ 1500-$2500 . A DeLuxe Torpedo sofa bed bowed for 1947 at $ 1853 with the six , $ 1900 with the eight .

Though still essentially ' 42s , the ' 48 Pontiacs had some interesting distinctions . A DeLuxe trimming choice for most theoretical account fork up chrome fender moulding , crushed rock precaution , wheel discs ( except on wagons ) , and other embellishments for $ 78-$90 . Also , the eight was inexplicably uprated by one bhp .

But the big news that yr was the introduction of Hydra - Matic Drive as a $ 185 choice . This was a key factor in hike up Pontiac ’s model - yr volume to near 235,500 because it so well - suited the eight - cylinder manikin that buyers increasingly preferred . Indeed , Eights outsold Sixes for the first time in 1947 , and were far onward for ' 48 , when Hydra - Matic was ordinate on 64 percentage of Sixes but 77 per centum of Eights .

This activity suggested that Pontiac would produce from a " full-grown Chevy " into a lusher medium - Leontyne Price railcar – and so it did . Along the way , Pontiacs were transformed from ho - hum to hot .

But that was still some years off when Pontiac expose its 1949 models , which make out quite well in GM ’s first postwar redesign . All - newfangled A - bodies , now on a undivided 120 - inch wheelbase , were attractively title under Harley Earl ’s ever - sleepless center . Highlights began with a lower full - width grille bisected by a modest horizontal bar above little erect teeth . Silver Streaks still embellish cowling and rearward deck , but front fenders were now flush with the bodysides and the pontoon hindquarters buffer snugged in closer .

Body eccentric separate between Chieftain and Streamliner , the latter with fastback rather than notchback profiles , plus four - doorway wagons . Exclusive to Chieftain were a business coupe , long - deck of cards sedan coupe ( a.k.a . club coupe ) , and transmutable . Both lines offered the usual choices of six- or eight - cylinder power and criterion or DeLuxe trim except for the DeLuxe - only convertible . DeLuxes wore chrome headlamp ring , extra side mould , fender gravel guards , and full steering wheel cover song .

Newly optional high - densification head loft the six to 93 bhp and the eight to 106 . Overall carrying out was little change , however , as the ' 49s weighed a bit more than the ' 48s .

Continuing postwar ostentation pushed terms substantially higher for 1949 . The Chieftain DeLuxe Eight convertible security jumped by $ 134 ; the woody wagon cost more than $ 2600 . As at Chevrolet , the Pontiac wagon switched from part - structural Sir Henry Wood to more - virtual all - steel grammatical construction at mid-‘49 , though there was no alteration in toll and little change in appearance . Despite the heftier price tags , exemplary - yr volume rose to nearly 305,000 , the second - high total in Pontiac story .

1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955 Pontiacs

Except for larger , marvelous grille tooth and reshuffled trim , the 1950 model were predictably much like the ' 49s . However , the long - running eight was bore to 268.4 cid , good for 108 bhp criterion or 113 with eminent - compression head .

Chieftain gained an significant new consistency style in Pontiac ’s first " hardtop - convertible . " Called Catalina and sell in DeLuxe or new Super DeLuxe passementerie , it accounted for 42,305 sales , nine per centum of the division ’s total exemplary - year loudness . As in past years , an illuminated countenance of Chief Pontiac continued as a hood mascot ; like other such devices of the day , it radiate when the headlight were on .

product rose again , smash the 1941 record at more than 446,000 . Still , Pontiac ran fifth overall , as it had since ' 48 and would carry on to do until 1959 .

intensity sank to about 370,000 for 1951 as all Detroit get down finger the burden of the Korean War , yet that was Pontiac ’s second - best total ever . Fastbacks were fading from favour , so the Streamliner four - door was dropped , presently pursue by the sedan - coupe . The most noticeable alteration was a " gullwing " grille taproom below a prominent medallion . engine were pick off : the six to 96/100 bhp , the eight to 116/120 bhp .

A busier grillwork and novel DeLuxe side trim were the main modification for 1952 . Horsepower creep up , too . Korean War restrictions and a countrywide steel hit circumscribed model - twelvemonth turnout to only 271,000 units .

A major reskin of the ' 49 A - body and a two - in longer wheelbase gave 1953 ’s Modern all - captain line a more " significant " look . Once more , grease one’s palms figure had prompted these and other changes . Catalina hardtops , for exercise , now accounted for nearly 20 percent of gross sales , and automatic - transmittance installations had climbed to 75 percent . The ' 53s were shinier and orotund in most every dimension . cardinal features of the young aspect involved kicked - up rear fenders , a blue grille , more prominent bumpers , and a one - piece windshield .

Newly optional power steering made the ' 53s easier to park ; more horsepower made them quicker . The six now fork up 115 bhp with manual transmission or 118 with Hydra - Matic ; corresponding eight - cylinder outputs were 118/122 . A lowish rear axle ratio of 3.08:1 was specified for smooth top - cogwheel performance with Hydra - Matic . A mid-1953 fervidness in the Hydra - Matic plant handicap supplying , however , so 18,499 Pontiacs were conform to with Chevrolet Powerglide in 1953 - 54 . Overall product remained unattackable at nearly 419,000 .

Nineteen fifty - four play a minor facelift of 1953 ’s major one . Rearranged side moldings and a narrow oval in the central grille bar were the chief changes . The big tidings was Star Chief , a top - line eight - piston chamber hardtop , convertible , and four - door sedan on a newfangled 124 - column inch chassis . These were the lavish Pontiacs yet – and the pricey ( $ 2300-$2600 ) , another augury of the make ’s steady push upmarket . Star Chiefs sell well , but Pontiac ’s full mass splay to just below 288,000 , suggesting it was time for something different .

The all - new ' 55s were exactly that . Among their claimed 109 fresh feature of speech were fully up - to - appointment styling , an improved chassis and – the really blistering token – a innovative overhead - valve V-8 , Pontiac ’s first . Dubbed " Strato - Streak , " the novel engine bowed at 287.2 cid , but could raise much larger and before long did . Standard horsepower at first was 173/180 ( manual / automatic ) ; an optional four - gun barrel carburetor give an even 200 .

A strong oversquare design with five main bearings , the Strato - Streak was somewhat related to Chevy ’s all - new 1955 " Turbo - Fire " V-8 . Though not quite as advanced , it would serve well Pontiac admirably for more than a quarter - hundred .

As on other ' 55 GM cars , Pontiac styling was rather boxy but quite trendy , especially the wrapped " bird’s-eye " windshield accept from late Harley Earl showmobiles . Equally au courant were cowl ventilation ; bright substantial color and two - tone of voice ; and a longer , low look despite unaltered wheel- bases .

A blunt face was the one doubtful aspect . As before , Pontiac share its A - body with Chevrolet , but maintain distinct wheelbase . The poor one again carried two Chieftain rail line : low - priced " 860 " and midrange " 870 " sedans and wagons , plus an " 870 " Catalina hardtop . Star Chief returned on its extended chassis with base - trim exchangeable and four - door sedan chair and a Custom sedan and Catalina .

jump on the Chieftain chassis but formally a Star Chief was an alien young wagon , the Custom Safari , a " hardtop - style " two - door based on Chevy ’s novel ' 55 Nomad . Chevy designer Carl Renner recall that " when Pontiac saw [ the Nomad ] they felt they could do something with it. … Management want it for the Pontiac line , so it exercise out . " Like Nomad , the original ' 55 Safari continued with successive face lift only through 1957 , after which both names were applied to established four - door wagons .

Two - door Safaris by nature cost more than Nomads – a stiff $ 2962 for ' 55 – and thus sold in few numeral : 3760 , followed by 4042 for ' 56 , and a final 1292 .

On balance , 1955 was a vintage Pontiac class . Its cars were a unanimous hit with dealers and public likewise , and the division built about 554,000 of them , a Modern record . But some pugnacious times lay forrader , and Pontiac would n’t meliorate this figure until 1963 , after which it set new record .

At least three constituent figured in the interim drop-off . Buick ’s Special and the base of operations Olds 88 were priced more aggressively ; demand for lower - medium cars wither as import sales expanded in the former ' 50s ; and the 1956 - 58 Pontiacs were n’t particularly exciting , though they were competitory in most ways and faster than ever .

1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 Pontiacs

The ' 56 Pontiacs were gently restyled , and four - doorway Catalina hardtop arrived in each series . Styling was less distinctive – quizzer Tom McCahill say the ' 56 expect like " it was born on its nose " – and ride comfortableness was n’t the best . A bore Book of Job stretched the V-8 to 316.6 Criminal Investigation Command , but did n’t yield much more power : only up to 205 for Chieftains and 227 bhp for Star Chiefs ( though at midyear , a 285 - bhp option was offered ) .

Pontiac settle for ' 56 volume that was well down on record - shatter ' 55 , declining to 405,500 and a 6th - spot manufacture finish .

July 1956 usher in a fresh Pontiac oecumenical manager who would leaven crucial to the make ’s near - terminal figure fortunes . This was Semon E. " Bunkie " Knudsen , son of ' 30s segmentation chief " Big Bill " and the youngest loss leader in Pontiac account . GM brass tell Bunkie to do what he could with the exist conception for ' 57 , and he hustle , instituting longer rearward spring in rubber trammel , 14 - inch cycle and tires ( drum out 15 - inchers ) , foot pedal parking bracken , and a V-8 stroked to 347 cid for 227 - 290 bhp .

Stylewise , the grille became a massive bucktooth occasion ; two - toning change over from 1955 - 56 ’s half - car patterns to projectile - shaped bodyside area ; and Bunkie did the unthinkable by ban Silver Streak trim as honest-to-goodness - hat ( it did , after all , hark to his pop ’s day ) . Series were regroup into low - end Chieftain and new mid - price Super Chief on the short chassis and Star Chief on the long 124 - inch wheelbase .

Where Bunkie really made his grade was the Bonneville , a flashy Star Chief - found convertible launched in mid-‘57 . Packing 310 bhp thanks to fuel injectant and aggressive cam , this $ 5782 circumscribed edition was the costliest Pontiac yet . Unfortunately , a sizable curb weight of nearly 4300 pounds dull performance slightly . Still it was no slouch : A Bonnie was timed at 18 seconds in the quarter - sea mile .

talkative new styling should have helped the ' 58s sell even better , but a sharp national recession hold deliveries to some 217,000 . Unlike some ' 58 GM car , Pontiacs remained reasonably tasteful , with a simple mesh radiator grille , quadrangle headlamp , and side - spears made wider and concave toward the behind . Bodies were lower but not much longer or blanket ; wheelbases were unaltered .

Offerings now included no fewer than seven Catalina hardtops with two or four doors . Bonneville became a regular series , and sold 12,240 convertibles and hardtop coupes . A 370 - cid V-8 was now standard across the line , delivering 240 bhp in stickshift Chieftains / Super Chiefs , and up to 285 in Hydra - Matic Star Chiefs and Bonnevilles . Optional across the card were a 300 - bhp triplex - carb " Tri - Power " unit and a 310 - bhp " fuelie . "

Then came the first Pontiacs to fully chew over Bunkie ’s boldness . The ' 59s were not just startlingly new ; they established the performance pattern that would carry Pontiac to undreamed - of glory in the 1960s . Crisp styling on a firebrand - raw physical structure introduce the split - grille theme that continue a Pontiac hallmark to this twenty-four hour period , plus modest twin - louver rearward fender and minimum side passementerie . Wheelbases were again unchanged , but the wheels disperse farther apart on a new " Wide - Track " figure that made Pontiacs among the most - roadable car in America .

The V-8 was again enlarged , the regular hexahedron count rising to 389 , a number destined for immensity . Horsepower ramble from 345 with Tri - Power down to 245 . There was also a detuned 215 - bhp " Tempest 420E " for saving - minded buyers , open of up to 20 mpg .

Ridding Pontiac of " that Amerind concept " was still part of Bunkie ’s plan , so Chieftain and Super Chief pass on way to a new Catalina personal line of credit on the shorter wheelbase ; Bonneville again shared the foresighted chassis with Star Chief , which would fall on a salutary foresighted while . Bonneville , bolstered by new Safari wagons and flat - top Vista hardtop sedans , garnered some 82,000 sale . Total loudness for the model year rose to near 383,000 , boosting Pontiac into fourth seat for the first time .

Pontiac show cars of the ' 50s were always interesting and often predictive . The smooth 1954 Strato Streak previewed the pillarless four - door of ' 56 . Also shown in ' 54 was the first Bonneville , a Corvette - like two - seater with canopy - case cockpit on a 100 - inch wheelbase . Both cable car carried straight eights .

The 1955 Strato Star was a two - door four - seat hardtop calculate 1956 styling . Wildest of all was the 1956 Club de Mer , with " duplicate - pod " seating area and three-fold - house of cards windshield . Standing only 38.4 inches gamy , its aluminium body was paint bright blue blue , one of Harley Earl ’s favorite colors .

1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 Pontiac Tempest

From mostly " also - run " in the ' 50 , Pontiac became a consistent front - runner in the ' LX , wind up third in the industry backwash every year from 1962 to 1970 . Much of this was owed to three enthusiastic cosmopolitan coach : Knudsen through 1961 , then Elliot M. " Pete " Estes ( GM president in 1974 - 81 ) , and finally John Z. DeLorean in 1965 - 69 .

These and legion other " car guys " made Pontiac synonymous with high performance , neat looks , superb roadability , innovation , and refined , well-situated sumptuosity . No wonder Pontiac did so well .

A minor exclusion to that was the compact 1961 - 63 Tempest , meaning for having GM ’s first postwar four - cylinder engine , a flexible driveshaft , and a rearward transaxle ( transmission in unit with the differential ) ally to independent linkup - eccentric dangling . One enthusiast magazine called Tempest " a image of the American elevator car for the ' 60s , " but no other U.S. make would have a rearward transaxle and main rearward suspension system until the Chevrolet Corvette and Plymouth Prowler of ' 97 .

The original Tempests were fairly democratic , but Pontiac experience a more orthodox innovation would sell far well . This appeared for 1964 , and it did sell better – much better . At that point , the original Tempest ’s 195 - Criminal Investigation Command four , essentially one-half of a 389 V-8 , was forsake for an inline six – sensibly monetary value - effective , but hardly daring .

Like a speed indicator line , the 1961 - 63 Tempest ’s " rope " drive­shaft carry rotary motion through a long , gently curl bar beneath the trading floor . flimsy , but lightly stressed within a steel pillow slip , it was climb on bearings and for good lube . The driveshaft ’s slight sag earmark a lower transmittal burrow in front , though not in back ; it also winnow out the need for uracil - joints and permit soft engine setting for better interior isolation .

The rearward transaxle , a first for Detroit ( but not the world ) , made Tempest less nozzle - operose than conventional first cousin Olds F-85 and Buick Special . But though its main rearward suspension system was ostensibly superscript , it was prostrate to sudden oversteer that could be alarming , specially on wet roads . Still , the Tempest handled well – more so than Chevy ’s rear - engine Corvair , even though both used unproblematic but slick swing axles in back .

The initial 112 - inch - wheelbase Pontiac Tempests used a unitized Y - body social structure adapted from the first Corvairs , as did the F-85 and Special . The standard slant - four teamed with manual and machinelike transaxles , and was propose in tune to beseem regular or premium gas . By 1963 , HP was 115 - 166 ( versus 110/130 in ' 61 ) .

Optionally available for 1961 - 62 was the Special ’s 215 - Criminal Investigation Command atomic number 13 V-8 with 155/185 bhp . This gave way for ' 63 to a debored 326 - Criminal Investigation Command version of the Pontiac 389 packing 260 bhp . So equipped , a Tempest could scale 0 - 60 mph in 9.5 sec and get through 115 miles per hour .

Tempest bowed with a single series listing standard- and customs - trim four - room access notchback sedans and four - room access Safari wagons with one - piece rear " liftgate . " Coupes arrived at midseason with bench- or pail - seat interiors , the latter christened LeMans . Custom and LeMans convertibles were lend for ' 62 and proved quite popular , prompting a separate LeMans series for ' 63 .

Styling did n’t exchange much . A matching - ellipse grille was used for ' 61 , a full - width three - section affair for ' 62 , a different split grille and square - up body stock for ' 63 . price also did n’t change much , with most models in the $ 2200-$2500 region .

1964, 1965, 1966 Pontiac Tempest

For 1964 , GM redesigned all the B - group O - P compact on a 115 - column inch wheelbase , which made them intermediate . Pontiac ’s new Tempest wore taut , " geometric " lines on the resulting A - physical structure shared with Chevrolet ’s newfangled Chevelle , the Oldsmobile F-85/ Cutlass , and Buick ’s Special / Skylark .

But the existent exhilaration come with the midseason debut of the Tempest GTO , the first " muscle car . " That moniker was tending . With the veracious selection , a GTO delivered unprecedented public presentation for a six - passenger American car . Most GTOs were " built " from the order phase .

For 1964 , you start with a Tempest coupe , hardtop coupe , or convertible , then checked off the GTO option : floorshift , 325 - horse cavalry 389 , quick steerage , stiff shocks , dual exhaust fumes , and premium tire , all for about $ 300 . From there you advertizing - libbed : four - speed gearbox ( $ 188 ) ; metallic Pteridium aquilinum liner , heavy - tariff radiator , and confine - slip derivative ( $ 75 the lot ) ; 348 - bhp 389 ( $ 115 ) . Then all you needed was a lead ft and lots of gaseous state .

sportsman - railway car purists took umbrage at Pontiac ’s use of GTO , short for gran turismo omologato , the Italian terminus for an approved production - based racing car . But the outspokenCar and Driverbravely serve them with a mostly on - newspaper comparison of Pontiac ’s GTO and Ferrari ’s GTO . A serious Pontiac , they said , would dress the Ferrari in a drag race and lose on a road course . But " with the gain of NASCAR road racing suspension , the Pontiac will take the measurement of any Ferrari other than paradigm run cars … The Ferrari costs $ 20,000 . With every conceivable option on a GTO , it would be hard to spend more than $ 3800 . That ’s a steal . "

The successful LeMans / Tempest expression come across relatively picayune change through 1967 . erect headlights , crisper styling , and three - inch - recollective bodies arrived for ' 65 . The ' 66s had smoother conformation , let in hopped - up " Coke - feeding bottle " rear fenders and , on coupe and hardtops , " flying buttress " rear ceiling pillars astride break up backlights . Standard for the 1967 GTO was a fresh 400 - Criminal Investigation Command extension of the 389 pump out 335 bhp ; 360 bhp was optional via " random-access memory - Air , " a functional hood scoop .

For 1968 came a redesigned A - body with dual wheelbases : 116 in on four - doors , 112 on two - doors . Styling borrowed even more big - Pontiac component such as a big bumper / grille and , on coupes , a more rakish roofline with loaded rearward windowpane .

sole to GTO was a neatly integrated energy - soak up front bumper sheathe in coloring - key Endura charge card that resisted dent and dents . One TV commercial guide out its virtuousness by showing a group of white - coated Pontiac " railroad engineer " happily hammering the trunk to absolutely no ill effect .

The midsize Pontiacs carry on in this introductory form through 1972 . Among the mildly facelifted ' 69s was a hotter GTO : " The Judge , " actually an pick package with colorful strip , loud paint , a 366 - bhp Ram - Air V-8 , and three - speeding manual gear case with Hurst floorshift . The 1970s receive clumsier front ends , larger rear bumper , and pronounced longitudinal bodyside bulges above the wheel opening night . The result was a heavier - looking Tempest , GTO , LeMans , and LeMans Sport . Collectors have since be given to favor the tidier 1964 - 69 model .

The base engine on 1964 - 65 Tempests was a 215 - Criminal Investigation Command inline six rated at 140 bhp . For 1966 came a surprising replacement engine , a European - style overhead - cam six developed by Pontiac . Sized at 230 cid , it delivered 165 standard bhp or 207 in " Sprint " guise ( via Rochester Quadra - Jet carburetor , hotter valve timing , and double valve springs ) . The crankshaft had seven chief heraldic bearing . The camshaft was drive by a fiberglass - reinforced notched belt rather than the common chain .

With that , the ' 66 Tempest Sprint was a satisfying performing artist , if hardly in the GTO ’s conference . It could do 0 - 60 mph in 10 seconds and reach 115 miles per hour . With option like pail buns , console , and four - on - the - floor , the clean - trace Sprint had the face and experience of a European howling - touring machine . A longer stroke took the ohc engine to 250 cid for 1968 , sound for 175 bhp or , in Sprint trimming , 215 bhp ( 230 bhp for ' 69 ) .

unhappily , it leaven less than reliable and , echoing the Tempest four before it , departed after 1969 in favour of a conventional overhead - valve Chevy engine of the same deracination .

1967, 1968, 1969 Pontiac Firebird

With Pontiac ’s performance picture secure , division brass knew the Firebird " ponycar " had to be extra – particularly as it shared a 108.1 - inch - wheelbase F - body complex body part with Chevrolet ’s new - for-‘67 Camaro . But the Firebird was special , frisk a divided grille of the sort now bear on Pontiacs , and offering a " 400 " model with a 325 - bhp V-8 of that size . The base - tune ohc six was initially standard ; the optional Sprint version made for a sprightly , yet economical , Firebird Sprint .

earn its unveiling about five calendar month behind Camaro , Firebird was n’t modify much for 1968 . A variety of engines made the 326 model a 350 , and side - marker brightness level were added in accordance with a new government decree .

The ' 69s were restyled below the belt and get ahead a emcee of federally ordered safety items . convertible continue until " 19701/2 , " when an all - new coupe - only 2d generation was stick in .

The hottest and most memorable early Firebird was the ' 69 Trans Am , a $ 725 option package announced in March . It was loosely inspire by the Firebirds then half - heartedly contesting the Sports Car Club of America ’s Trans - American route - rush series .

exceptional badge , white blusher , twin blue dorsal race stripes , and a decklid spoiler identified it . A 335 - bhp Ram Air III 400 gave it smashing performance , and a heavily bastioned chassis and brakes made for superb roadability . Only 697 of the ' 69s were built , including a bare eight convertible and just nine car with the optional 345 - bhp " Ram Air IV " engine . But the T / A was intend for far greater sale very soon .

Pontiacs of the 1960s

Pontiac was building some of the best - depend , best - handling standard cars in all of ' 60 Detroit . The populace loved them . Sales were both strong and uniform , starting at about 396,000 for 1960 and hit near half a million by ' 65 .

Pontiac begin the decennary with facelifted rendering of the successful " Wide Track " ' 59s , stand in high spirits " twin - pipe " taillamps and a Vee’d , full - width horizontal - bar grille . A 4th serial was add that year , the Catalina - based Ventura , a hardtop coupe and Vista hardtop sedan price just below Star Chief at around $ 3000 . Ventura was drop for ' 62 in favour of the bucket - seat Grand Prix , an elegantly tailor $ 3500 hardtop coupe , also on the Catalina chassis .

GP sales flirt with the 73,000 mark in 1963 , then bit by bit alleviate off through ' 68 with the exception of a tiny ear in 1967 , when a transformable was added . Offered only that year , the ragtop has since become a minor collector ’s item , as only 5856 were make .

Big - Pontiac styling kept improving , at least through ' 66 , thanks to the drive of William L. Mitchell , who had replace the legendary Harley Earl as GM design head back in 1958 . Pontiac ’s classifiable split grille returned to stay for 1961 , along with crisp Modern styling on scant wheelbases : 119 in for Catalina / Ventura and all wagons , 123 for Star Chief / Bonneville . Catalina total an inch for ' 62 .

Even uncontaminating machine with heap quad headlamps and narrow , disunited grilles were issued for 1963 - 64 . The ' 65s were well executed but monolithic , with a bulging front and billowy bodysides . Wheelbase was lengthened to 121 inches for Catalina / Grand Prix / police van and to 124 for Star Chief / Bonneville . The emphatic looks were slenderly tone down for ' 66 .

unluckily , the ' 67s had a expectant look play up by bulky , curved rearward buffer . Model - year ' 68 introduced a Brobdingnagian bumper / grille with a big vertical nerve center bulge and a return to horizontal headlamps . The snout was intone down for ' 69 , when another inch was tacked on to wheelbases . The following class brought an unsloped twinned - element grille faintly reminiscent of the ' 30s , but far less refined .

Full - size model pick in these long time were as ordered as their popularity . Catalinas in all the usual body styles were offered throughout , as were the midrange Star Chief saloon , hardtop sedan , and – from ' 66 – hardtop coupe .

The latter three types , plus a convertible and four - door Safari wagons , made up the top - line Bonneville group . ( A four - door sedan chair joined in for 1968 . ) A bucketful - seat " 2 + 2 " option package bowed for 1964 ’s Catalina convertible and two - doorway hardtop ; it became a distinct serial for ' 66 , then fly after 1967 in the fast - fading market for flashy full - sizers . One change need Star Chief : It tacked on the Executive name for ' 66 , which then supersede the Star Chief label through 1970 .

Big - Pontiac V-8s were equally consistent in the ' 60s , with legion horsepower variation but just four basic sizing – two large and two " small " – all based on the original ' 55 block . The modest ones comprised a 389 usable through 1966 and a bore - out 400 from ' 67 . These were base equipment for all full - size of it models . index ranged from 215 to 350 , with the latter monetary standard for Grand Prix starting with ' 67 .

The larger mills , optional on most modelling , were a 421 for 1963 - 66 and a 428 for 1967 - 69 , after which a immense 455 strike over . Horsepower peaked at 390 for 1968 - 69 , then began decline with federally mandated emission controls . A " Super - Duty " 421 powered a fistful of dragstrip - oriented jackanapes Catalinas build in 1961 . It then became a bit easier to obtain and eventually topped 400 bhp , but it was expensive , rarely ordered , and thus send away after a few years .

Pontiacs of the 1970s

The 1970s was Pontiac ’s most difficult decade yet . A decision to outproduce and " out - price " Chevrolet ( more often than not ascribed to division read/write head DeLorean ) while simultaneously achieve into Buick / Oldsmobile territory contribute to a startling slip in craftsmanship . These policies also contributed to a confusing succession of model that allow for many buyers wonder just what a Pontiac was .

Not surprisingly , sales sagged . After fall to fourth in the ' 71 rankings , Pontiac finished fourth or 5th , normally behind Olds , most every yr through 1986 . Even Buick was often a threat , closing to within 27,000 units for 1972 . By 1980 , Pontiac trailed both : Buick by nearly 84,000 units and Oldsmobile by more than 140,000 .

But not all was sombreness . Given the ponycar food market ’s rapid decline after 1969 , Firebird was a surprising bright slur , the Trans Am in particular . The smart as a whip second - generation purpose of mid-1970 was dependable enough to last all the path through 1981 with just three styling update – for 1974 , ' 77 , and ' 79 . Through it all , the Trans Am keep Pontiac ’s " hot motorcar " image simmering – to the item where , as the division by and by contritely admit , Trans Am had gamy name acknowledgement than Pontiac itself .

Like Camaro , Firebird almost go bad after 1972 due to GM ’s doubts about the future of operation cars , aggravated by a factory strike that severely cut that year ’s output . But Pontiac keep the faith and reaped the rewards . While Chevy strike down its live Camaro , the Z28 , for 1975 - 76 , Pontiac retain the T / A as the most - serious model in the line . As a consequence , the T / A shortly moved from peripheral seller ( only 1286 for ' 72 ) to become the most - democratic Firebird of all ( more than 117,000 for ' 79 ) .

Pontiac also helped Firebird ’s cause by fielding the same four model each yr : base coupe , luxury Esprit , roadworthy Formula , and T / A. ( Chevy diddle with the Camaro lineup in this period . )

Formula and T / A bewildered HP for 1978 to help Pontiac meet that year ’s new corporate average fuel economy mandates ( CAFE ) , but they never foreswear their V-8s and never failed to deliver lively motoring . An optional turbo­charged 301 , issued for 1980 , had a bit less go than the vainglorious - blocks of honest-to-god , but was somewhat easier on gas .

eminent - than - ever fuel Price were but one legacy of the 1973 - 74 Middle East oil embargo , though gas was becoming costlier well before that . Renewed buyer interest group in thrifty compacts – and Pontiac ’s lack of same – prompted the division to put a different nose on Chevrolet ’s 111 - inch - wheelbase Nova to create the Ventura II . launch in March 1971 , it germinate parallel with Nova through 1979 ( minus the Roman numeric after ' 72 ) , but always saw lower volume .

One interesting divergence is that the sacred GTO became a Ventura variation for 1974 – in reality a $ 195 option package for the workaday pillared two - doorway comprising hood scoop , a unlike grille , flesh enhancements , and stock 350 V-8 . purist moaned , but Pontiac propel 7058 of these pretenders before bringing the curtain down on a cracking custom – a year too late , many allege at the time .

In line with baby X - body compacts , Ventura adopted a more European look for 1975 – and promptly withered on the sale vine . inapt merchandising and average build quality were as much to blame as competitor from within the Pontiac line and elsewhere . An upmarket version forebode Phoenix arrived for mid-1977 , with plusher Department of the Interior and a meddling front end ; the Ventura name vaporize the following yr . sadly , Phoenix was just as much an also - ran , and remained so even after it switched to GM ’s front - drive X - consistence for 1980 .

Another " lend - rental " deal with Chevrolet produced the subcompact Astre , make it in the U.S. for 1975 after being marketed in Canada from mid-1973 . This was little more than a modestly restyled twin of Chevy ’s ill - star Vega , and thus inherit most of its shift .

Pontiac varied the model program a turn with base and semi - sporty SJ hatchback door coupes and two - door wagons . ( A budget S serial , which also include a two - door notchback sedan , was added during ' 75 . ) There was also a GT package option combining the low - argument Department of the Interior with the SJ ’s performance and handle features .

Astres were throttle to a single series for 1976 . So were the last - of - the - agate line ' 77s , but they were treated to Pontiac ’s new 151 - Criminal Investigation Command ( 2.5 - liter ) " Iron Duke " four , a nickname chosen partly to anticipate the fearsome strength reputation of the all - aluminum Vega engine it replaced .

Chevy had introduced its sporty Vega-based Monza coupe for 1975, and Pontiac got into this act a year later with the Sunbird. But unlike other editions of this corporate H-Special design, the Pontiac bowed only as a notchback two-door akin to Chevy’s Monza Towne Coupe. The 2+2 fastback body style was added for 1977 as the Sunbird Sport Hatch, followed for ‘78 by the ­little two-door wagon from the deceased Astre line.

Bolstered by various option groups , including a sporty Formula package , Sunbird finally became Pontiac ’s top seller , though it was looking old by then . It hang on with no further change of note through 1981 ; the last cars trade were actually 1980 leftovers .

1970s Pontiac Grand Am and Pontiac Grand Prix

The narrative of the magnanimous 1970s Pontiacs is about as exciting as rust fungus – which many of them did all too quickly . Basic designs were ineluctably shared with sister GM intermediates and measure , but craftsmanship often seemed half a notch lower .

By late decennium , though , both the LeMans / Grand LeMans and Catalina / Bonneville had evolve into more sensible , solid , and salable railroad car much better suited to the times than the aging heavyweight that Chrysler and Ford still peddled .

Midsize Pontiacs rapidly turned from their assured roadability of the 1960s to an emphasis on luxuriousness and restroom . One burnished exception was the Grand Am . stick in as part of the redesign 1973 blood line with " Colonnade " styling , this LeMans - based coupe and sedan chair were billed as combining Grand Prix sumptuousness with Trans Am public presentation , hence the name .

The idea was largely owed to assistant chief applied scientist Bill Collins , who ’d been hard involved with the original GTO , and chassis wizard John Seaton . Their aim was to approximate European sedans like the Mercedes 250/280 and the BMW Bavaria at a third to half the money .

While some feature of speech strained at mimicry – a Mercedes - comparable elephantine - hub steering bike , for representative – the " G / A " was , on equalizer , one of the most impressive bragging Detroiters in a in the main dull Detroit decade . But it failed to make a strong stamp in a securities industry where most buyer looked for either mundane conveyance or as much gaudiness as their money would buy .

Grand Am attracted only some 43,000 sales in its debut year – mainly coupes – then launch to 17,000 for ' 74 and only 11,000 or so for ' 75 . To no one ’s surprise , it subsequently disappear . interrogatively , the name resurfaced on a coupe and sedan in the downsized 1978 LeMans line , but these cars were nowhere close as grand and were similarly shortly - lived , the sedan canceled after ' 79 , the coupe a year later . But the Grand Am name would be back after .

Rivaling Firebird for ' 70 success was the personal - opulence Grand Prix – in some of these years Pontiac ’s unmarried well - betray framework . It had been reborn for 1969 as a lighter , quick midsize coupe on a 118 - inch - wheelbase " A - Special " platform that Chev­rolet would crib for its similarly classy ( and popular ) Monte Carlo .

Offered with both 400 and 428 ( later 455 ) V-8s , the new GP was a big fauna , with a short - pack of cards notchback visibility and a distinctly Pontiac face ahead of a mile - foresighted hood . Inside was an advanced curved instrument cluster bringing all controls within easygoing driver reach .

Cribbing Model J and SJ language from the revered Duesenberg was a bootless attack at cachet , but the public applauded this Grand Prix , photograph up almost 112,500 of the ' 69s . sale were intelligent through the end of this innovation genesis in 1972 , when just under 92,000 were retailed . Styling did n’t vary much , and although H.P. run down a bit after 1970 , large - city block operation remain quite good .

Pontiac continue this successful rule through GM ’s 1973 - 77 Colonnade intermediate , when the GP went to the same 116 - inch wheelbase as Monte Carlo . A vertical grille and a ceiling with a ' 67 Cadillac Eldorado - like crease through the backlight hardening these GPs apart . Interestingly , Grand Prix notched a raw all - fourth dimension sales record for 1977 , close to 288,500 . The ' 78 , regrettably , was much more like LeMans , downsized to the same new 108.1 - inch platform and looking less distinctive .

Yet sales were n’t vastly affected : some 228,000 for the model yr . Clearly , the GP had succeeded in a fashion that various gussied - up Luxury LeMans and Grand LeMans variation could n’t . Without it , Pontiac would n’t have weathered the ups and down of the ' 70s intimately as well .

Pontiac Recovers in the 1980s

Pontiac ’s trouble were far from over as the 1980s dawned . craftsmanship still was n’t all it should have been , and increase model sharing with Chevrolet had only made Pontiac ’s confused image even blurry . sum contumely to these injury were the deep home recession and accompanying shrewd downturn in auto sale that began in recent 1979 when the Shah of Iran was deposed , triggering a second " energy crisis . "

Pontiac suffered as much as any Detroit make . In two years naval division production plunged by most a third , to around 620,500 for ' 81 , then slipped below 500,000 two years subsequently – a sorry situation for a make that had average better than 700,000 cars a year since the mid-1960s .

But good clip were at hand . Having flounder under four general managers since ' 69 , the division got back on course of study under William Hoglund , who adopt the helm in 1980 . Taking a discriminative stimulus from history , Hoglund and a bright young team of interior designer and applied scientist begin steering Pontiac back toward the sort of number one wood - orientate cars that had been the innovation of its gamey success in the ' LX .

Events played right into their hands . The thriftiness recover , the gas deficit became a natural gas glut , and the market go crazy again for performance . extol " We Build Excitement , " Pontiac turned the corner , and by 1984 it was solidly back over the half - million bell ringer .

Hoglund left in 1984 to guide GM ’s developing Saturn Division , but Pontiac keep back picking up steam under a new police chief , J. Michael Losh . For 1986 it sailed past 750,000 . Then , a year later , it outmatch a bumbling Olds Division to grab third station for the first time in 17 years . Pontiac reprise the performance for ' 87 . The 1989 tally was an telling 801,600 , nearly 300,000 near than a recovering Buick .

The amazing part of Pontiac ’s revival is that it was managed in the main with compacts , intermediates , and the Firebird . Unlike Buick and Olds , grown cars were never significant to Pontiac sales event in the ' 80s . In fact , the division ’s 1982 batting order had no traditional full - sizing cars at all .

But what looked like a impertinent idea in 1980 seemed just bad timing once big - motorcar sale turned up again , so Pontiac adjudicate to quicken a B - consistency line during 1983 . As there was no longer any production way stateside , U.S. dealers have a somewhat modified Canadian interpretation – which had never been dropped – under its north - of - the - border name , Parisienne .

If these motility recalled the great Dodge / Plymouth thrashing of 20 days before , they were n’t nearly so disastrous . But they were n’t that successful , either . Bonneville G peaked at about 82,800 sales in ' 83 , then tailed off to around 41,000 by its net coming into court for 1986 . Parisienne averaged about 83,000 yearly gross revenue for 1985 - 86 , after which the sedan vary ( the B - body two - door coupe had n’t returned ) and annual sales run below 13,200 for the lone Safari wagon marketed through 1989 .

intent , engineering , and annual changes for both these line virtually duplicated those for counterpart Chevys , the average Malibu and full - size Caprice / Impala .

Another up - Frederick North idea was the subcompact T1000 , a Chevette clone by way of Pontiac Canada ’s Acadian model . Announced in April 1981 , it straight off attract 70,000 emptor , then fall to an annual average of 25,000 or so after 1982 , when it was called just plain 1000 .

disastrous window flesh and a prominent arrowhead grille emblem were the chief pattern elements that lay out it apart from the little Chevy . Naturally , the 1000 evolved in analog with Chevette through 1987 , then give way to a new front - driving force LeMans ( which is beyond the setting of this book , being a Korean - built sister of a German Opel Kadett ) . The 1000 was just a token nod to the econocar marketplace and never a bounteous money - spinner .

Pontiac Phoenix and Pontiac 6000

The second - generation Phoenix was the least popular of GM ’s four front - drive disco biscuit - body compacts , likely because the same package was available with more model / trim option as a Chevy Citation or with more nameplate prestigiousness as a Buick Skylark or Olds Omega .

Pontiac tried to make the downsized Phoenix appealing by offering two - door notchback and four - door hatchback sedans in plain , luxury LJ , and sporty SJ trimming ( the latter two retagged LE and SE for ' 84 ) . But nothing seemed to work on , and demand fell off rapidly when legion mechanically skillful bugs begin turn up , with recalls to match . Phoenix never sold better than in its extra - long 1980 launching year : 178,000 - asset . loudness dip below 50,000 unit for 1982 and dropped to under 23,000 cars by the 1984 finale .

Yet Phoenix was successful in a elbow room , because it spawned a more rational and popular midsize Pontiac , the front - roulette wheel - driveway 6000 . Arriving for model year ' 82 , it was closely relate to that twelvemonth ’s new A - body Buick Century , Chevy Celebrity , and Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera , but don crisper , more " important " sheetmetal over the shared XTC - railcar - base interior structure .

Initial offerings consist base and LE coupe and sedan , but Pontiac go a big stair further with the STE ( Special Touring Edition ) . foretell for the 1983 season , this enthusiast - oriented four - threshold represented a raw Pontiac challenge to sporty European saloon from Audi , BMW , Mercedes , Saab , and Volvo .

The STE proved a surprisingly open competitor . Quick - ratio steering and a bastioned dangling with melody - adjustable rear jounce and upgraded wheels and tyre made the car supremely roadable . Appointments were tastily understated , and equipment was generous ( including even a leather - tie wayside emergency kit ) .

All it lack was sparkling quickening ; the compulsory three - hurrying automatic transaxle strained the 135 buck of the received " high-pitched - turnout " 2.8 - liter/173 - cid Chevy - built overhead - valve V-6 . But the STE served notice that Pontiac was not only back to construction driver ’s railcar but could vie on a " dear - in - class " base against many comers .

Other 6000s bathe in the STE ’s gleaming , and by 1984 this line was Pontiac ’s well - sell magnanimous car , bolstered that class by the improver of station Plough . suitable improvement came almost each year : electronic fuel injection for the foot 2.5 - liter four ( gun - trunk , 1983 ) and V-6 ( multipoint for all models by 1987 ) ; a more versatile and effective four - speed automatic for selected modelling ( 1986 ) ; an S / einsteinium sedan and wagon offer much of the STE ’s elan for less money ( 1987 ) ; an all - wheel - movement option ( AWD ) and 3.1 - liter V-6 for an extensively reengineered STE , plus optional five - velocity manual ( 1988 ) .

After drop the 6000 ’s coupe models for 1988 , Pontiac gave 1989 sedans a restyled rear nursery and offered the STE only with AWD . The optional 3.1 V-6 picked up five extra sawbuck for 140 aggregate . By that peak , the S / E was what the STE had been , yet was more price - competitory against comparable Japanese sedan at $ 16,000-$17,000 . For 1990 , the AWD became an S / east spear carrier .

Amazingly , the 6000 was still around for ' 91 , though that was its last class . It had serve well exceptionally well .

Pontiacs of the 1980s

compete with the 6000 for divisional sale leadership was Pontiac ’s reading of the front - private road J - body subcompact , which win the old tooshie - effort Sunbird for 1982 . At first , the name seemed to change more than the car , which debuted as J2000 , then evolved as the 2000 ( 1983 ) , 2000 Sunbird ( 1984 ) , and finally just Sunbird again .

Pontiac had receive into " alphamumeric " assignment under Hoglund ’s immediate predecessor , Robert C. Stempel ( named GM president in 1987 and chairman in 1990 ) , but eventually back away from them after buyers found them puzzling .

There was no muddiness about the automobile , which were much like Chevy ’s Cavaliers down to the same body style – including a convertible from 1983 . Though Chevy ’s 2.0 - liter over- pass - valve four was usable for a time , Pontiac punctuate an Opel - design overhead - Cam River locomotive engine import from GM of Brazil . That engine became stock for 1983 , with throttle - organic structure shot and 84 bhp from 1.8 liters ( 109 cid ) , followed by a 150 - bhp turbocharged option with larboard injection . Both interlingual rendition grew to 2.0 liters for 1987 , serious for respective horse­power of 96 and 165 .

Three trims were offered through 1985 : base , plushy LE , and gaudy SE . The LE was canceled for ' 86 , when turbocharged GTs make it with a novel front end highlight by hidden headlamps . The 1988 GTs were trimmed to just convertible and coupe , the latter a restyled slantback two - threshold also offered in SE build . A new splashboard was the grown event for ' 89 .

By 1990 , Sunbird and Cavalier were the only two J - cable car left from the original five , and neither showed signal of going away . Pontiac kept Sunbird going with a handsome restyle featuring a smooth hidden - headlamp nozzle and various lower - body addenda for SE and GT coupes ; the 1990 convertible come only as a cheaper but less - skylark LE .

With so much variety , plus attractive terms only a chip above Cavalier ’s , the 2000 / Sunbird garner well over 100,000 sales in most twelvemonth , including a record 170,000 - plus for ' 84 . Demand remain healthy right through 1990 , when output totaled just under 145,000 .

As at Buick and Olds , the J - car was the basis for a young compact Pontiac to replace the unloved X - consistency after 1984 . uprise the Grand Am name , this rendering of the 103.4 - inch - wheelbase N - body figure promptly outsold its divisional cousins by stress cover selection and sporty appointments in the European mildew . Demand was strong : more than 82,500 of the debut 1985 coupes , a stunning 223,000 coupes and sedans for 1986 .

This Grand Am was the lifeblood of Pontiac trader , accounting for better than 235,000 orders each exemplar year through 1989 despite a constant stream of new contention . Not until the market become unmanageable in 1990 did Grand Am sales dip below 200,000 – and then not by much .

Again search individualism , Pontiac proffered a more overtly sporting SE in addition to the expected knit stitch and sumptuousness Grand Ams . The division also wide-ranging engines , hit Sunbird ’s turbo - four a 1987 option , then replace the original 3.0 - liter Buick V-6 option with GM ’s new 150 - bhp " Quad-4 , " America ’s first postwar production locomotive with dual overhead camshaft and four valve per cylinder .

Buyers seeking a modest sports sedan had every rationality to face closely at Grand Am SE . Its monochrome exterior with color - keyed wheel , front spoiler , and perimeter lower - dead body extension was belligerent but not childish . A well - planned cockpit , assure treatment , comfortable ride , and lively execution completed the package . As with the STE , Pontiac again seemed able to do more with a shared platform than either Buick or Oldsmobile , at least as far as partisan were concerned .

The same could be read for the first front - driving force Bonneville , uncover for 1987 on the 110.8 - column inch - wheelbase H - consistency platform of the premature year ’s novel Buick LeSabre and Olds Delta 88 . Pontiac designers strive mightily to make this one different , too , and come after handsomely . There was n’t much they could do about the boxy roofline , but much smoother front and rear end set Bonneville cleanly apart from its corporate cousin .

Here , too , there was a flashy SE , an option mathematical group with uprated suspension , larger bicycle and tyre , mellow exhaust , less exterior chrome , console - mount shifter for the mandatory four - hurrying automatic transaxle , a shorter final drive for snappier step - off , and a full set of large , legible gauges , including tach­ometer . With all this , you might forget the SE used the same 150 - bhp 3.8 - litre ( 231 - cid ) V-6 as home and LE Bonnevilles .

An improved 165 - bhp engine arrived for 1988 , when Pontiac went a bit over the top with a fresh top - line Bonneville SSE . It was visually forge , with torso - people of color wheels , grille , decklid spoiler , and rock ‘n’ roll musician put off set off by a gaudy grille medallion . More - worthy standards die hard to GM / Teves antilock pasture brake ( optional on other Bonnevilles for 1989 - 90 ) , an electronic variable - damping system , and a leather - lined interior with multi­adjustable power bucket seats .

Still , most critics felt the more modestly trimmed SE a better buy : less dear , smooth - horseback riding , slightly quieter to both ear and center . The public generally gibe , but like all the new Bonnies to the melody of some 120,000 sales in 1987 and 108,000 in 1988 – not far behind LeSabre and Delta despite lack their coupe consistency manner .

Only contingent change occurred for 1990 , but the market was sagging and Bonneville requirement skidded to just under 86,000 for the framework year , down from some 109,000 .

1980s Pontiac Firebird

Firebird show surprising sales strong point in the ' 80s , averaging some 100,000 per twelvemonth through 1986 . But that only reflect the renewed interest in performance cars that began around 1982 , making that year ’s all - new Firebird super well - time . Inevitably , it share a redesign F - body platform with that year ’s new - contemporaries Chevy Camaro , striding a trimmer , 101 - in wheelbase .

Though these ponycars were more alike than ever , Pontiac stylist under John Schinella maintain a typical Firebird feel via a low - ride nose with shallow twinned grilles and hidden headlight – the latter a first for Firebird – plus full - breadth taillamps with a smoke lens on some models for a " custom " blackout effect .

ab initio , the third - series Firebird was limited to base , midrange S / Es , and racy Trans Am , all " glassback " hatching coupe , but the Formula returned as an alternative software package for 1987 , along with the " adult " 350/5.7 - cubic decimeter V-8 of bygone years . That railway locomotive also powered an even meaner - looking Trans Am called GTA . Other development for the most part parallel Camaro ’s except that Pontiac would n’t field another Firebird convertible until 1992 ; it also go along offering specific chassis tuning and trim / equipment mixes .

Styling was good enough to last through 1990 with only minor annual tweaks , many of which were exclusive to the Trans Am . Most detectable was a grilleless " bottom - snorkel " nose for ' 84 .

Recalling 1976 ’s Limited - Edition T / A ( for Pontiac ’s 50th birthday ) and 1979 ’s Tenth Anniversary Trans Am was yet another celebratory Firebird for 1989 : the twentieth Anniversary Trans Am . This take a 1500 - unit run of GTAs powered by the turbo­charged 231 - cid/3.8 - liter V-6 from Buick ’s recently departed GNX muscle coupe .

Though sold only with four - speed overdrive automatic , the " blow " Bird was the most - potent T / A in more than a ten , take a quote 250 bhp and an imposing 340 pound - feet torsion ( versus the V-8 GTA ’s 225 bhp and 330 pound - infantry ) .

You could have any color as long as it was ashen , just like the ' 69 pilot ; no racing grade insignia , though , just elusive " 20th Anniversary " cloisonné emblems and " Turbo Trans Am " badges .

operation was straight from " the good old sidereal day " – better , really . Would you believe 0 - 60 in 5.4 seconds ? Believe it : This Firebird was choose pace car for the 1989 Indianapolis 500 and involve no locomotive modifications for the task .

Price was reasonable , all told , at about $ 25,000 with include T - top roof and pace - car decals . In all , this was a glorious reminder that nobody in Detroit still cared more about hot cars than Pontiac .

Unfortunately , Firebird fall on laborious times after 1986 , with production fading to some 80,000 for ' 87 , then to an average 63,000 a year through ' 89 . The billet grew even more relentless for 1990 , when fewer than 21,000 were sold .

A little - changed basic plan and fast - rising prices were primarily to find fault ( a new F - body would n’t seem until 1993 ) , but so were deepen import contender , rise hot - automobile insurance policy rate ( Camaros and Firebirds were long notorious as frequent thieving targets ) , and continuing lackluster workmanship .

Pontiac Fiero

By far the most enigmatic 1980s Pontiac was the innovative but ill - star Fiero . A 1984 newcomer , it was Detroit ’s first mid - engine production car and the first new series - built U.S. two - seater since the original Ford Thunderbird .

Fiero was broached in 1978 as a small - monetary value , high - mileage " commuter train , " but that was just a ruse to convert management that the project would help GM fulfill its CAFE obligations . The itch toward something sportier was irresistible , since the design called for transplanting the front - drive hug drug - body powertrain behind the cockpit to drive the rear wheels .

GM chair Elliot Estes approved the concept in 1978 , perhaps for schmaltzy reasons : He had plead for a two - tush Pontiac while he was air division chief back in the ' sixty . Corporate immediate payment - menses problems almost kill the Fiero program several times in 1980 - 82 , but technology director Hulki Aldikacti somehow persuade decision - shaper that this Modern " P - car " not only made financial sense but could also improve Pontiac ’s image .

What emerged was definitely gaudy ; a smooth but chunky notchback coupe on a 93.4 - column inch wheelbase , develop under Ron Hill in GM ’s Advanced Design III department and finalized by John Schinella ’s output studio . A fully drivable steel place - frame chassis served as a skeleton for corroborate body control panel made of various plastics – but not fiberglass – making dash modification cheap , quick , and easy .

To minimise production cost and retail toll , guidance , front reprieve , and brakes were adopt from the humble Chevy Chevette ; rearward suspension and disk brake system were retained from the X - car baron package .

foretell at base prices cautiously vend in the $ 8000-$9600 range , the Fiero predictably generated lots of excitement . The division ’s Pontiac , Michigan dwelling house plant life , to the full retooled as Fiero ’s exclusive yield gist , happily cranked out nearly 137,000 of the ' 84s .

But Fiero was flawed – heavy and thus sluggish with the standard 92 - bhp , 151 - cid Iron Duke four ; little quicker with the optional 173 - Criminal Investigation Command V-6 ; low , cramp , noisy , and hard to see out of ; hard to shift ; stiff - equitation ; indifferently put together . As it had with the X - elevator car , GM dash itself in the foot by sell a motorcar before it was fully rise .

Word got around quickly . Fiero sales event crumbled by more than 40 percent in the second model year , reclaim to near 84,000 for ' 86 , then descend by nearly one-half for ' 87 . A further blow came in September 1987 , when a hatful of engine fire implicating some 20 percent of the ' 84 models occasioned a governance - ordered reminiscence .

With all this , plus a acuate fall in two - seater need due to soaring insurance rates , GM announced in early 1988 that Fiero was dead , lamely claiming itself unable to make a profit at 50,000 unit a year .

Ironically , Pontiac had just pass $ 30 million for an all - new suspension that greatly ameliorate manipulation on ' 88 Fieros . left-hand stillborn were plans for a 1989 Quad-4 option and the more distant prospect of a lighter aluminum space - frame that would have done admiration for performance .

The V-6 S / E and GT models were the most desirable Fieros . The GT bowed for 1985 with a sleek nozzle inspired by a special 1984 Indy 500 pace railway car ( of which a few thousand replica were sold ) . Standard rear spoiler , " reason effects " body addenda , uprated suspension , and a deeply - voiced fumes made it a sort of mini - muscle motorcar . Without the V-6 , this package became the midrange S / Es mannikin for 1986 , bolstered at midseason by a restyled GT with modified rearward flanks and " flying buttress " fastback roofline .

make it in June that yr was a five - velocity manual transaxle , long promised as an optional option to the standard four - speed and extra - cost three - velocity automatic . The chief change for ' 87 call for a reshaped nozzle for base and S / E , plus a larger fuel tank .

Though compromised in many way and a relative commercial nonstarter , the Fiero was a utilitarian test seam for General Motors ' fresh Saturn subcompact , which would also use a blank space - frame skeleton overlay with dent- and rusting - resistant plastic panels

Fiero also symbolized Pontiac ’s renewed commitment to interesting automobiles . A more successful expression was the all - new front - movement Grand Prix that interchange one of Detroit ’s dullest elevator car for 1988 .

1980s Pontiac Grand Prix

Pontiac ’s personal - opulence coupe , the Grand Prix , had become almost inconspicuous since its ' 78 curtailment , limping along after 1981 with jolly smooth but still uninspired styling that sieve at marrying " aero modern " with " middle - class traditional . "

Engines were equally uninspired , mostly Buick V-6s and Chevy small - block V-8s , all economy - tune . The trouble - prone Olds 350 Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel V-8 offered from 1981 to ' 84 only underlined the old - fogey aura of a car that was less important on the street than on NASCAR circuit ( thanks to Richard Petty , and others ) .

But the GP’s role as stock-car standard-bearer did lead to an interesting limited edition reviving the 2+2 handle. Introduced at mid-1986, this wore a wind-cheating body-color front instead of the usual stand-up brightwork, plus a huge “glassback” deck designed for smoother airflow to a bespoilered tail. GM Design concocted this configuration to counter Ford’s more slippery new Thunderbirds in long-distance races.

As ever , NASCAR favourable reception calculate on build up a fit number of street models , hence this Pontiac and Chevy ’s like Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe .

Showroom 2+2s carried a four-barrel, 165-bhp Chevy 305 V-8–fair enough, considering all period GM competitors in NASCAR ran Chevy-based engines. If any Grand Prix built between 1978 and ‘87 will interest collectors, this is the one, though it’s generated scant interest so far.

The all - young ' 88 was a very different Grand Prix . Though it premier with the same W - body / GM10 coupe platform as the latest Olds Cutlass Supreme and Buick Regal , its flavor were utter Pontiac : silky , purposeful , and manifestly more " aero " than its blockish herald . It was more sophisticated , too , with standard all - disc brake and four - wheel autonomous suspension .

Though 7.8 inches shorter overall than the ' 87 , the ' 88 rode a wheelbase only 0.5 - inch shorter . This , plus a transverse drivetrain ( nigh cosmopolitan with front driveway ) , made for a much - roomier interior than before .

For the Qaeda and midrange LE models , that drivetrain take a 130 - bhp 173 - cid Chevy V-6 with embrasure fuel injection driving a four - speed automatic transaxle ; a five - speed manual designed by Getrag of Germany was optional .

The five - speed was standard on the sporting SE , which came with a beefed - up suspension and more comprehensive instruments set in a very busy dash . robotlike GPs were upgraded to a stroked 3.1 - liter ( 191 - cid ) V-6 during 1989 , but the bounteous thrill was a McLaren Turbo exemplar power by a fumble 3.1 producing 200 bhp .

The " McTurbo " was another limited edition , developed with ASC / McLaren and plan for only 2000 copies .

Finished in monochromic loss or black with gold - color accents , it wave on sizable 16 - inch lacy - talk roulette wheel go with izzard - rated high - carrying into action tyre ( good at over 149 miles per hour ) . Wheel porta were befittingly flared for clearance via specific lower - body panels with wind - cheating " spats " at each wheel , plus a grooved rub funnies carried into the bumpers at each end .

Like Ford with its ' 83 Thunderbird , Pontiac had come up with a car to revitalize a tired name . The McLaren was arguably the secure GP yet for all - around carrying into action .

Workaday Grand Prixs made a good sales begin with model - year ' 88 bulk of about 86,000 . The ' 89s get along even well at just under 137,000 , with optional antilock brake a new inducement to buy . The 1990 amount was a chip small at 128,000 – disturbing , as that included two new sedans , an LE and a reincarnated STE . Each was shapely , but the STE was both jazzy and lush .

Among its no - monetary value features were antilock bracken , handling suspension , kick upstairs trilled parentage , analog gage ( supervene upon contrived digigraphic ) , buckets - and - console inside , and an available 205 - bhp 3.1 turbo V-6 ( provide on a Turbo coupe as well ) . Bodyside cladding cluttered appearance , a coin bank of running igniter between the headlamp looked me - too next to the Mercury Sable ( which had this first ) , and the standard powertrain team up the unstimulating 140 - bhp 3.1 V-6 with required four - speed automatic .

Still , it was heartening to see the STE continue , and the LE was a meet replacement for the 6000 as Pontiac ’s mainstream phratry four - room access .

As ever, NASCAR approval depended on building a set number of street models, hence this Pontiac and Chevy’s similar Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe. Showroom 2+2s carried a four-barrel, 165-bhp Chevy 305 V-8–fair enough, considering all period GM competitors in NASCAR ran Chevy-based engines. If any Grand Prix built between 1978 and ‘87 will interest collectors, this is the one, though it’s generated scant interest so far.

The " McTurbo " was another modified edition , developed with ASC / McLaren and be after for only 2000 copy . Finished in monochrome red or black with atomic number 79 - colouration accents , it rolled on healthy 16 - in lacy - spoke wheels check with Z - give away eminent - carrying out tire ( safe at over 149 miles per hour ) . Wheel first step were fitly flared for headway via specific lower - body panels with wind - cheat " bickering " at each wheel , plus a grooved rub strip carried into the bumpers at each end .

Among its no - cost features were antilock brakes , handling abeyance , upgraded rolling stock , analog gauges ( replacing contrive digigraphic ) , buckets - and - cabinet interior , and an available 205 - bhp 3.1 turbo V-6 ( offered on a Turbo coupe as well ) .

Bodyside cladding littered coming into court , a bank of running game lighting between the headlight looked me - too next to the Mercury Sable ( which had this first ) , and the received powertrain team up the unexciting 140 - bhp 3.1 V-6 with required four - hurrying automatic .

Pontiac Strategy in the 1990s

In the 1990s , Pontiacs kept develop more or less in whole step with related Chevrolets , Oldsmobiles , and Buicks , but contrived to seem sporting , even if driving reality did n’t always match the division ’s unexampled " We Build Excitement " advertising catchword .

Sales maneuver shift greatly , as Pontiac added a minivan for 1990 , then merge with the GMC truck part to produce a " full - line of business " enfranchisement like Chevrolet . The latter move was announced in February 1996 by Ronald Zarrella , recruited four years originally from oculus maker Bausch & Lomb to be GM ’s group executive for North American vehicle sale , service , and marketing .

In a press sack , Zarrella touted the young Pontiac - GMC Division as part of a " continuing effort … to configure our organisation to achieve the most effective , effective results for our customer , dealers , and shareholder . Both Pontiac and GMC have long recognized the gratuitous [ sic ] nature of their businesses … and the reward implicit in in a dual franchise . "

Indeed , some 55 percent of Pontiac dealers already handled GMC at the metre . The combined variance begin with 3736 vent and total calendar - yr gross revenue of over a million units . Of course , the goal for this wedding was plain : fewer but more profitable dealer .

Zarrella , named chairperson of GM North America in 1999 , espoused " brand management , " long a staple at consumer - product companies like Proctor & Gamble . GM chairman John Smale , who once direct P&G , and president John F. " Jack " Smith were believers , too . Smale and Smith come to power earlier in 1992 in a circuit card - instigated " castle coup " that discreditably slay chairman Bob Stempel and United States President Lloyd Reuss , veteran GMers who were blame for keep losses in company market plowshare and net income .

Zarrella ’s mission was to turn thing around . Under brand management , that mean sharpening the effigy of each GM make for more customer appeal and less intramural rivalry , plus weed out similar and/or underperforming mannequin throughout the corporate fleet .

But Zarrella ’s campaign , however well - intentioned , produced mixed issue . Though retrieval was patent by middecade , it stem more from a booming tech - driven national economy and fast - growing demand for high - margin hand truck than fancy advert and design dictated more and more by consumer focus radical .

Pontiac was less affected by brand - management antics than other GM make lay aside Saturn , which was in its own orbit anyway . In fact , Pontiac had been pretty well - supervise before Zarrella came in . All it needed to do in the ' ninety was more of the same – which it did to sound effect , sales running at a half - million units or better each calendar yr hold open 1998 . Even so , an ominous downtrend set in as the young 100 go up .

Pontiac Trans Sport

The Trans Sport minivan was a peripheral player in the 1980s , generally drawing few than 30,000 yearly sales agreement , a fraction of what the top - selling Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager achieved . GM had missed the minivan marker with its new - for-‘85 rear - drive Chevy Astro / GMC Safari , so it suck up a Chrysler - like front - drive platform for Trans Sport , a new Chevrolet Lumina APV , and a luxury - oriented Oldsmobile Silhouette .

All placed plastic - comparable body panel over a steel skeleton like the recent Fiero , unique among minivans but problematical here . So , too , was the shared " dustbuster " styling , with a long pointy snout grafted onto a hard-nosed minivan box .

railroad car and Driverlikened the flavour to something out of " Star Trek . " Equally eldritch was a dashtop that stretched way ahead to a steeply raked windshield flank by large , fixed triangular side windows ahead of the front door . visibleness , gratuitous to say , was n’t the beneficial .

More useful was available “2+2+2” seating for the uplevel Trans Sport SE. This involved lightweight individual seats for the second and third rows that could be rearranged to suit various passenger- and cargo-carrying requirements – a bright new minivan idea.

At first , Trans Sport and fellowship only had a 120 - bhp version of GM ’s 3.1 - liter V-6 , with less - effective throttle - body fuel shot alternatively of a squirter at each cylinder . That was scarcely a merchandising point for a vehicle that could be load with seven ­people and/or luck of shipment .

But GM made amends for ' 92 by adding an extra - cost 165 - bhp 3.8 V-6 , plus available antilock brakes . The 3.8 gain ground five bhp for ' 93 , when a crop up - up sunroof , leather upholstery , and steering bike - mount audio ascendency joined Trans Sport ’s alternative roster .

The next year introduced a standard driver - side airbag and automatic power door locks , plus an optional superpower slue veracious - rear side room access – and an funnily blunted nose paring 2.3 column inch from overall length , an endeavor to hush up flair critics . Optional traction control arrived lately that season .

Progress slowed as a planned redesign drew nigh : just a shift ignition interlock for ' 95 , and a young 180 - bhp 3.4 - liter V-6 as the exclusive engine for ' 96 . In all , these minivans were another example of how GM so often stumbles when attempting to introduce .

A redesigned Trans Sport arrive in 1997 . Like that yr ’s Olds Silhouette and new Chevy Venture , it revert to ceremonious all - steel grammatical construction with mainstream minivan styling that might be termed " beautifully forgettable . " Buyers could now opt for five - passenger and extended seven - buns version on disjoined wheelbases , a nod to the top - selling Chrysler Corporation minivans , themselves overhaul the former year .

Also ape Chrysler ’s late was an available left - side skid rearward door , which later became standard and could be electrically operated like the powerfulness correct - side door GM had open up .

All the new GM models were wide judged the best - handling minivan . Trans Sport conk out farthest with a Montana Package comprising tighter suspension , alloy wheels and grip control , plus jazzy two - tone exterior .

pretty priced at around $ 1000-$1200 depending on fashion model , this option try so popular that Montana supplant the Trans Sport name for ' 99 ( except in Canada ) , though most previous Montana feature continue in a Performance and Handling option .

This new blend of minivan practicality , Pontiac flair , and low-priced low-$20,000 pricing more than doubled Trans Sport sales for 1997 . But volume went little higher afterwards , and Dodge moved more than four times as many Caravans each year . Though all minivans were progressively regard as uncool " association football mum " vehicles , with a consequent softening in overall demand , GM ’s unveiling had another problem in being visibly narrower than their rivals .

This contemplate a basic design create partly for the besotted streets of Europe , where it was sold as the Opel / Vauxhall Sintra . Most Americans did n’t like their minivans so skinny , and thus shopped elsewhere .

A comparatively static product did n’t assist Pontiac ’s cause , either . Indeed , the only variety of short letter after ' 97 were an optional " MontanaVision " rear - tail end DVD video system ( 1999 ) ; standard OnStar ( 2001 ) ; and available fold - prostrate third - row seat , " Versatrak " all - wheel - drive , and ultrasonic rear - obstruction - detection system ( 2002 ) .

The benign disregard was unfortunate . Like other GM efforts approach the new millennium , the Trans Sport / Montana was basically a good vehicle , just not quite what the grocery store wanted .

1990s Pontiac Sunbird and Pontiac Sunfire

Though Grand Am and Grand Prix remain Pontiac ’s top Peter Sellers in the ' ninety , Sunbird lead crucial volume , attract more than 100,000 orders each modelling year through the death of the original J - car design in 1994 . It was looking quite tired by then , but steady updating helped keep its appeal .

The ' 91s , for lesson , replaced the gruff , growly turbo - four with the corporate 3.1 V-6 , whose modest 140 horses seemed quite lively in this tripping subcompact . The V-6 was standard for the GT coupe , optional otherwise . A fundament - trim coupe and sedan were added at most $ 800 less than counterpart lupus erythematosus , but they did n’t get the V-6 or many other choice .

For ' 92 came standard antilock pasture brake – a tangible plus for the small elevator car class – plus no - cost automatonlike great power door ignition lock and a shifting ignition interlock for the automatic transmission . LE now denoted base - trimming Sunbirds ; SEs expanded to coupe , sedan , and transmutable choices . A Modern fuel - injection system tally 15 horsepower to the old 2.0 - liter base four .

The deal saw even fewer change for ' 93 , though SE coupe gained an optional Sport Appearance Package that deliver a GT - stylus nose and bodyside cladding for less money . The ' 94 telephone circuit comprised the LE trio and a V-6 SE coupe with Sport Appearance feature , fundamentally the vary GT with a gloomy cost .

Everything changed for 1995 , name included , as the Sunbird became the Sunfire on a to a great extent revised J - car platform share with Chevrolet Cavalier . A curvy raw facial expression was vulgar to both , but Sunfire brook aside with Pontiac ’s signature tune twin - larboard grille , plus a busier rear end , plastic - adorn small bodysides – a growing Pontiac fetish at the time – and even different coupe rooflines .

An SE coupe and saloon rolled in first , followed at midmodel year by a GT coupe and then an SE convertible with standard ability top . SE pedestal power was the 2.2 - litre 120 - bhp pushrod four that Cavaliers had used for some time already , while the V-6 give manner to the 150 - bhp 2.3 - l twincam Quad-4 familiar from recent GM compact and intermediate . The latter was received for the GT , optional for the SE coupe .

Both engine mated to a standard five - focal ratio manual infection . Optional automatics were the usual three - speed with the 2.2 , a newfangled four - f number with the Quad-4 . The latter combination included adhesive friction control , which was otherwise unavailable . At least all models finally shed plaguey motorized " mouse belt " for twin splasher airbags to fulfil the fed ’s necessity for front " inactive chasteness . "

Sunfire mix powerteams for 1996 . The 2.2 was now offered with the four - pep pill automatic and traction control . The Quad-4 got some intragroup tweaks , a displacement bump to 2.4 liters , and the prosaic name Twin Cam . Horsepower was unaltered , but the self-aggrandising four was newly optional for the four - doorway SE .

change for ' 97 centered on the ragtop SE , which draw a four - f number automatic , cruise ascendance , and galvanising de-ice for its ice rear window as extra no - toll items . There was little news program for ' 98 , while the chief ' 99 development was shift the sofa bed to GT trim .

Modestly freshened year-2000 Sunfires bow in early ' 99 . The longer model twelvemonth yield higher production on that footing , but calendar - year parliamentary procedure declined . The ragtop , never a strong seller , was phased out during the year .

1990s Pontiac Grand Am

The vintage-1985 Grand Am said goodbye after 1991 , when it added pedestal - trim damage - loss leader , plus standard antilock brake for top - line reciprocal ohm . The latter were boast as America ’s most affordable cars with ABS , even though stickers swelled more than $ 1300 to $ 16,000 - summation .

engine , carried over from 1990 , go with the old 2.5 - litre Iron Duke four providing 110 stock bhp in base and LE model . usable for LEs and ­included on reciprocal ohm was the gruff but game Quad-4 with 160 bhp when connect to the optional three - speed automatonlike , 180 if matte up to the linewide - standard five - speed manual . LEs , now midline Grand Ams , offered a Sport Performance option with SE - similar styling and Quad-4 power .

A somewhat delinquent redesign put 1992 Grand Ams on a fresh N - body platform along with Chevrolet ’s Corsica / Beretta , redone Buick Skylarks , and Oldsmobile ’s new Achievas . Wheelbase was untouched , but length produce by more than half a foot . Only SE and GT coupe and saloon come back .

Despite the general manufacture move to airbags , Grand Am persisted with door - mounted " automatic prophylactic belts " and promoted linewide - standard ABS or else . Styling was sleeker but rather overstated , with heavy lower - body plastic facing on GTs – which Skylark and Achieva designers had to work around – and a sleeker profile for coupes .

The redesign also shook things up under Grand Am hoods . The alkali Iron Duke step aside for a single - Cam River version of the Quad-4 dub Quad OHC , tune up for 120 bhp . The Quad-4 itself return unchanged , but a V-6 was made available for the first fourth dimension since 1987 . This Buick - source pushrod 3.3 - cubic decimetre whole had the same 160 bhp as the automatic - infection Quad-4 , but also boasted greater grim - speed torsion that made a undecomposed match with the three - velocity slushbox , the only alternative offered .

The makeover spurred Grand Am to some 208,500 sale for ' 92 . Second - year changes were predictably nonaged : an optional remote keyless - debut scheme , a standard barrage - rundown shelter feature , and four - cylinder locomotive made slightly quieter . The fours were still rather crude lumps and they managed to lose five bhp .

Sales approached 255,000 for 1994 , when update were comparatively monumental : a stock machine driver - side airbag at last – just as most rivals were catch duple airbags – an available four - speed automatic infection , and a 155 - bhp 3.1 - liter V-6 to replace the 160 - horse 3.3 . Leather upholstery was a fresh extra , and the sometimes - hated automatic room access lock could now be set for automatic unlocking , sparing occupants the trouble of flicking a switch .

After a short three - yr foot race , the Quad OHC was canceled for 1995 Grand Ams and a 150 - bhp Quad-4 became the new base locomotive engine , adding " Libra shafts " for smoother running but lose its High - Output variant . Despite being a virtual carryover other­wise , Grand Am extend on a rising sale track , nudging past 291,000 for the manakin year .

Modest decorative tweaks and standard threefold airbags in a reworked bolt mark the ' 96 models . As with the Sunfire and other cars that used it , the Quad-4 became a 2.4 - l Twin Cam , gain ground internal refinements but no more HP . The older three - speeding automatic was dropped , and grip ascendency was a new bonus when the four - upper automatic was ordered . Grand Am then suffer slick for two full years , look another redesign .

The redesign 1999 Grand Ams started sales event in early ' 98 . coupe and sedan chair continued , but the batting order was more perplexing , with each body style offer in base SE , SE1 , and SE2 versions , plus gaudy GT and GT1 clipping .

Wheelbase lengthened 3.6 inch to 107 , rangy for a compact . Overall duration was little - changed , but width well almost three inches ( to 70.4 ) . Powertrains , alas , were n’t much changed . SE2s and all GTs came with the grizzly 3.4 - liter pushrod V-6 ; ­others used the 2.4 - liter Twin Cam until 2002 , when they followed Sunbird to the newer 2.2 - liter " L850 " corporate four - cylinder , eventually known by the " Ecotec " name used in Europe , where it originated . Four - speed machinelike remained the only transmission until 2000 , after which four - piston chamber models got a standard five - pep pill manual supply by German gearbox medical specialist Getrag .

Grand Am styling was now much like Grand Prix ’s , but on a small ordered series and with pile of geegaws larded on . elevator car and Driverjudged appearing " distraught and overstated , " especially on GTs . " Only the roof panel is devoid of scoops , spoilers , strakes , and other ' character ' credit line … Even the GT ’s five - spoke alloys are littered with little cartoonish speedline indentations on each address . One or two of these cues might be acceptable , but together they ’re too much . "

The rest of the railcar was n’t enough . Despite a execution - sapping reflex , C / D ’s trial GT saloon ran 0 - 60 in a zippy 7.7 seconds and score well for treatment , but miss the cool and polish of most implication competition . Ride was generally judged good on any poser , but noise level were only fair and craftsmanship needed , well , work .

Value was an asset , but that did n’t offset all the debits forConsumer Guide ® . Said CG ’s Auto 2000 issue : " Unless jazzy looks are your top priority in a family compact , you ’d be well propose to reconnoitre the contention . " Many people did , and Grand Am sales return steadily thereafter .

1990s Pontiac Grand Prix

The midsize Grand Prix was honed through 1996 , its introductory 1988 design update as Modern locomotive engine and features emerged from General Motors labs .

Of naturally , the same held for the W - body Buick Regal and Olds Cutlass Supreme . Yet the GP , perhaps because of Pontiac ’s hipper image , normally sell the good , if not quite as well as Chevrolet ’s more low-priced W - dead body Lumina . Worrisome , though , were see - proverb sales in these years , drop from more than 197,000 for 1990 to 100,000 - 150,000 per model year . The exclusion was swan - birdsong ' 96 , when early release of redesigned ' 97s held mass below 84,000 .

Grand Prix ’s 1991 program reprised LE , SE , and STE sedans , but not the turbocharged STE . The Turbo coupe was gone too , replaced by a nonturbo GT and uplevel GTP , the latter dressed in belligerent dead body facing . ( The charge plate industriousness must have loved Pontiac in these days . ) While some mourned recede the turbocharged V-6 , Pontiac consoled them with GM ’s young normally aspirate Twin Dual Cam V-6 , a 24 - valve 3.4 - cubic decimetre blackleg at 210 bhp with five - focal ratio manual of arms or an even 200 with that class ’s Modern four - stop number automatic choice . Standard for GTP , this engine was available for other models lay aside the LE sedan .

Also on the posting were a mean 140 - bhp 3.1 V-6 and a 160 - bhp 2.3 Quad-4 . LE sedan also missed out on the ABS that was newly available on other ' 91 GPs . The Quad-4 departed for ' 92 , when BA became standard except on LEs , and all sedan took on the STE ’s front light bar . Linewide - standard automatic top executive door lock was the independent change for ' 93 .

Catching up with many contender for 1994 , Grand Prix bring standard three-fold airbags in a redesign inside , the twelvemonth ’s only W - body so infernal . More surprising was a batting order pare to just a dyad of well - fit out mainstream SEs . The 3.1 V-6 added 20 bhp for 160 sum . The five - speeding manual transmission was toss out , but the options list still had enough of the correct stuff to approximate the sportiness of the discontinued GT and STE .

Interestingly , the more overt family focus boost GP sale by some 31,500 building block over example - year ' 93 . The ' 95s drew only some 4700 fewer orders despite little modification . There was even less newsworthiness for the abbreviated ' 96 season , though the 3.4 V-6 tacked on five bhp .

A mostly new H - torso Bonneville sedan chair began an eight - year run for 1992 , describe by a billowy new smell that not everyone liked . That might explicate why sales followed the Grand Prix shape , with a first - year peak ( some 124,000 ) , a blue midlife tableland ( few than 100,000 through ' 94 ) , and a still - miserable level through serial end ( 75,000 at well ) .

Pontiac soon began renewing its bread - and - butter models , initiate with Grand Prix for 1997 . preview two years before by the 300 GPX construct , it was one of the handsomest Ponchos since the ' LX : purposeful , curvy , near frippery - devoid . The sedan showed peculiarly spectacular change in a new coupelike profile .

Even good , " Wide Track " was back , as ads obstreperously proclaimed . Like Buick ’s latest Regal on the same ­updated W - soundbox chopine , the GP was little longer than before despite a three - column inch - long wheelbase . But Pontiac went for a broader stance , up raceway width by two column inch forward , three inches aft .

Grand Prix offered three V-6 models for ' 97 : a mom - and - protrude 3.1 - liter SE saloon with 160 bhp and an enthusiast - oriented GT saloon and coupe with GM ’s ever - improving " 3800 " locomotive and 195 standard bhp . An optional GTP package deport a muscular 240 - bhp supercharge 3800 , plus strapping four - speed automatic transmission system , somewhat firm suspension , stickier tires , modest decklid spoiler , and discreet identification .

All modeling gasconade stock all - disk antilock brakes and adhesive friction control , though the latter was denied GTPs until 1998 , when a stouter organization was adopt across the instrument panel .

machine and Driverhad good things to say about the ' 97 GTP sedan . top out the tilt were a zippy 0 - 60 - miles per hour time of 6.8 seconds , o.k. skidpad grip ( 0.79 g-force ) , safe and predictable front - drive move , a roomy and comfortable cabin with generally sound ergonomics , and scads of features for only about $ 25,000 deliver . There were faults , to be certain , butC / Ddismissed them as " relatively underage faultfinding . We were expecting the 1997 Grand Prix to be a well motorcar than the former model , but we were n’t anticipate it to be this much better . "

Buyers also responded favorably , snap up about 159,000 GPs for the extended ' 97 season . Though the excess merchandising time helped pump up the volume , this was Grand Prix ’s good model - yr operation in two ten . Demand still for ' 98 to a number over 142,000 , but the ' 99 enumeration was 155,000 , and model - year 2000 output climb to near 173,000 . Interim changes help keep buyers interested .

The GTP proved popular enough to win separate - model condition for ' 99 , when the base V-6 added five bhp . For 2000 , GM ’s utile OnStar communications and assistance organization became available , the base V-6 got another 15 bhp , and all model added an locomotive immobilizer that disabled the kindling if begin was essay by circuitous mean value .

Grand Prix was choose as the rate railroad car for the 2000 Daytona 500 , and Pontiac reeled off 2000 replica , all silver GTP coupes with unique 16 - inch aluminium wheels , functional hood vents , special interior , and Daytona insignia in spite of appearance and out .

1990s Pontiac Bonneville

The most exciting Bonneville of the 1990s was the newfangled ' 92 Bonneville SSEi , offering a pressurise version of GM ’s evergreen plant 3.8 - liter V-6 with 205 bhp . An unblown 170 - bhp standard engine was shared with midrange SSE and base SE models . All boasted a gadget driver - side airbag .

The SSE add ABS , buckets - and - console interior , and alloy wheel . The SSEi see high-priced at $ 28,045 to start , but come with a passenger - side airbag , automatic climate control , 12 - way power front seats , and a robust head - up display ( HUD ) that visualize focal ratio and other data point onto the windshield forward of the driver .

But the SSEi ’s most important feature film was its stock grip - ascendence system of rules . This helped domesticate robustious , unwanted front wheelspin by limit back baron and/or applying the pasture brake in response to sign from the AB wheel - speed sensors . Sporting proprietor apprise traction control . Then again , few car in this class needed it so much . Indeed , enthusiasts still blanched at any front - ride car with manipulation compromise by a excess of mightiness , as this Bonneville was .

Curiously , the SSEi ’s flagship appeal was dilute for ' 93 by giving the SE standard ABS and an SLE package option with SSEi - expressive style wicket and body addenda , 16 - inch " lacy spoke " wheel and other amenities . In improver , the supercharged V-6 was newly available for the SSE .

Pontiac was after more competitive damage points , a motif that also figured in the SSEi ’s 1994 demotion from disjoined model to SSE choice . At least that year ’s blown V-6 got an extra 20 bhp , and all Bonnevilles profit from included double airbags . cost pressure also prompted a special SLE choice for California - truss ' 94 SE , an alleged $ 4500 time value tagged at just $ 1371 . undivided to the SSE pick list was GM ’s Computer Command Ride ( CCR ) , basically sensor - linked shock absorber absorber that automatically changed from soft to firm damping in hard cornering or braking manoeuvre .

Tech again dominated news for 1995 . An extensive inner revamp evolved the infrastructure V-6 into a smoother , quieter " Series II " engine with 205 bhp , and the supercharged mill was freshly optional for SLE - equipped SEs . The blown engine became a Series II for ' 96 , lend 15 horses with it , and all poser ­sported a subtle rhytidoplasty .

But none of this affected sales event very much , nor did further diddle for 1997 - 99 . Though Bonneville still run a potent second to Buick ’s LeSabre in hydrogen - organic structure sales , it had been eclipse for style , space , and roadability by the " hack - forward " Dodge Intrepid and Chrysler Concorde / LHS/300 .

tumid new import - brand sedan were also stealing the big Poncho ’s thunder – and customers . Indeed , Consumer Guide ® demoted Bonneville from " Best Buy " to " urge " position after 1997 . Like Grand Am and Grand Prix , the 1990s Bonnie had slipped into the " rental car " trap : OK for a week ’s vacation , maybe , but not the top option for a tenacious - terminus relationship .

1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 Pontiac Firebird

Firebird was give to carry the " we make excitement " banner in the 1990s . As ever , it was the most soul-stirring matter in Pontiac showrooms , and promptly became even more so – chiefly because it had to .

Firebird began its 1991 season in fountain ' 90 , about six calendar month early . Base , Formula , Trans Am , and GTA number back with another dexterous facelift of the familiar vintage-1982 design , announce by a smoother neb think the recent Banshee show cable car .

A Modern Sport Appearance option gave the low - liner much of the T / A ’s show , but not the go . Engines ranged from a budget - grade 140 - bhp 3.1 V-6 to a 240 - bhp 350 - cid/5.7 - cubic decimeter V-8 . Though everyone knew a fresh Firebird was just two years off , Pontiac form a surprise at mid-1991 with its first convertible ponycar in more than two decades . Offered in base , Formula , and T / A guise only , the droptop Firebird was naturally much like the rag - roof Chevy Camaro that had been around since 1987 . It spurred a modest sale recuperation as a bridge circuit to ' 93 .

That season also began early , and why not ? Abetted by a late concept preview and foggy spy exposure in newspapers and " buff " magazines , Firebird fans were clamour for the fourth generation of their favorite . They were n’t disappoint . Bowing in spring ' 92 with coupe only , the 1993 Firebird was a veridical looker : knavish , slinky , even a bit minatory . Wheelbase was unaltered , but flowing new contours yield slap-up visual distinction from F - body first cousin Camaro .

Fiero experience pay practical dividends in the utilisation of dent - resistant plasticlike material for the front and rearward fascias , front fenders , doors , roof , and rear hatchlid . Beneath was a spaceframelike social organization that improve rigidity so much that the optional twin T - tops could be replaced by single lift - off panel – the first Firebird " targa " coupe .

Powerteams were drastically simplify . stand models came with the corporate 3.4 V-6 , here tuned for 160 bhp and linked to five - speed manual of arms or optional four - speed automatic transmitting . Formula and Trans Am share a new - generation humble - block V-8 dubbed LT1 , still a 5.7 but chockablock with engineering advance . Also found in Camaros and Chevrolet Corvettes , it delivered a 275 - bhp impact via the automatic or a new standard six - stop number manual gearbox .

Chassis alteration were as extensive , though the all - coil abatement was much the same in concept . The manufacturing plant changed too , with F - body product moving from Van Nuys , California , to a more ­modern GM industrial plant in St. Therese , Quebec , Canada .

All 1993 vermillion flycatcher come in with three-fold airbags and ABS , a sop to insurance companies and the high premiums that still stifle requirement for many sportsmanlike cars . Unfortunately , those addition pushed poser price much higher . A groundwork Firebird previously listing at $ 12,505 with automatic now set off at $ 13,995 with manual . throw that , plus amazingly potent , sustained contention from an aged yet seemingly ageless Ford Mustang , the blade - young Firebird was no sales smash .

A slow product ramp - up for the saki of chassis tone throw model - year ' 93 intensity below 15,000 units . Yet even when production did pip stride in 1994 , sales recovered only to the 50,000 - unit stratum achieve by the last third - generation cars of 1992 .

1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 Pontiac Firebird

Firebird startle 1994 with a " decontented " and downpriced Trans Am , though the previous T / A was still around as the Trans Am GT .

V-8 buyer choosing six - speeding manual get under one’s skin CAGS , GM ’s Computer Aided Gear Selection feature . Long intimate in corvette , it essentially " force " a first - to - quaternary upshift under unaccented throttle as an economic aid to fuel economy – and to CAFE number . GM refused to build cars that would qualify for the Gas - Guzzler Tax . purist widely scorn the electronic intrusion , but it was easily ward off with a careful proper foot . And its mpg benefit allowed substitute a shorter rear - axle proportion ( 3.42:1 versus 3.23 ) for respectable off - the - logical argument snap .

As plan , Firebird convertible return at midseason in nucleotide , Formula , and T / A GT trim , now factory - assembled ware with a standard power top . Also appear in the ' 94 run was another nostalgic birthday Firebird , the 25th Anniversary Trans Am . An option package for T / A GTs , it was purely cosmetic : juicy dorsal peel , white pigment , monogrammed white leather hind end , specific body - color five - spoke metal wheel , and , of course , the requisite celebratory logos . At least the Mary Leontyne Price was good at just $ 995 , and installations were restrain to some 1500 .

For reasons only Pontiac marketers could explain , the T / AGT was dropped for ' 95 and the regular Trans Am restored to its former stock - equipment glory . It shared with Formula an appreciated new adhesive friction - controller system as a $ 450 extra that was worth every cent .

The stand Firebird was n’t neglected , acquire a 200 - bhp 3.8 V-6 as a former - season option in concert with automatic transmittal . That evergreen plant engine then interchange the 3.4 V-6 for all base models . V-8s also got more world power for ' 96 , going to 285 bhp standard and to a healthy 305 via a new Ram Air software feature a big hood tune soap ( with twin intake ) , plus larger tire on five - talk alloy wheels .

After a subdued 1997 , Firebird espouse V-8 Camaros by adopt the impressive new aluminum - block LS1 locomotive from Chevy ’s C5 Corvette . In the ponycars , it made 305 bhp , up 20 from the final Fe - engine block LT1 ; the optional Ram Air software package ( code WS6 ) upped the count to 320 . At the same time , the six - hurrying ­manual became a no - price option to automatic for Formula and Trans Am .

All ' 98 Firebirds wore a modest facelift marked by honeycomb - blueprint rear light and a slightly shorter , more rounded nose . A pair of aggressive pinched air slot distinguished Trans Ams – and Ram - Air automobile now had four . change for ' 99 were few but worthwhile . V-8s embrace a more effective Torsen define - slip differential gear , grip ascendency was new usable for V-6s , and all model got a more or less big fuel armored combat vehicle .

Another milestone Trans Am birthday roll around in 1999 . Pontiac observed it with a 30th Anniversary Package consist the WS6 engine , Arctic White blusher , more all-encompassing drab dorsal undress , unique 17 - inch alloy wheels – and even " Screaming Chicken " decals , albeit much less blatant than in the old days . There was the usual logo - bedecked cockpit , this one with a numbered commemorative plaque on the cabinet .

yield was restrict , of course : 1065 " targa " coupes ( with 65 reserved for Canada ) , 535 convertibles ( 35 for up north ) . Amid all these warm fuzzies , few might have guessed that Firebird had but three years leave to survive .

2000s Pontiac Bonneville

A new Bonneville make it for 2000 on an improved edition of the GM G - cable car platform that made the Oldsmobile Aurora such a roadable swelled four - door . Like the latest GP and Grand Am , Bonneville spring up a bit longer in wheelbase , plus a little taller and heavier .

Styling turn toward the flamboyant with a more steeply canted windshield , freshly downsloped hood , and wheels pushed further toward the corners on slightly all-encompassing tracks . Plastics factories worked extra time to append more flashy consistency cladding , and Grand Am - type " f number streaks " popped up everywhere .

Y2 K Bonnevilles number three : loudness - sell SE , semisporty SLE , and a revived supercharged SSEi . Powertrains stayed broadly the same , but more internal refinements made the trusty V-6 a tad smoother and quieter still . The update G - platform , GM ’s steady ever , contributed to a whole , fulfill down - the - road feel .

Predictably , the hot - shot SSEi was the subject of most " buff book " reviews , which were generally positive . Car and Driverclocked 0 - 60 in 7.8 seconds , which beat Chrysler ’s Euro - inspire 300 M , and try the drive / handling compromise about rightfulness for a sporty full-grown domestic help . The dashboard was something else . " Whoever project it,“C / Dcomplained , " seemed to have an fixation with grey charge card buttons and knobs – from the equipment driver ’s seat , we counted 70 of them . " For passengers , though , the interior was a spacious , easy , pleasant situation to be .

If overdone in some deference , the 2000 was clearly a better Bonneville . Buyers initially agreed , lifting exemplary - year sales by some 13 percent from ' 99 .

Changes for 2001 included the return of GM OnStar as standard for SLE and SSEi , standard antiskid / traction control condition for the top - lining ( the Cadillac - pioneer " Stabilitrak " organization that also applied brakes to minimize fishtailing ) , and optional heated front seat for all models , not just SSEi . As Pontiac expected , the value - priced SE accounted for more than one-half of Bonneville sales event . What Pontiac did n’t expect was the steep 27 - percent drop in ' 01 model - year loudness to less than 45,500 unit , marginal even for a high - profit full - sizing .

By 2002 , Detroit ’s hearsay mill was predicting that Bonneville would not see another redesign , having become too high-priced to continue and out of footstep with foresighted - range ware plan .

Pontiac Aztek

" Offbeat " ably draw Aztek , Pontiac ’s reply to the fast­growing popularity of sport - utility program vehicles base on railway car weapons platform rather than trucks . An other 2001 unveiling , it was basically a short - wheelbase Montana reconfigured as an " active life style " fomite .

In air with that , Aztek introduced optional Versatrak all - roulette wheel drive , GM ’s cagy fresh path of add together four - wheel traction to a front - driving force powertrain without tally complexness or weight . Instead of a rearward propshaft and additional differentials , an electronically control clutch pack at each rearward wheel could shut away up as needed to airt torque from the front . This also bring a bonus in the form of independent rear suspension to supervene upon the winding - beam axle , plus rear disk Pteridium aquilinum instead of drums . Antilock brakes were received , as on Montanas .

Still , Aztek was n’t a serious off - roader . Pontiac rightly called it a " variation recreational vehicle , " meaning it could haul up to five folks and their cogwheel to activity not very far off the pound path . of course , Aztek drive much like its minivan parent , with adequate speedup and safe but lumbering manipulation .

Its biggest attraction was a versatile five - nates interior with many new touches . Among them was a totable drinks cooler - cum - CD loge that mesh in between the front seat , and a playground slide - out cargo - area storage tray that could double as a table for " tailgate " parties or be folded out to make a wheeled cart . Also useable were separate stereo controls and speaker unit in the cargo bay , washable seat cover , and a camper packet with a fitted gentle wind mattress and a tent for slipping over the raise rearward hatch .

Trouble was , these slap-up ideas were wrapped in some passably odd styling . Motor Trenddescribed Aztek as " minivan meet beast from the black lagoon . " TheLos Angeles Timessimply enquire , " Who lease the dog out ? " SaidRoad & Track : Aztek is trying way too hard to be pelvic arch . That ’s understandable if you ’re hear to hide its minivan roots , [ but ] Pontiac has gone to extremes . The overall length was expurgate and the rear hatch chopped into a fastback while the hood was raised and slue doors were replaced with schematic portal vein … The styling [ is ] ungainly [ despite ] hood nostril that recall the Ram Air look of the Trans Am and enough eubstance cladding for a fleet of surfboard . " There were kinder , gentler reviews , but hardly anyone buy an Aztek for its looks .

Early sales suggested as much . Pontiac planned on go 60,000 Azteks every 12 month , but make do just more or less over 38,000 for the 18 calendar month of the extra - long 2001 model year . Beyond questionable styling , some faulted Aztek as too pricey for the younger emptor it target .

Pontiac addressed both result for 2002 . Body - coloring cladding without molded - in " speeding streaks " pick up the exterior , and making some stock features optional leave rationalise base price by a few thousand dollars to around $ 20,000 lower limit . But the unforgiving public had already branded Aztek an unhip loser , and sales remained at well under half the original expulsion through 2004 .

Pontiac made more price allowance and added appealing alternative include satellite receiving set , rear DVD amusement , and a sporty Rally Edition software package with let down suspension and 17 - inch wheels . But Aztek could n’t be saved without a total redesign , which was n’t in the cards , so Pontiac gave up after ' 05 to ward off further embarrassment . sale that calendar year : a paltry 5020 .

2000s Pontiac Firebird

Firebird seemed beyond saving as the new century opened , but only because buyer predilection had changed . Ponycars and muscle machines had given way to big - engine trucks and highly tuned " sport compact " as America ’s performance image . The Chevrolet Camaro was also return from favor because of this shift , but not the Ford Mustang , which by now outsold the two GM ponycars combined .

It was thus no great jolt that Firebird and Camaro were terminated after 2002 . For a time it seemed that neither had a prayer of ever return , but GM had second thought once an all - raw Mustang began return immense bombination and rip - roaring sales . By other 2006 , GM was all but promising a new Camaro in two to three years time – tad of 1967 . But there was no credit of a new Firebird . That ’s because its performance role at Pontiac had already passed to another machine , described later .

True to its tradition , Firebird did not go restfully . The Formula , for object lesson , fete Pontiac ’s 75th birthday with a like - named package option at mid-2001 . price at $ 2550 with manufacturer discount , it bundle unique cosmetic with traction control , a tight axle ratio , and functioning tires on chrome alloy wheels . Arriving with it was a separate $ 1170 NHRA radical honoring the National Hot Rod Association and Firebird ’s continue drag - hasten success . This option delivered similar gearing and trilled stock , plus a six - pep pill manual with Hurst - brand gear lever and linkage ( recently add as a place upright - alone option ) .

The NHRA software program return for ' 02 , when the WS6 engine added five bhp to get to 325 . Also back was the SLP Firehawk , a show - and - go package that Pontiac first cataloged in 2001 after securing sales right wing from SLP Engineering , an outside society that had been place more fire in Firebirds for some 10 years . Available for ' 01 Formulas and Trans Ams and for ' 02 T / As , the Firehawk alternative comprised a forced - air induction system of rules that up the WS6 to 330/345 bhp , plus stiffened abeyance , productive low - visibility tyre on 17 - column inch roulette wheel , and many undivided trim items . Power freak happily ponied up the $ 4000/$4300 asking Mary Leontyne Price .

Last but not least was 2002 ’s tellingly named Collector Edition Trans Am , another ensemble option . It mostly double the thirtieth Anniversary Package , but wore black accents on bright yellow key , plus alone wheel and internal trim . With that , Firebird was history .

Pontiac ’s ponycar was knotty to recede , but it was rigorously a business decision . time were tough for General Motors and about to get much elusive .

Pontiac Strategy in the 2000s

By 2005 , Pontiac was despairing for Johnny Cash , posting a $ 10.6 billion loss that yr , most all of it sustain by North American Operations ( NAO ) . More ominously , GM faced tremendous near - full term wellness - care and pension cost not only for its own still - sizable manpower but also the employee at Delphi , the money - losing parts unit spun off in 1999 as a quasi - sovereign concern .

Yet years of fade sales , marketplace portion , and caudex price had left GM intemperately - pressed to take over needed pecuniary resource , banks having sheer its acknowledgment rating to unsuitable " dust " status .

as luck would have it , 2001 had show in novel managing director set to do whatever was needed to bushel GM ’s health . Company veteran G. Richard " Rick " Wagoner , Jr. , call for over from Ron Zarrella ( who reelect to Bausch & Lomb to be CEO ) . Wagoner soon move up to chairman , then occupy cathexis of the flounder NAO unit . In a surprise early Day move , he persuaded former Chrysler Corporation president Bob Lutz out of retreat to be GM " product czar , " charge with spearheading bang - hit new models – and avoiding another Aztek .

Lutz immediately begin dismantling brand management and its bloated , flurry bureaucracy , while put new emphasis on resist - out styling and scrutinizing the competition with the eye of a " car guy . " As part of streamline product development , he purport for close links between Detroit and GM ’s oversea subdivision to avert profit - sapping duplicate , increase fabrication tractability , and quicken GM ’s responsiveness in the super - competitive twenty - first - one C market . Lutz was reward for his endeavour by being named vice chairwoman in other 2005 .

Wagoner , meanwhile , made some wrenching decisions under pressure from restive shareholders and an progressively impatient GM panel . Among the toughest were phasing out Olds­mobile after 2004 ; selling wager in once - promising " alliance " partners Fiat , Isuzu , Subaru , and Suzuki ; seeking more concessions from the United Auto Workers and other unions ; and plan a " right size " dealer consistence in which Buicks would be sold through many Pontiac - GMC outlets . But the drama had just get down .

In former 2006 , GM state it would put off some 30,000 doer and close a 12 North American plants by 2010 . A few weeks later on , the ship’s company announced it had found a buyer for a 51 - percent share of its profitable financing weapon system , General Motors Acceptance Corporation ( GMAC ) , another divestiture to pad cash reserves against looming disaster .

Yet even with all this , some fiscal gurus gave only 50/50 odds that GM could avoid file away for bankruptcy within five years . For a society that once ruled the U.S. auto industry with a giant star ’s metier , this was a arresting state of intimacy .

Pontiac ’s turn of the century platter mirrored the deepening crisis . Calendar - year sales , which began wobbling in the nineties , channelize to the south once the bunce thriftiness cease , plunging from more than 616,000 cars and hand truck in 1999 to just under 438,000 in 2005 . Most of the loss naturally came on the car side , which dropped more than 28 percent in those six years from 552,000 units to some 395,000 .

What happen ? Like most GM blade , Pontiac had lost focal point . AsBusiness Weeknoted in 2003 , " Pontiac ’s late history has been base on a fable . It commercialize itself as GM ’s excitement division while offering a batting order of glammed - up Chevrolets and Buicks that fritter no one with their faux sportiness . "

Bob Lutz swept in vowing to change all that , regulate an terminal to silliness like charge plate facing and fast - tracking new , " got ta have " models . " We want to make Pontiac an affordable , American BMW , " he told BW ( apprehensible , perhaps , as he once worked at the German automaker ) . But the powder store was disbelieving , omen " it could be year before enough new railcar arrive to make a difference . "

Business Weekwas right , and actual change was n’t evident until 2005 . But that show a watershed Pontiac year , bringing the pall down on Sunfire , Bonneville , Grand Am , and Aztek . At the same time , a echt sports cable car get in , something John DeLorean had buttonhole for back in the mid-1960s .

Pontiacs of the 2000s

Change was n’t easy for Pontiac in the newfangled century . For example , the lilliputian Sunfire and sister Chevy Cavalier would have been all - unexampled for 2000 or 2001 , but a prototype design bombed with consumer nidus groups and was duly table . That leave the existing Sunfire to carry on with few notable changes .

An elision was 2002 , when the passé three - speeding automatic transmission option was finally junked ( the four - upper continue , of course ) and the old Twin Cam four - cylinder was supercede in Sunfire GTs by a tuned 140 - bhp version of the newer 2.2 " Ecotec . " Despite costing 10 bhp , the swap had little affect on performance or refinement .

This locomotive engine became stock for 2003 , when the saloon and GT left and a lone SE coupe got satellite radio and front side airbags as first - fourth dimension alternative . A scanty - bones coupe was added for 2004 , trade only with manual shifting and no options for under $ 11,000 , a meek response to new value - priced small cars from South Korea .

Moving in the other direction was a pair of 2005 SE Sport Appearance Packages leave firm suspension , 16 - inch wheels and various home dressings for $ 600 or $ 800 .

Interestingly , there was no direct replacement for Sunfire in the U.S. , but there was in Canada : the Pursuit sedan , built on the Delta platform of the two - twelvemonth - sometime Saturn Ion and the 2005 Cobalt . But GM plain had 2d thoughts here too , as a Delta - based U.S.-market G5 coupe was bruit for 2007 as this clause was prepared .

Yet none of this seemed vital when Pontiac already had an appealing small car called Vibe . Beginning sale in 2002 as an early ' 03 model , this succinct four - doorway wagon was nigh kin to Toyota ’s novel Japan - sourced Matrix . It was built at the joint - speculation GM / Toyota plant in California called NUMMI ( New United Motor Manufacturing , Inc. , still going strong after ­nearly 20 class ) .

Basic engineering come from Toyota ’s latest Corolla subcompact saloon . Pontiac influenced the styling . All models used four - piston chamber 1.8 - liter twincam engines . The base Vibe offered front - wheel drive and 130 bhp or all - bicycle drive and 123 bhp . ( A more naturalistic evaluation method acting adopt for 2006 ­netted 126/118 bhp , though the railway locomotive themselves were unaltered . ) A sporty GT came with 180 bhp ( later 164 ) , front - crusade , and six - focal ratio manual gear case . Other models listed five - speed manual of arms and optional four - speed robotlike .

Vibe was noisy but fun to take . It was practical , too , with a versatile home and practiced masses space , thanks to a high - profile body . Though young buyers tended to favour Matrix for the many virtues assort with Toyotas , Pontiac ’s version was quite popular .

Sales in the long introduction time of year topped 84,000 , take after by ­nearly 57,000 in calendar ' 04 and 72,000 in ' 05 , this despite only detail changes . Though the GT and AWD were send packing after ' 06 for various rationality , Vibe was one of Pontiac ’s few vivid spots in this period .

Bonneville sales , by line , were dumbfound in turnaround , sustain more three-fold - fingerbreadth losses in calendar 2002 - 03 – hence the above - remark rumour of the model ’s imminent dying . But the large front - driver had a net whirl with the GXP , the first V-8 Bonneville in nearly two decades . A mid-2004 replacement for the supercharged V-6 SSEi , it point fancy V-8 European sports sedans with a 275 - bhp version of Cadillac ’s ever - impressive 4.6 - cubic decimetre twincam Northstar railway locomotive .

Also on manus were uprated respite and brake system , Stabilitrak antiskid / adhesive friction control , performance tyre on 18 - in wheels ( versus sixteen or 17s ) , plus a suave leather / suede leather cabin with pseudo " satin ­nickel " accents , 12 - way superpower front hindquarters with side airbags , and everything else marketer could stuff in . stilted styling was out now that Bob Lutz was calling the shots , so the GXP was the clean Bonneville in years .

Price was attractive , too – initially $ 35,270 to set out – and Pontiac lay claim credible 0 - 60 - mph performance of 6.8 seconds . Yet for all this , the GXP did n’t sense very different from the SSEi , and everyone knew " real " summercater saloon had rear end - wheel or all - steering wheel drive – and a more honored badge . But it was all academic . GM had already signed Bonneville ’s death warranty .

Montana got a reprieve through a 2005 makeover . This was initially labeled Montana SV6 to mark a transition from the out­going minivan , then just SV6 . " SV " meant " sport van , " which in turn intend an extended - dead body framework with squared - up snout and other styling cue mean to make purchaser think " SUV " or " crossover voter . " Though minivans were still openhanded business , marketers everywhere now tried to obviate the " minivan image . " GM ’s whizzers thought a fresh Montana costume would work sales magic .

It did n’t . Instead , sales fell crisply despite some nice new midland touches , sum up safety features , a larger V-6 , and little - changed prices . There were two trouble . First , SV6 was just more old wine in another novel bottle , obviously built to GM ’s basic 1997 minivan design . Second , there were more vino bottles on the corporate shelf , with a new Buick Terraza and Saturn Relay joining a rename Chevrolet Uplander . As difference among the four were trivial , this was ' 80s - style " badge engineering , " and it still did n’t make .

In fact , demand was so decrepit that just a twelvemonth after launching , Pontiac said SV6 would bow out early , in all likelihood by 2007 . The intact exercise was likely a write - off , money GM could ill - afford to squander .

More badge engineering produced a nicer midsize Pontiac crossover , the 2006 Torrent . substitute Aztek , this was a jolly showy rendering of Chevrolet ’s pop Equinox wagon , though differences here , too , were mostly skin deep . Still , Torrent quickly draw a fair number of new customers to Pontiac dealers , who ’d been plead to get in on the tight - arise sale action for untrucky SUVs .

How it ultimately get along still remain to be seen , but Pontiac needed sales assistance as this clause was write , and Torrent ply well-timed assist .

2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix

Pontiac ’s midsize elevator car gave up little sales background despite take - no - prisoners competition and GM ’s mounting troubles . The vintage-‘97 Grand Prix draw some 130,000 calendar - year guild from 2001 through 2003 , then perplex a heavy makeover to stay at rough that level – a modest feat in the honest-to-god day , but now a cause for rejoicing at castellated fort GM .

After a suffer - pat 2001 , Grand Prix marked its 40th day of remembrance with a enhancive package for GT and GTP coupe and sedans . It was n’t much – Dark Cherry paint , specific violent / grey interior , hood duct , chrome steering wheel , rear spoiler , aerodynamic " roof fences " – but it cost a mo much : $ 2400 even with a built - in manufacturing business price reduction . Such gondola might be minor collector ’s items in the far - distant futurity , but they may not .

Grand Prix gave up coupe for 2003 – a first for this Pontiac – but sales had been wan for long time . There was little other word that season , which was shortened anyway . The remodeled ' 04s were ready .

Remodeled they were : purged of charge plate panelling and given a more rakish sedan roofline imparting coupelike sportiness in concert with a striking beltline upsweep at the rear doors . The overall look was curvier and more sculptured , accent by deeper fascias , more or less pinched nose and deck of cards contours , and larger headlamps and rear lamp . The dashboard was naturally redone too , and became much more driver friendly , with an neat layout and prominent , legible gauge . firmly to believe that beneath this raw finery lurked the basic W - body political program first envision in the tardy 1980s .

Grand Prix reprised three sedan for 2004 , but under young name management : GT1 , GT2 , and top - line GTP . Powerteams , alas , were not new , with a 200 - hp 3.8 V-6 for GTs and the supercharged variant for GTP , though the latter now puffed out an extra 20 bhp . ABS / adhesive friction ascendance was uncommitted for GT1 , standard otherwise , and curtain side airbags at last add up to Pontiac ’s midsize car as a GT2 / GTP alternative .

A courteous surprise was the GTP ’s uncommitted Competition Group , aka the " Comp G " software . This aimed at maximum equipment driver engagement with a specially calibrate " Stabilitrak Sport " antiskid system , tycoon steerage whose assist wide-ranging with corner force as well as straightline stop number , numerically higher terminal drive for quicker sendup , plus higher - swiftness tires and performance suspension tuning .

The $ 1395 package Leontyne Price also included an implication - style " TAPShift " allowing manual control of the mandatory four - speed ­automatic transmission ( still ) via " boat paddle " switches on the steering wheel . A head - up showing , trip electronic computer , and reddish - painted pasture brake cali­pers complete the enhancements .

Predictably , the Comp one thousand GTP get the most early press , and most of it was secure . Car and Driverjudged the redesign underdone in some ways , overdone in others , but like the Comp G ’s resilient acceleration – 6.6 seconds to 60 , just 0.1 second off the factory call .

steerage finger was n’t the secure , but skilful road manners make up . " Understeer rules the Grand Prix ’s eminent - speeding life , " C / D account . " At least the car ’s electronic rubber net is an first-class one . [ It ] quiet and unobtrusively work individual caliper to keep the railroad car on course of instruction with minimal power - bolt down throttle intervention … In that esteem , Stabilitrak Sport outsmarts the jumpy , wakeless - handed stability computers fitted to more pricey rides from Mercedes , BMW , and Lexus . "

Though lesser GPs were less impressive , the general view was that Pontiac had done a remarkable job of bringing its senior W - car up to twenty - first - century standards . AsConsumer Guide ® summarize : " It trail our top - rated Honda Accord and Toyota Camry in quality of interior materials , and rearward - bottom comfort is substandard . But Grand Prix delivers proficient performance , a well-off ride , loading versatility , and plenty of feature . "

More feature arrive as 2005 options : a distant railway locomotive - start arrangement practicable from the door - lock keyfob – bang-up for pretrip wintertime warm - ups – plus an onboard pilotage system ( an industrywide must by now ) and dual - zona robotlike climate command .

But the real news was the midyear GXP , the first V-8 Grand Prix in two decades . This packed a 5.3 - litre pushrod locomotive first see in GM midsize hand truck , lately enhanced with an " Active Fuel Management " organization that would deactivate four cylinders under light accelerator pedal loads to eke out a few more mpg . Horsepower was list at 303 , and the turn rang reliable . machine and Driverclocked just 5.7 seconds for the 0 - 60 dash .

This GXP was an early replacement for the presently - to - depart Bonneville , as well as the new top - domestic dog Grand Prix . As such , it relegated the GTP to midline status , where the name was now GT . It still had a winded V-6 , but a Comp G option was nowhere in sight . Not to care , though , because the Comp G ’s TAPShift , antiskid organisation , and other feature film passed to the GXP . unco , the GXP also let in 18 - inch bicycle with tire that were all-embracing at the front – deemed necessary for order the V-8 ’s top executive down effectively .

Many still inquire why GM ­persisted at all with high - power front - drive motorcar when rear drive was dynamically ranking . Nevertheless , some critics judged the GP GXP a tantalizing choice to certain importation - brand sports sedans – BMWs include – especially given a hard discounted mid-$20,000 fork up price .

2004, 2005, 2006 Pontiac GTO

dominate Grand Prix ’s renewal for 2004 was the surprising return of the fabled GTO . Aside from rearward - steering wheel campaign and thud V-8 power , it shared nothing with the legendary " Goats " of yore , being an Americanized version of the four - seat Holden Monaro coupe at GM ’s Australian branch .

Bob Lutz had taken a close feel at the Monaro and decided it was just the thing to enliven up Pontiac ’s image and sale . And with Firebird recently deceased , what better name for a new performance Poncho in the classic mold ? About the only changes take were a twin - larboard Pontiac brass , plus a better - protected fuel cooler and other adjustments to fulfil U.S. regulations .

The new GTO was n’t that raw . Though Holden had devised the two - door Monaro as an Aussie - market place exclusive , it started with the GM V - railroad car platform originated with the German Opel Omega sedan , which had come to the U.S. as the 1997 - 2001 Cadillac Catera . But Americans were generally unaware of this lineage , and it did n’t count anyway .

In all respects but two , the Australian - built GTO lived up to its hallowed name . It was rather large for a unexampled - one C intermediate , standing 189.8 inches long , 72.5 in wide , and 54.9 inches marvelous on a 109.8 - inch wheelbase . Curb weight was a burly 3770 British pound , but that was no strain for the mandatory 5.7 - cubic decimetre LS1 V-8 jam 350 bhp and 365 hammering - feet of torque on 10.1:1 condensation . A four - speed machinelike transmission was stock ; $ 695 bought a sturdy Tremec T56 six - speed manual of arms , the sole alternative for debut ' 04 .

The automatic GTO was saddled with a $ 1000 Gas - Guzzler Tax , but Lutz waved it through , envision muscle car dice - hards would n’t be denied . Suspension was helix - spring independent with front swagger , rear semitrailing arm and stout antiroll bars , all specially tune up . Handsome 18 - column inch five - spoke alloy wheels assume 245/45ZR carrying into action caoutchouc enclosed big disc brakes with antilock control . adhesive friction control was also standard , but no antiskid organisation was bid , nor were side airbags .

But the $ 32,000 list damage included most everything else : leather upholstery , power posterior , remote keyless locking , trip data processor , premium Blaupunkt sound recording with CD modifier , rearward - pack of cards mollycoddler and more . In all , the reborn GTO was , a high - operation deal .

Acceleration was predictably brilliant . Road & Track ’s manual - equipped ' 04 clocked 0 - 60 mph in 5.3 seconds , 0 - 100 in 12.9 , and a standing quarter - mil of 13.8 seconds at 103.8 mph , stats desirable of the fastest saleroom Goats of the muscle motorcar geological era .

Yet this was no cart - sprung , limp - wristed rocket that went to bit on winding roads . On the contrary , the newfangled GTO provided assure Euro - manner handling with lilliputian cornering skimpy , all right grip – 0.81 g on the R&T skidpad – and clear , decent weight direction , plus brake power and mechanically skillful refinement the honest-to-god " Great Ones " never knew . In fact , this car matt-up like a classy bragging BMW coupe that played a ' 60s - style Detroit soundtrack .

With all this , the new GTO could n’t neglect , yet it did . For those onetime enough to remember the pilot and even for some critic , this renascence was just too hushed , too comfortable , too civilized to be a bona fide American carrying out automobile . And most everyone cerebrate the styling was nowhere – " Lusty performance mask in a phone - troupe fleet car , " asCar and Driverhuffed .

Even Jim Wangers , who ’d helped engender the first GTO and generally like the new one , had reservations . As he toldAutoWeek : " It is n’t what I call an ' Oh , my God . ' The fact that they do n’t have a hood liquid ecstasy is vital . According to GM , [ that ] would have interrupted the flow of air , which would have in mind [ costly ] certificate on its own [ with the EPA ] . Somebody said , ' We were guess of set up a decal hood scoop on it , ' which would be flat . That would be asking for unfavorable judgment . "

The literary criticism was abundant enough , and Pontiac stress to move fewer than 14,000 GTOs from the fall ' 03 launch through calendar ' 04 , a bummer yield an 18,000 per - annum target . Hefty rebates were applied simple workweek after introduction , but they did n’t work . For all his planetary industry experience and undoubted taste , Lutz had misinterpret the market .

Not so Pontiac ’s sure-enough friend SLP Engineering , which in late 2003 foretell a trio of " tuner " kits with 370 , 389 , or 421 bhp , plus a duplicate - scoop cowling and other visual testosterone added . SLP wanted to commercialize these under the Judge name , recalling the like - name 1969 GTO alternative , but GM fought the estimation .

answer the chorus of complaints , Pontiac gave the 2005 GTO not one hood scoop but two . They did n’t connect to a mightiness - encourage Ram Air frame-up , but they did serve cool a more strong V-8 : the 6.0 - liter/364 - Criminal Investigation Command LS2 from the brand - new C6 Corvette . Outputs rose to 400 bhp and 395 Syrian pound - feet , telephone number that also applied with the scoopless engine chapeau uncommitted as a no - toll pick .

The bigger engine trimmed a few tenth from quickening metre but did nothing for sales event , which dropped below 11,600 for the calendar year .

The 2006 variation was unchanged save a few ornamental details and newly optional 18 - inch bicycle . Demand remain soggy and higher gas terms did n’t help . With save hard currency now imperative for GM , the GTO was drop at the ending of the example year . By that point , contriver were eyeing a Modern Holden - developed weapons platform stand for for a variety of next rear - effort cars , sacrifice hope that GTO will jump again , perhaps sharing underpinnings with a novel Camaro .

Pontiac G6

Grand Am entreat a not - so - grand fare­well with a pair of V-6 coupe , which made a last motion to sport­i­ness with an SC / T package comprising a twinned - easy lay hood , rear spoiler , chrome wheel , satellite tuner , and special logos .

Grand Am ’s 2006 replacement began cut-rate sale in mid-2005 with a pair of sedan call G6 . The name change was meant to signal a complete break with Pontiac ’s compact - railway car past times , and the G6 was exactly that , being expectant enough to qualify as a midsize .

Pontiac fit its own way with GM ’s global front - drive Epsilon platform , putting G6s on the longer - wheelbase variation recently introduced with Chevrolet ’s hatchback door Malibu Maxx " extended sedan . " sadly , the extra column inch combined with abbreviated overhangs to make G6 styling a bit awkward from some angles . At least it was different .

G6 roll in with al-Qaida and uplevel GT sedans using a 200 - bhp 3.5 - liter pushrod V-6 and mandatory four - amphetamine robotlike trans­mission . A GT coupe was added for the formal ' 06 selling time of year . So were a " Base 4 - Cylinder Sedan " ( that ’s what they yell it ) and an even flashy " 1SV " version , both power by a 2.4 - litre engine . complete the lineup were a sporty GTP coupe and sedan chair sharing a 240 - bhp 3.9 - liter V-6 and available six - speed manual gearbox .

GT and GTP convertibles had been announced with the recent thing in open - air motoring , a power - retractable hardtop , but were delay many months by apparent teething troubles with the complex cap mechanics . Perhaps a childlike onetime material canopy would have been wiser .

To build bombilation for " the first - ever " G6 , Pontiac arranged for Oprah Winfrey to give away 276 sedans on her top - rated tv set talk show in September 2003 – one for each person in the audience . Pontiac say the promotion was worth $ 20 million , at least four time the retail time value of the cars , but some analysts thought the stunt did more to promote Oprah than it did the G6 . And though the recipients must have been delighted to get a new car for nothing , road - tester mostly yawned .

The G6 might have debuted as a roomy , more attractive , and better built auto than the Grand Am , but it was also another small , mainstream GM oblation . It was " … a car with many good slice that do n’t quite realize their potency as a whole , " asRoad & Tracksaid . Consumer Guide ® put the matter more directly : " G6 miss the well - modulate feel of a Honda Accord , the insulate ease of a Toyota Camry , or the ready - to - rock energy of a Nissan Altima . But it undercut them all on price , especially with a V-6 railway locomotive . Frequent discounts and a wide selection of safety gadget and convenience feature add to its appeal . " Which was a dainty way of saying that despite its in force points , this new Pontiac had a puff of " rental car " about it . But allow ’s not be too rough or precipitate .

The G6 was still new in town as this article was develop , so perhaps all it needs is flavour to become an telling class competitor .

2006 and 2007 Pontiac Solstice

telling for certain distinguish Pontiac ’s first sport railroad car , the 2006 Solstice . It hit the streets less than four days after rabid public response to a we - might - work up - it conception , itself mop up up in just 18 weeks – unheard - of speed for lumbering GM .

Of course , this was Bob Lutz ’s doing , a monstrance that GM could get out fresh , exciting cars as fast as anyone in the world , and with world - class levels of execution and quality . He had to break all sorts of internal rules to get it done so chop-chop , so Solstice was just as much an example to GM the great unwashed of what they could accomplish when given half a chance .

Solstice was a fortune like the ever - popular Mazda MX-5 Miata , which had been suppurate since 1990 as the very definition of the modern " low-cost sports car . " Like the Nipponese automaker , GM had to improvise in many areas to do something so very different from its usual menu , but the Solstice came together attractively , an artful blend of some things old and some thing new . When it was all over , GM had create a whole unexampled platform called Kappa , with all sorts of possible action for the future .

The concept was little - changed for production , and the Solstice emerged as larger and arduous than a redesigned Miata that made its debut at about the same metre . Solstice hewed to the same classic formula , though , of a low and abstemious two - buttocks translatable with manual - pen up textile top , rear - wheel drive , and four - cylinder power .

Solstice offset its greater weight with a larger , torquier engine , an evolved 2.4 - liter twincam with 177 bhp and 166 pound - foot or torque . Both cars bluster manual of arms and optional automatic transmissions , four - wheel sovereign suspension , all - record brakes , and equally obligatory wrack - and - pinion power steering . Solstice offered optional ABS , by now a Miata measure , but not the Mazda ’s uncommitted antiskid system or no - cost side airbags .

On the other helping hand , the Pontiac came on 18 - column inch wheels versus 16 or 17s , and matched its rival ’s " weekend automobile driver " appeal with a $ 1095 Club Sport software system and uncommitted special - slip of paper differential . Both listed options like aviation conditioning , sail control , and baron window , but only Solstice offer artificial satellite wireless and the GM OnStar system of rules .

Lutz forebode a sub-$20,000 toll , and keep his word by a slim $ 5 , admit destination charge , though the lower limit before long rise to $ 20,490 . But even that virtually stratum - peg the least expensive ' 06 Miata , and Mazda ’s broader batting order load to nearly $ 27,000 , thousands more than a Solstice with every potential choice .

If Solstice and Miata were a close match on newspaper , they ran a virtual deadened heat on the route . Most cartridge clip comparisons decide the Mazda was just a little bit good , but the judgment were extremely subjective , and most all recapitulation said you could n’t go incorrect with the Pontiac .

It all came down to " horses for courses , " with the Solstice deliver the goods points for eye charm , a smoother ride , superior cornering stability , apprise extra cockpit space , and stronger low - end twist . The Miata had the edge in treatment , braking , fuel economy , and overall execution , plus a long record of reliability and a more convenient top .

But the Solstice had one advantage Miata could never match : It was all - American , a grownup emotional tug for many ethnic music at a time when General Motors ( Ford Motor Company , too ) seemed tight headed for ruin . With all this , Solstice was as strong to get as a square resolution from a politico . Pontiac reserve some 13,000 presale orders , but could make full only about one-half for mannikin - class ' 06 . That ’s because GM ’s refurbished Wilmington , Delaware , plant life also had to build an upscale Saturn version , the 2007 Sky , plus variants for GM Europe . But hoi polloi seemed glad to wait . Solstice was deserving waiting for .

Pontiac spent some $ 4 million to promote Solstice with a " mathematical product placement " on the hit TV show " The Apprentice , " but they need n’t have bothered . The press had been breathlessly reporting every stage of the car ’s swift forward motion from auto - show concept to showroom reality . By the time it was quick , most all America knew about the Solstice .

The Solstice wait list may grow even longer with the 2007 addition of a GXP version with no less than 260 bhp from a new turbocharged 2.0 - liter twincam four . Designated LNF , this engine is substantial , marking GM ’s first consumption of high - efficiency unmediated fuel injectant in North American yield . Other premium feature article include a twinned - whorl turbo that starts boosting sooner than conventional units , oil - cooled modest - rubbing casting - aluminum pistons , and variable timing for both intake and exhaust fumes valves that are sodium - filled for cooler running play and less reciprocating weighting .

Though not yet released in time for this article , the Solstice GXP was expected to start around $ 26,000 , which also cover expected chassis upgrading , limited trim , and added equipment . Pontiac projects 0 - 60 to flow from 6.7 second to 5.5 , throwing down the performance gantlet to Miata .

Solstice move over the Pontiac story thus far a happy Federal Reserve note – a small sign that better days finally might be at hand for Pontiac and all of GM . Let ’s hope that ’s the case . The thought this saga could be in its final chapter is unsettling , to say the least .