One kicked things off with a bang; the other faded into obscurity with barely a whimper.
A few weeks after Kia celebrated its first-ever US-built vehicle, Pontiac rolled off its last US-built vehicle – a white G6 sedan – in its assembly plant in Lake Orion, Michigan. And no, there weren’t any screams of delight or champagne bottles opening, but rather a simple and eerily quiet ceremony that painted a clear picture of the what it all meant: the end for Pontiac has come.
There was a stark difference from what we saw a few weeks ago with Kia. This time, a group of employees simply took out their phones to take photos of the G6 as it was rolled out of the assembly line.
No speeches, no cheers, no hugs; just a simple send-off to one of the most iconic car brands in US auto history.
Goodbye, Pontiac. ‘Twas nice meeting you.
Pontiac will shut down as soon as the calendar turns to 2010 so if you’re the sentimental type and would hate to see Pontiac ride off into the sunset, now’s the time to buy your own Pontiac before stocks run out.
According to Pontiac’s Twitter page, the car brand has a little over 3,600 units left in the US with the Pontiac G8 GXP having the most limited of supplies with only 16 remaining. Stocks of the Pontiac Solstice are also running low with only 139 of the base model still remaining and 160 of the higher-end Solstice GXP coupes available.
We normally wouldn’t advise anyone to purchase a car, but if you’re a Pontiac fan, now’s your last chance to buy your favorite car before, well, supplies go kapoot.
The one comment that every automotive enthusiast made when they would pass one of these modified 2010 Chevrolet Camaros at the 2009 SEMA Show is what kind of a bonehead move it was for GM to bring an end to Pontiac. The Firebird has always been a fan favorite for performance enthusiasts with its attractive styling, powerful engines and affordable price. Well have no fear because the screaming chicken is back, after all what is the automotive aftermarket for.
The American tuner Lingenfelter has prepared a 655 HP Trans-Am using one of American Specialty Cars conversion kits and a set of honeycomb wheels. Offering something for everyone, Smokey and the Bandit fans will appreciate the black and gold 2010 Pontiac adorned with a kit from Kevin Morgan that would even make Burt Reynolds shed a tear. Even though GM has officially ended our hopes for a new Firebird, enthusiasts can still build their own if they really want to.
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Pontiac is riding off into the sunset in 2010 so it seems fitting that fans of the disheveled American car brand is taking the time to celebrate its long and illustrious history as an American car pioneer.
Organizers of the Faifield County Concours d’Elegance held a recent promotion to find the oldest Pontiac they could find from the brand’s inaugural year in 1926 so they could proudly display it at the Concours.
After months of search – with a few missed leads here and there – the organizers found a magnificently-restored 1926 two-door coach in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
The car, which is co-owned by Roy and Paul Jaszczak, is still in pretty good shape, especially when you consider that it’s around 83 years old. Apart from replacing the valves and the obviously-outdated Lindbergh tires, the coach remains in tip-top condition.
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The Pontiac G8 GXP is a tremendous performance bargain, built with the best parts from the GM parts bin; the GXP offers owners quite possibly the best fun/dollar ratio on the market. It comes complete with a 19 inch Cadillac CTS-V inspired wheel and brake package as well as an LS3 V8 from a Chevrolet Corvette sending 415 HP to the rear wheels via an optional six-speed manual and a very racy limited slip differential. This is all good for a quarter mile time of 13 seconds flat at 108 MPH and a 0 to 60 MPH time of, with the luxury of four doors.
There was once a Car and Driver comparison with a subtitle that read: Dundee and Goliath: A dark knight from Down Under rattles the BMW M5, and you’ll never guess who builds it. The car that author Aaron Robinson was comparing with the luxury performance sedan back in 2001 was the Holden Commodore HSV GTS R 300. Think Cadillac Catera body on top of an LS1 Corvette power train and whatever other special parts that GM had ad their disposal. At the end of the article, the BMW squeezed ahead thanks only to fit and finish, but the fun to drive award went to the Holden. This was even more astounding because the special edition HSV was selling for only a fraction of the pride of the M lineup.
Since the turn of the century General Motors has invested heavily in their rear wheel drive platform and imported another Australian V8 super car, the Holden Monaro based GTO with LS1 power. After the initial test run, Pontiac brought over the 21st century goat’s cousin, the Commodore, except it was more commonly known at the G8, which is a tremendous performance sedan. With the recent demise of the brand the Pontiac G8 could go the same way as the ill-fated GTO, but if that means no more GXP we are going to have to ask Obama for our bail out money back. It would be just like an American automaker to kill a $37,610 sedan that makes a BMW M5 seem ridiculously overpriced. GM is offering a $3,500 cash incentive on all variations of the G8 Sedan.
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Maybe now Bob Lutz has learned a lesson about making promises he can’t keep. It wasn’t that long ago when the high-ranking GM official talked to Automobile Magazine and all but guaranteed that the Pontiac G8 would be spared from the chopping blocks and be re-christened as the Chevrolet Caprice.
Lutz’ declaration was met with raised eyebrows, especially those coming from GM CEO Fritz Henderson who previously said that the G8 – and all subsequent Pontiac models – would cease to exist by the end of the year. Turns out that Lutz may have bitten off more than he could chew and in a recent entry on GM’s blog took back his proclamations and said that upon further review, the supposed G8-turned-Caprice wouldn’t make too much sense given the unstable state of the US auto industry.
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We have just received a real gem into our Top Speed test fleet. The once endangered and now recently saved Pontiac G8 is an excellent performance sedan. The stylish sedan came from the land down under where the Australians prefer their race cars with a V8 up front and four doors all around. It was this rear wheel drive formula that made the G8 such a hit when it originally debuted with either V6 or V8 power. However this is no ordinary G8, this is the high performance GXP version, a model that combines the fun of rear wheel drive, the power of an LS3 and the control of a six speed manual and is said to compete with much higher priced sports cars like the BMW M5.
Our Sport Red Metallic car rides on a set of stylish 19 inch polished aluminum rims that when combined with the oversized Brembo brake calipers, bears a striking resemblance to the Cadillac CTS-V. Aside from the impressive rolling stock the exterior of our G8 GXP looks just like any other of the four door imports from Queensland. The only other features that hint at the outstanding performance under the bonnet are the pair of sport inspired hood scoops and a set of reasonably flared fenders. Apart from the cleared out taillight lenses and the aforementioned details, there is no other way to tell this hot rod G8 apart from any other of Pontiac’s rear wheel drive grocery getters.
The Onyx interior is about the same as a base Pontiac G8 except that the aluminum sport pedals and GXP logos embroidered into the backrests of the leather wrapped front sport buckets hint at something special. That sensation is further reinforced by the Corvette-like shifter. The grip is connected to a six speed manual that sends 402 HP and 402 lb-ft of torque from the 6.2 Liter V8 through a limited slip differential directly to the rear wheels. The G8 GXP should be good for a 0 to 60 MPH time of about 4.7 seconds and a quarter mile time of 13.0 seconds flat.
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The Pontiac brand was introduced by General Motors in 1926 as the ’companion’ marque to GM’s Oakland Motor Car line. The Pontiac name was first used in 1900 by the Pontiac Spring & Wagon Works. The name was taken from Chief Pontiac, an American Indian chief who led an unsuccessful uprising against the British shortly after the French and Indian War. The Oakland Motor Company and Pontiac Spring & Wagon Works Company merged in November 1908 under the name of the Oakland Motor Car Company. The operations of both companies were joined together in Pontiac, Michigan (of Oakland County) to build the Cartercar. General Motors in 1909 purchased Oakland. General Motors’ first Pontiac was conceived of as an affordable six cylinder intending to compete in the more inexpensive four cylinder model range. Within months of its introduction, Pontiac was outselling Oakland. As a result of Pontiac’s sales rising while Oakland’s sales were declining, Pontiac became the only companion marque to survive, with Oakland ceasing production in 1932.
The first all-new Pontiac models appeared in 1949. Newly redesigned, they sported such styling cues as lower body lines and rear fenders that were integrated in the rear-end styling of the car. Along with new styling came a new model. Continuing the Native American theme of Pontiac, the Chieftain line was introduced to replace the Torpedo. These were built on the GM B-Body platform and featured sportier styling than the more conservative Streamliner. In 1950, the Catalina trim-level was introduced as a sub-series.
In 1952, Pontiac discontinued the Streamliner and replaced it with additional models in the Chieftain line built on the GM A-body platform. This single model line continued until 1954 when the Star Chief was added. The Star Chief was created by adding an 11-inch extension to the A-body platform.
The 1953 models were the first to have one-piece windshields instead of the normal two-piece units. While the 1953 and 1954 models were heavily re-worked versions of the 1949-52 Chieftain models, they were engineered to accommodate the V-8 engine that would appear in the all-new 1955 models. Completely new bodies and chassis were introduced for 1955. A new 173-horsepower overhead valve V-8 engine was introduced. Sales increased. With the introduction of this V-8, the six cylinder engines were discontinued; a six-cylinder engine would not return to the full-size Pontiac line until the GM corporate downsizing of 1977.
In 1956 when Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen became general manager of Pontiac, with the aid of his new heads of engineering, E. M. Estes and John Z. De Lorean, he immediately began reworking the brand’s image. One of the first steps involved the removal of the famous trademark "silver streaks" from the hood and deck lid of the 1957 models just weeks before the ’57s were introduced. Another step was introducing the first Bonneville—a limited-edition Star Chief convertible that showcased Pontiac’s first fuel-injected engine. Some 630 Bonnevilles were built for 1957, each with a retail price of nearly $5800. While new car buyers could buy a Cadillac for that price, the Bonneville raised new interest in what Pontiac now called "America’s No. 1 Road Car." In 1959 the Bonneville became a model in its own right.
1959 saw the end of the Indian theme present in all of their past models, and the "V" emblem was introduced.
The next big thing for Pontiac was the 1964 introduction of the very first "muscle car" and one of the most iconic vehicles in history - the GTO. Available as a coupe or convertible, the GTO was the world’s fastest car for anywhere near its price range as well as America’s top performer other than the Corvette; rocketing from 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds.
The entire Pontiac line was honored as Motor Trend’s "Car of the Year" for the third time in 1965.
The beginning of the end for Pontiac was the 1971 model year. New federal safety/emission regulations and an increase in the price of oil forced Pontiac to decrease its performance line, with production of the GTO coming to a hault in 1974. Their sales dropped dramatically, as they were no longer the preformance cars that people wanted but could not compete with the reliable and fuel-efficient Datsuns and Toyotas that people needed.
With fuel concerns dying out in the early 1990’s, Pontiac attempted to signal its return to the performance market with the release of the fourth-generation Trans-am - a higher-performance twin of the Chevrolet Camaro - in 1993. It wasn’t a big seller, however, and nor was it the image-changing halocar that Pontiac had thought it would be. The damage to the brand had already been done, and the Firebird/Trans-am ceased production in 2002. This was succeeded by the new GTO of 2004. Although fast and certainly the company’s flagship model, bland styling, lackluster handling and poor reliability turned potential buyers toward more affordable, dependable sports cars such as the Nissan 350Z and Mazda RX8. The car stayed in production for just three years, and was replaced by the G8 sport sedan in 2008.
In 2006, GM decided that it needed a competitor for Mazda’s very popular MX-5 Miata... and thus the Solstice was born. Available as a ragtop convertible and later as a hardtop targa, the Pontiac’s final model sold well at first, but sales dropped dramatically when its pathetic reliability was realized. And with the close of the Solstice production plant in August 2009, the brand of the muscle car was gone forever.
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?
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For those who know their American car history, they would know that the name ‘Pontiac’ is synonymous to ‘American original’.
For over 80 years, Pontiac has been responsible for producing some of the most iconic vehicles in the US, responsible for the likes of the Bonneville, the GTO, the Grand-Am, and the Firebird. But while Pontiac has enjoyed a remarkable run, spanning generations of Americans, the road has finally come to an end for Pontiac.
And as soon as the last production Pontiac vehicle - the Pontiac Solstice – rolls out of the plant, Pontiac’s doors will now forever be closed.
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