What Is a GM Pontiac?

The Pontiac has been produced by the Detroit-based General Motors since 1926. In 2009 GM announced that it was ending the car line's production. For many decades, the Pontiac served as a dressed up Chevrolet. It shared the same design characteristics but with minor styling tweaks and more chrome. It allowed buyers to step up in status. By the 1990s all GM products shared many of the same options, making Pontiac superfluous.

Origins

Pontiac was the result of a merger between the Michigan-based Pontiac Spring & Wagon Works Company and Oakland Motor Car Company in 1908. GM purchased Oakland a year later and in 1926 launched Pontiac alongside its existing Oakland. When Pontiac sales outstripped Oakland, that line was dropped and Pontiac remained a GM offering.

GM family

Pontiac was a steady seller throughout the 1930s, complementing Chevrolet, GMC trucks, Cadillac, Buick and Oldsmobile. It sat between Oldsmobile and Chevrolet in the hierarchy as it was considered a steady, dependable car line with a few flourishes to distinguish it from its plainer brother, the Chevrolet .

The 1930s

In its first year of production, more than 76,000 Pontiacs were sold. By 1933, it was the cheapest car on the market equipped with a straight 8-cylinder engine. Up until the early 1950s it was either equipped with the straight-8 or a flathead V-8. Most of its components came from the Chevrolet to keep costs down.

Postwar Era

The primary characteristic of the Pontiac was its chrome streak that started at the grille, ran along the center of the hood to the windshield, and then continued down the trunk. Its hood ornament of an Indian chief was derived from Pontiac's namesake, Chief Pontiac, who battled the British in Michigan during the French and Indian War. Hence, models were named the Chieftain and Star Chief.

Makeover

In 1956, Pontiac GM Semon Knudsen brought in chief engineer John Z. De Lorean to give the Pontiac an image makeover. The traditional silver streaks and Chief Pontiac hood ornament disappeared in 1957. In that same year, the high-performance luxury Bonneville debuted, equipped with every option in GM's arsenal and a fuel-injected V-8. At a price of $5,800, it cost twice as much as the average Pontiac.

The GTO

De Lorean's next project was the GTO, which was based on the existing Pontiac Tempest. The GTO, powered by a 389-cubic-inch V-8 engine, was offered as a coupe, hardtop coupe or convertible. It featured chrome valve covers, a dual exhaust system, a floor-mounted Hurst shifter, hood scoops and special GTO badges. Thanks to De Lorean's Bonnevile and GTO, Pontiac gained a sporty image.

The 1970s

Pontiac solidified its credentials as a high-performance car line with the introduction of the 1967 Firebird, sibling of the Chevrolet Camaro. The main difference between the two was the Firebird's front bumper was integrated into the body and its taillamp design was taken from the GTO. The Firebird was Pontiac's lengthy swan song, remaining in production until 2002. But other than the long-running Firebird, Pontiac lost that 1960s-70s magic as GM focused on Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac.