Dollar for dollar, you can't beat a Pontiac
In 1893 Edward Murphy established a carriage building factory in Michigan, USA, under the name Pontiac Buggy Company. A few years later it became clear that the future did not lie in carriages, but in cars. Edward Murphy founded the Oakland Motor Company in 1907 to be involved in the manufacture of automobiles as well. It was a time of pioneering and collaboration. In 1908, Ford introduced its T Ford, a milestone in automotive history.
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Ford's great counterpart, General Motors (GM), was constantly looking for talent to find the right answer to Ford's success. A friend of Edward Murphy, William Durant, the founder of GM, was impressed by Edward Murphy and so bought half the shares of the Oakland Motor Company. This happened in January 1909. However, Murphy died unexpectedly in the summer of 1909, after which GM decided to take over the rest of the company.
The Oakland brand, now called Oakland Motors Division, grew and was quite successful. Within the GM group, Oakland had been placed just above Chevrolet and just below the premium brands Oldsmobile and Buick.
The GM concern had to contend with production and quality problems in the early 1920s. To tackle these problems, a group-wide program was set up that managed to solve the problems. The next problem that emerged within the group was that the programs of Chevrolet, Oakland, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac were not well matched in terms of price. To solve this problem, Cadillac was ordered to create the LaSalle brand, Buick the Marquette brand and Oldsmobile the Viking brand. In this way the gaps between the different brands had to be closed. To close the gap between Chevrolet and Oakland, Oakland was commissioned to create the Pontiac brand. And that brand is what this article is all about.
In 1926 the time has come. From the Oakland division, GM introduces the new Pontiac brand. The public can get to know the new brand for the first time at the New York Motor Show in 1926. The first Pontiac to be presented is the six-cylinder Pontiac Chief (Pontiac Series 6-27), a six-cylinder for the price of a four-cylinder that was an immediate hit. In the first year of production, 76,742 Pontiacs were made, in the following year there are already 127,883 and Pontiac occupies sixth place in the list of best-selling brands in the US. At the end of 1927, Pontiac introduced a new series for the 1928 model year, the Pontiac Series 6-28. The logo with the silhouette of an Indian head appears for the first time on this model. This logo would remain until 1956.
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In the meantime, sales are starting to gain momentum and production capacity needs to be expanded. In the state of Michigan, a new factory is being built in Pontiac. The Series 6-28 is a hit and sales continue to climb. For 1929, Pontiac introduces the 6-29 Big Six. This was actually not a new model but a Vauxhall. Not long before that, GM had taken over the English company Vauxhall. The 6-29 Big Six was the first Pontiac also available as a convertible. In 1929 the 500,000th Pontiac leaves the factory. Pontiac's future looks bright.
But then things go wrong. In October 1929, the financial market collapsed. Wall Street is on fire. A difficult time is dawning in the United States. The demand for cars, which had increased every year until the stock market crash, is collapsing. Pontiac cannot escape this either. Despite a 15% price reduction, only 62,888 of the Pontiac 6-30B are made.
In 1931 Pontiac bounces back a bit when the new Series 401 turns out to be doing well. But the Pontiacs sold in 1932, 47,926 units, suffered a loss of $125.35 each. Rumor has it that Pontiac, along with Buick and Cadillac, would be discontinued. GM won't let it get that far, though. The recession does mean the end of the Oakland brand. Since the start of the Pontiac brand, the brand has played a less and less important role. Pontiac's sales numbers are eclipsing Oakland's numbers by big numbers. In 1931, GM decided to discontinue the Oakland brand.
From 1933 Pontiac is no longer dependent on the central GM Art & Color design department for the design of its models, but Pontiac gets its own design studio. The new chief designer Frank Hershey is dissatisfied with the current models and has everything redesigned in two weeks. The result of this action was a cheap 8-cylinder, which, however, had the appearance of the much more expensive models on the market. To keep the price of the Pontiacs low, many parts are borrowed from Chevrolet, including the body. With the new 8-cylinder, Pontiac's image gets a big boost and sales are almost double digits compared to 1932, 85,348 compared to 47,926 units. With the wind at its back again, Pontiac was the first division of GM to put a car with independent front suspension into production in 1934. The sales figures continue to rise and in 1935 sales rise to 140,000 units. The increase continues in 1936 to 172,000 Pontiacs and in 1940 even 217,000 cars are built. In that year, the millionth Pontiac also leaves the factory.
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In 1941 Pontiac was the first to offer buyers a choice between different engines. Production rose to 330,061 units that year.
Meanwhile, World War II was about to take on global proportions. On March 1, 1941 Pontiac starts producing an anti-aircraft gun, the Oerlikon 20 mm, for the US Navy. From 1942, American car manufacturers were obliged to use almost no more chrome. All Pontiac parts, except the bumpers, which were normally made of chrome, were now painted steel. These models, which were much less beautiful, are known as blackout models. In addition, the brand also began to produce automatic machine guns, axles for tanks, parts for diesel engines and aircraft torpedoes.
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After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States also became directly involved in World War II. On February 10, 1942, the last pre-war Pontiac is made and the whole factory switches to war production.
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Towards the end of the war it was time to return to normal production. New machines, which were to double production to 500,000, are placed in the factory. However, in December 1945, the UAW, the US auto industry union, begins a strike for more pay. It was not until 3 March 1946 that the strike was ended with a wage increase. Pontiac is also affected by the strike. The first post-war models are slightly modified models from 1942, but the demand for cars immediately after the war was so great that sales rose from 113,109 in 1946 to 206,411 in 1947.
For new Pontiac models, the public has to wait until 1949. Pontiac does introduce the Hydra-matic automatic gearbox in 1948, which is available as an option. Just before Pontiac's new post-war models go into production, spy photos revealed that Ford would come with a nearly identical radiator grille. Because the Ford models would come on the market earlier, Pontiac decided to quickly a newly designed radiator grille.
In 1950 Pontiac launched the Catalina. The Super De Luxe version of the Catalina was the most luxurious model of that period. At the same time, the brand also had the cheapest 8-in-line in the country. A production of 446,429 units was achieved in that year. The 1950s saw the rise of automatic transmissions and V8 engines and Pontiac also concentrated on the development of a V8 engine coupled to an automatic gearbox.
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In 1951 production was curtailed by the Korean War and in 1952 the use of chromium was again curtailed. Sales at the time were 337,821 and 266,351 units respectively. In 1953 a new type, the Pontiac Star Chief, was launched, with optional power windows, air conditioning and power steering. In 1953, 385,692 cars were sold. Until 1955 Pontiac remains a strong brand.
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In 1956 Pontiac debuts in motorsport. Ab Jenkins, 73, set a new speed record for the 24 hours with a modified Pontiac. He drove an average of 190 km/h over a distance of 4572 km. The initiative for Pontiac's participation is credited to Semon Knudsen, the brand's new manager. Knudsen had to upgrade the brand, which was known for durable and reliable but not for eye-catching cars. This was necessary because sales started to decline in 1956. Knudsen took even more steps to achieve this. Shortly before the production of the 1957 models, Knudsen had the until then characteristic radiator grille removed. He also replaced the Indian head decal that had been on all Pontiac cars since 1928. In February, the Pontiac Bonneville was launched as a top model. Only 630 copies were planned, all convertibles. The V8 delivered more than 300 hp and gave the car a top speed of 209 km/h.
Horsepower to burn
The Native American head logo, deleted in 1957, which had graced all Pontiacs since 1928, was replaced in 1958. The new logo showed the tip of an Indian arrow. A year later, Pontiac introduced a new chassis that was the widest on the market at 162.5 cm wide. It was therefore advertised under the name 'Wide Track'. A new two-piece grille was also designed for 1959, which later became one of Pontiac's styling cues. That this was not immediately recognized is apparent from the fact that in 1960 the grille had already disappeared. Pontiac immediately made up for that misstep a year later, in 1961 the characteristic grille was shown again.
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In 1960 Pontiac sold 399,646 cars from 16 different models and 4 series. From then on, an optional Super Duty package was offered for racing enthusiasts. Nearly 600,000 Pontiacs were sold in 1963 and 687,902 in 1964. This made Pontiac the third brand in the United States. The LeMans GTO was also introduced that year. However, General Motors had completely withdrawn from racing in 1963 and high performance cars were no longer allowed to be offered. It GTO package was presented 'secretly' in an advertisement. The demand was immediately great. GM allowed a small number but had to increase it due to success. Despite GM's initial reticence, it is this GTO that is seen as the ancestor of the muscle car.
In response to the great success that Ford is enjoying with the Mustang, Chevrolet introduces the Camaro. In 1967 Pontiac enters this segment with its own version of the newly introduced Camaro. The new Pontiac will be named Firebird. The name is taken from a figure from Native American mythology, a god who symbolizes action, strength, beauty and youth. Despite the fact that the Firebird had many parts in common with the Camaro, a Firebird looked clearly different. The biggest difference, however, was under the hood, Pontiac's proprietary V6 and V8 engines outperforming Chevrolet engines.
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For the year 1968, the models Tempest, LeMans and also the GTO are equipped with bumpers painted in the body color. That same year, the GTO is voted 'Car of the Year' in the US. Pontiac sold 910,977 cars in 1968. In 1969 the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am comes out, with 335 hp the most powerful car in the segment. The brand is again the number 3 in the US that year. In 1970 the second generation of the Firebird was presented.
Then comes a year of changes. 1971 was the year all engines within GM got a lower compression ratio to run on unleaded fuel. Unfortunately, the new generation of engines does not seem to reach the level of the old generation. The performance also declines. Nevertheless, Pontiac manages to record a production record that year. No fewer than 920,000 cars will leave the factories, including 150,000 from the new Grand Prix. In addition, the Pontiac Grand Am was introduced in 1971.
It is now 1973 and the oil crisis is on its way. Production at Pontiac falls by 36%. The crisis is creating a greater demand for small and fuel-efficient cars. The traditional big American cars are having a hard time. Production of the GTO is therefore stopped and the Pontiac offer is adjusted.
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The Canadian-produced Pontiac Astre is brought to the US and in 1976 Pontiac introduces the small Sunbird, of which 50,000 copies find an owner that year. Sales of the Firebird meanwhile remain reasonably stable and the Grand Prix and the Trans Am also continue to do well. In 1977 General Motors launched its smaller B-body. Smaller cars with more interior space and lower consumption were built on this. In 1978 Pontiac sold more than 900,000 cars. When the second oil crisis of 1979 hit, the brand felt little of it. Nearly 1,000,000 cars were sold in 1979. The highest production number Pontiac would ever record.
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In 1980, the second oil crisis was felt in the American car industry. Chrysler was almost bankrupt at that time. In that context, Pontiac launched its first front-wheel drive model with the Phoenix. It was a success and sold 178,000 copies. In January 1981 Pontiac held its first image conference. 25 Pontiac executives gathered to give direction and organization to the company. The following sentence was the outcome: Pontiac is a car company known for innovative styling and engineering that results in products with outstanding performance and roadability and driving comfort). This sentence served as a guideline to the future. Pontiac also adopted a new slogan: We Build Excitement. Since there was no model yet that matched this, 'The Excitement Begins' was taken for the time being, followed by 'The Excitement Really Begins'.
In 1982 the Bonneville and Catalina were dropped and the 6000 and J2000 were introduced. The larger B-body was dropped, large cars were out of favor. The new Firebird and the 6000 again ensured good sales of more than 500,000 units. In 1982, the popular 80s TV series Knight Rider also aired. The car used in the series under the name KITT is a black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.
In 1984 the Pontiac Fiero was launched. The model, which was intended as an economical car and which shared many parts with other brands, became a great success. In the first year, 136,940 examples were built. In total, almost 650,000 Fieros were sold that year.
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The third generation of the Grand Am from 1985 was a sporty coupe intended for people who wanted something more economical than the Firebird. In 1986 that model got a 4-door version. Mainly because of its style, the Grand Am received the expected success. Pontiac sold 829,000 cars that year, one-fifth of GM's total. 1988 Saw the fourth generation of the Grand Prix, the SSEi Bonneville and the new LeMans appear and the Fiero disappear. The flagship was the SSEi Bonneville, which featured a fuel-injected V6 inspired by GM's European models. The 6000 STE was the first Pontiac ever to have optional permanent four-wheel drive, making it the most technically advanced model. In 1988 Pontiac was again in third place in terms of sales in the United States.
In 1990, Pontiac entered the market of the Chrysler Voyager and Renault Espace with the Pontiac Trans Sport. The modular interior of the Trans Sport was still unique at that time. In 1992 a number of models were redesigned. For example, the new lines of the Bonneville were very European inspired and the Grand Am got very daring progressive lines. Pontiac presented a completely new Sunfire in 1995, a car that had to combine affordability with driving pleasure, sportiness and safety. The Grand Prix also got a facelift that year.
For the first time in GM's history, two brands are being merged. Pontiac and GMC have been merged since 1996 and can make use of each other's strengths, but at the same time retain their own identity. In 1998, Pontiac moved its headquarters to the Renaissance Center in Detroit, which has been home to GM's brands ever since.
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In 2000, a completely new Bonneville was presented, which also became cheaper than the previous generation. In 2001 came the Aztek, the first Sports Recreation Vehicle. The Aztek combines elements of a sports sedan with those of a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) and MPV. The car has a 3.4 l V8 of 185 hp. In addition, the Montana, the new name of the Trans Sport, received a facelift. That same year, Swiss Bob Lutz was recruited as GM's new number two. He had to help make the company that went into the red, profitable again. One of his ideas was to bring back the GTO. Due to the lack of rear-wheel drive platforms in the home country, a platform was borrowed from Holden in Australia.
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In 2005 Pontiac introduced the Pontiac Solstice with great success. It became one of the best-selling cars in the US that year, which was a boost for GM. Yet all this was not enough. GM was in serious trouble due to the current financial crisis. Only with government support was there a chance for the strictly speaking bankrupt GM. As a result, GM has decided to reduce the number of brands. On November 25, 2009, the last Pontiac rolled off the production line, a white Pontiac G6. With that, the curtain fell a typical American car brand that wrote automotive history.
In 2013, Bob Lutz announced that Pontiac had been dissolved at the request of the government. If they didn't, GM wouldn't get a loan. It would have been said that they are only 53 billion dollars if Pontiac were shut down. And that at a time when Pontiac had the way up again found it. The new G6 would share the rear-wheel drive platform with the Cadillac ATS, and a new GTO was also on the way. However, if you get 53 billion, the choice is quickly made. We all know how it went.
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Bob Lutz spoke at an event at the Petersen Museum. Someone asks him what his take on Pontiac's closure is. The question is asked around 2:14:05
transcript:
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The Feds basically wanted to get GM down to Cadillac and Chevrolet. They said, "you don't need all these brands. You need one prestige brand, and one mass-market brand." And we said "well we can't get rid of Buick because Buick is important in China, and if Buick becomes an orphan in the United States then the Chinese are no longer gonna be interested in it." And the Feds said "Fair enough, but everything else goes." We said well we'd also like to keep GMC. They said "well, GMC is basically just like Chevrolet," and we said "that may be true, there may be a lot of shared components, but GMC has an entirely different image, a different customer base, and people are willing to pay different prices for a GMC, and here's the profitability," and the Feds said "whoops, okay, keep GMC."
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So now we had Buick, GMC, Cadillac, and Chevrolet, and then, I wanted, badly wanted, to keep Pontiac, because Pontiac was on its way back, and it had been mismanaged for a number of years, you know, with 'rebuild excitement,' and the excitement was only in the plastic body cladding, mechanically there was nothing about Pontiac in the 90s that would make your heart beat faster. And with the solstice and solstice coupe, and with the Pontiac G8, which was a great car. We were embarked on a strategy of making pontiac different from the rest of GM in that Pontiac wouldn't get any front wheel drive cars, they would all be rear-wheel drive, and the next G6, was going to use the architecture of the cadillac ATS, it was going to be a 3-series sized rear-wheel Pontiac, with basically the Cadillac ATS 'de-premiumized,' obviously, a lot of the cost taken out, but still fundamentally that architecture.
That was going to be the next G6, and I think we could've moved pontiac away from every other American volume brand and really started positioning it as attractive US alternative to some of the, and obviously at much lower prices than the european rear- wheel drive cars, but the Feds said "yeah, let's just, how much money have you made on pontiac in the last 10 years?" and the answer was "nothing." So, it goes. And, when the guy who is handing you the check for 53 billion dollars says I don't want pontiac, drop pontiac or you don't get the money, it doesn't take you very long to make up your mind.
But I think it is a shame, Pontiac was on its way back, and it was killed before it, before the plant could really sprout blossoms, you know, it was well on its way. So, I agree with you, I think Pontiac was a great, wonderful history, mismanaged for a number of years in the 80s and 90s and it was clearly on its way back, and we were starting to see a very good customer base in solstices and especially in the G8, which was favorably compared in a lot of road tests to the BMW 5-series, people would say dynamically the car is as good and it's more powerful and way cheaper, but that was too bad. but you can't go through Chapter 11 without some really harmful effects.
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Source: Jalopnik