The sad demise of Pontiac is a true American tragedy, not just because the brand is associated with everything that is American, but because it could’ve been salvaged if it’s parent company, General Motors, was in a strong financial position.

Unfortunately, the economic crisis laid waste to the auto industry and obviously, there were some casualties, with Pontiac being one of them. It’s a pity because the brand was on the verge of coming out with a number of vehicles that could’ve easily been successful if there was just enough support given to them. One of the vehicles that Pontiac launched amid much fanfare was the G8 Sports Truck, which was unveiled at the 2008 New York Auto Show.

Pontiac had stirred up excitement with a marketing program that asked consumers to name the future the Americanized version of the popular Holden Ute from GM Australia. The doomed automaker had a few fun offerings in the works, but just couldn't get them into showrooms fast enough. What could have been had General Motors had more time and financial resources?

Continued after the jump.

Unfortunately, plans for the G8 Sports Truck quickly fizzled out, thanks in large part to the stranglehold the global financial crisis put on the auto industry. With car sales plummeting to record lows, manufacturers were forced to tighten the strings of their production, which resulted in brands being bought out or phased out altogether.

The G8 Sports Truck was supposed to be one of GM’s new flag-bearers. Built in the mold of an El Camino, the G8 Sports Truck came with a powerful 6-liter, 361-horsepower engine.

Despite its aesthetically eccentric appearance, the G8 Sports Truck was built to be a truck for the big boys. It came with a 3,500-pound towing capacity, a 74-inch cargo bed and the aforementioned powerful engine that made the G8 Sports Truck the personification of power and speed.

Even though the G8 Sports Truck garnered a lot of publicity, the truck never got off the ground because it catered only to a distinct audience while mainstream response towards the truck was lukewarm at best.

Add that to the seemingly insurmountable struggles of Pontiac in selling their more popular vehicles and the conclusion became more and more apparent: the G8 ST, while intriguing in its own right, was never going to appeal to the public.

Of course, all of it is a moot point by now since Pontiac itself is being

phased out soon. Either way, if the G8 ST did get out of the lot, it would’ve been an interesting sight out on the streets.