Time flies, and it’s hard to believe it’s been nine years since General Motors announced it would phase out the Pontiac brand. GM delivered the news to media on April 27, 2009.
Pontiac’s death came amid the global financial crisis as GM’s future quickly became uncertain. The automaker approached the federal government for a multi-billion dollar loan to keep its operations afloat. In the process, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Hummer all left the GM family in time. GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy about a month later.
The Pontiac brand was born from Oakland in the early 20th century. Pontiac quickly became a success and led to GM dropping the Oakland division in the early 1930s. Of course, that’s not what enthusiasts remember Pontiac for. It was the 1960s that led to Pontiac’s fame with the GTO, arguably the first “muscle car” that would kick off an automotive revolution.
We also fondly recall the Firebird, Trans Am, Solstice and the G8.
It’s easy to argue that Pontiac lost its way long before GM axed the brand. The division turned to platform sharing, uninspired cars and a lack of performance that seemed to belittle the “Excitement Division.” But, we’ll always remember the cars Pontiac graced the world with.
Comments
The last glimmer of hope that brand had was the G8 and the Solstice. GM failed to turn that brand around a lot sooner than they should have but it was too late. The G5 and the G3 were added proof to GM’s stupidity on their ability to still rebadge stuff.
As a life long Pontiac owner and fan I can attest to the failure of GM to really let the brand flourish.
Even in the prime era they were held back when Delorean wanted to introduce things like DOHC, FI, Electronic ignition, Radial tires and 4 wheel disc brakes in the 60’s.
As time went on they did have some cool cars but they were nothing but more interesting Buick and Chevy powered corporate cars.
The thing we may want to note is with todays market it may be a good thing Pontiac is not around. With sedans and coupes failing in the market place and on a fast decline we would have bee stuck with more Pontiac Torrent like models that really should have been a GMC in the first place.
Pontiac was the red headed step child that few on the GM board really knew, understood or care for.
I go to the Pontiac National every years and few are upset Pontiac is gone as much of the Pontiac they treasured died long before.
I was just thinking the same thing about how Pontiac would have suffered currently because of the SUV/CUV craze. Pontiac should only be making cars.
I don’t see how something has volatile as gas prices should be driving the SUV demand. Oil was at $70 West Texas Intermediate crude is almost at $70/barrel today. It seems to me you shouldn’t be buying that kind of vehicle if you’re depending low fuel prices.
@GrandAmGT: I respectfully disagree. As a Pontiac fan, I think Pontiac should be building every kind of vehicle it can. That includes SUVs like the Torrent, minivans like the Montana, sport trucks like the G8 Sport Truck, and whatever type of vehicle the Aztek was. As a Pontiac fan, I want to see the Pontiac name on as many types of vehicle as possible. Of course, we need to get GM to REVIVE the brand in the first place.
THEY NEED TO PHASE OUT BUICK AND PHASE PONTIAC BACK IN AND MAKE IT THE GM HIGH PERFORMANCE LINE WITH ALPHA PLATFORM CHASSIS CARS, V8 ENGINES, 10-SPEED AUTOMATICS AND EVERYTHING ELSE! I KNOW CHEVY HAS THE CAMARO AND THE CORVETTE BUT WE NEED SOME REAL CARS AGAIN. I KNOW ELECTRIFICATION IS COMING AND THAT IS COOL BUT COME ON SOMEBODY GIVE US SOME REAL CARS AGAIN PLEASE!!!
Sorry to report that, even guys at GM couldn’t find out the proper way to keep Pontiac alive. Even the “Car Guy” Bob Lutz found out Feds’ proposal to kill it was inevitable, considering there’s no enough money or reason to keep it afloat. It’s sad that many brands including Pontiac is gone for good, but, more cruelly, they couldn’t find out the way to give Pontiac a room to breath. Just hope the time tell GM to it’s time to relaunch Pontiac somehow, or someone is trying the same way that Pontiac has pursued…sad thing, allright ;(
I hope the people who run GM will be smart enough to never bring back Pontiac! There’s no reason and would be a huge waste! The Camaro is the best muscle car on the planet!
This idea that there needs to be a cheap performance car for the working blue collar guy is ridiculous! This should never happen ever again! Performance just like luxury should be expensive! Going fast is not something that a 20 year old working at taco bell should be able to afford!
No one mentioned what might be the most important thing about Pontiac’s. Yes, performance is great. And yes, “Excitement” is even more important. But Pontiac, above most brands, had SEX APPEAL. You just couldn’t stop loving it. There is a 68 Firebird Converible in my garage. I ordered it 50 years and two weeks ago.
@Codilac: RIGHT ON! I have an ’84 Trans Am. I would have preferred a ’74 Trans Am, but, I couldn’t find one, so I bought the ’84.
I will agree the Camaro is performance-wise the best muscle car on the planet, followed by Mopar and then Ford however the rest of your statement isn’t so agreeable (hence the 37 thumbs down and the five thumbs are are probably 4 + yours and the other four are only agreeing with the Camaro being the best muscle car on the planet. Most people on this planet cannot afford a super expensive car but a decent performance car should be an attainable.
Secondly Pontiac was a great car company and brought names like the FIrebird Trans Am, the GTO, the Grand Prix and the Bonneville. All of while they were GM cars but they were a good bit nicer. So while they were at a premium, the weren’t out of reach of the middle class working citizen. Buick is a pointless brand to be perfectly honest, much like Chrysler. And while certain luxury/performance brands should have a premium, there is nothing wrong with having something that is nice be at that upper level of still being affordable. And a new Pontiac Trans-Am would be like how the Sierra is the nicer variant of the Silverado. Trust me there would be nothing wrong with a nicer, sexier Camaro with the lines of what Pontiac used to have. Plus it would also make room for a real GTO on a Alpha-2 chassis, a Grand Prix sedan on the stretched Alpha-2 Chassis & a Bonneville on the Omega chassis which would still carry all of the GM pushrod V8 engines while Cadillac moved to their new high-tech twin turbo V8 engines.
I can agree with this, I did not pay much attention to the Firebird Trans Am until it got redesigned in 1993, from that point on I was hooked while at the same time being too young to afford or drive one, the Buick brand was once an interesting car company that I respected also, but due to the design team of today, I don’t pay too much attention to them anymore and would not be bothered if they were axed. Like most brands being resurrected from the past, it would be nice to see it happen to Pontiac, but they can’t afford to put unnecessary cars in the portfolio to mess up it’s reputation all over again no Aztek, no Montana and no G5!!!
I hope Pontiac comes back because it had the awesome power and looks that no other cars have today. They should have Buick which is nothing and lacks power beyond anything. Too many idiots in the GM executives are just too stupid to understand that when you axe more and more cars your business will eventually close because there is no options to choose from. You don’t see Dodge axing their brands or Ford for that matter. Do you see them letting 18,000 people go?
@Dave: Amen. When GM axed Pontiac, I was EXTREMELY upset. To this day, I will NOT purchase a new GM vehicle. That is, unless it’s one built by a revived Pontiac!
CAN ANYONE HELP ME FIND THE CAPS LOCK BUTTON???
I think it’s under your middle finger !
Stop shouting! Especially when you are just spewing crazy talk!
1987 Pontiac Firebird GTA, my first american car be loved
The second car was Camaro Iroc-Z
The third car Corvette C4
Here in Spain always been me follower of GM; especially of Pontiac
Thank goodness somebody at GM had the balls to end Pontiac! It needs to stay gone!
brian, you need to stay gone !
Why cause I speak the truth! Pontiac stay around to long instead of it leaving in 2008 it should of been like 1988!
I see your point but I disagree. Pontiac had some wack cars at the end of its run but the gto and the g8 were cool. The mid 2000 era was bad for cars in general but I think that now with the alpha platform and the omega platform Pontiac could do some serious business. Pontiac needs to be for General Motors performance cars what gmc is for Chevy trucks and suvs. Not quite a Cadillac but nicer than a regular Chevy. Although Chevy is on point with some of their lineup.
Oh how time flies.
It seems like the automotive world is losing any kind of excitement. Or at least, they’re just becoming privileged to riches only…
Just hope that excitement is back into the automotive industry. Maybe Pontiac can’t, but at least, hope someone is trying to pursue a direction Pontiac had followed…not only for riches, but also anyone from riches to poors. Wasn’t it the way Pontiac did, everyone?
1928~2010.
Rest in Peace, Pontiac.
Sad that almost nobody’s building excitement. ..
Excitement! What do you call the Camaro and the Corvette?
Excitement of course! I see, however, many manufacturers have given up resonable yet exciting cars in the marketplace. Like resonably-priced convertibles, compact coupes, smallish 3-door hatchbacks… Considering that, it’s somehow glad to see both of ther are still alive. Thanks for your answer 🙂
Sadly few are buying excitement even when it is offered anymore.
But then again many average vehicles are now 300 HP give or take 25 HP. The above average see 500-750 HP now.
Being a life-long Pontiac owner/fan I still miss it.
Bob Lutz saw the value of Pontiac and started a renaissance there. GTO, G8, and Solstice. I believe Lutz said in an interview the G6 was going RWD in its next iteration. Heck we almost got the G8 ST (Holden Ute). Still had a ways to go when the government had GM pull the plug on Pontiac.
Having said that, like Scott3, I can’t think of how Pontiac would fit into 2018’s car market if it still were alive.
Yes Bob was about 10 years too late to save Pontiac and hind sight is how long would it have survived in this kind of market climate.
The Firebird was going to give way to a Camaro based GTO.
Things were so bad that the GTO had no budget, Bob had nothing but a Holden and pennies to work with. They got the car legal for the US market but that was it. They did not have money for the hood or duel exhaust till the next year. When it was that tight there was no way they could redesign of the whole car till the new Zeta arrived. Today just how many would they sell while diluting the Camaro sales.
The truth is the true heart of Pontiac was not styling it was their own engine. That is what sold the car and gave it soul. Be it the 421-455 SD or just the regular 400 that engine is what made Pontiac a Pontiac. Even their work with the OHC six and Iron Duke se them apart.
The last true Pontiac was the 1988 Fiero as it was a Pontiac only model. It was a Pontiac powered engine in the car if it was a 4 cylinder. Even the Chevy based V6 got a Pontiac only exhaust and intake. The car also was the last Pontiac built in Pontiac. The Fiero embodied the rebel spirit of the real Pontiac where they broke many rules over the years at GM. GM did not want the car so they lied to say it was an Economy car. They tried to buy time but ran out of Luck when the GM 80 program was canceled.
But Pontiacs best cars broke many rules. Even the Trans Am with the large bird was rejected several times till they painted it black and gold the same colors and Bill Mitchells favorite Triumph Motorcycle.
Delorean made a lot of Enemies at GM and only survived as long as Bunkie was there to back him up. GM never had a handle on Pontiac. Pontiac was not a division that made financial sense unless you colored outside the lines.
Today there is just no core market to support their kind of product today.
I live performance but today I am on the outside much like Pontiac today and just not a part of the core market anymore..
I had hopes Pontiac could be brought back but anymore I just do not see an opening that makes it possible anymore.
Time to stop dreaming of the future but to now dwell on what we had and what we were lucky enough to have.
Anyone who only ever experienced the post 79 Pontiacs needs to really experience the true core Pontiacs. Once you have driven a Tri Powered GTO or 455 SD you will understand what the real thing was. These were things The Chevy SS versions could never and would never offer.
@scott3: My position is that a Pontiac is a Pontiac. If GM put that red arrowhead on the vehicle, it was OFFICIALLY a Pontiac, period. Hey, all the GM brands were sharing engines by the early-’80s; that’s why those engines were called “corporate engines.” Again, if GM put that red arrowhead on the vehicle, it was a real-enough Pontiac; it was OFFICIALLY a Pontiac. That was good enough for me.
It’s been 9 years since GM has offered a good looking, affordable sporty/performance 4-door sedan like the Grand Prix and GM sold tons of them. Back in the day, the Grand Prix GTP was the most affordable and powerful 4-door sedan out there. Today, the Chevy Malibu is a decent car for the family, but is just another family sedan with about as much sportiness as the Honda Accord. The Chevy SS was too expensive and it still looked like a family car. The Buick Regal is OK, but it too looks like a family car. Even the GM competitors have more affordable sporty 4-door sedans than GM now days- Nissan Maxima, Kia Stinger, etc. GM needs to build an affordable, good looking 4- door sedan that has some real performance and some good old Pontiac excitement in it.
I miss Pontiac, but I kinda understand why it had to go, perhaps if GM had stared dealership consolidation a decade before it actually started, it could have streamlined the product line up so Pontiac didn’t have to schlep out stuff like G5’s and such.
The only possible way I could see it existing is as a specialty nice performance brand sold out of limited Buick-GMC dealers, all RWD with a 2-3 model line up, a RWD 2dr/4dr GTO(yes a sedan GTO, deal with it) and a 2 seater like the Solstice or small RWD 2+2 Firebird type car, 2 cars, no crossoves, that could actually work as an “anti-crossover” gimmick, but its too bold and creative for GM to ever consider.
I miss Pontiac, but I kinda understand why it had to go, perhaps if GM had stared dealership consolidation a decade before it actually started, it could have streamlined the product line up so Pontiac didn’t have to schlep out stuff like G5’s and such.
The only possible way I could see it existing is as a specialty nice performance brand sold out of limited Buick-GMC dealers, all RWD with a 2-3 model line up, a RWD 2dr/4dr GTO(yes a sedan GTO, deal with it) and a 2 seater like the Solstice or small RWD 2+2 Firebird type car, 2 cars, no crossovers, that could actually work as an “anti-crossover” gimmick, but its too bold and creative for GM to ever consider.
It seems weird that as soon as they got rid of the Grand Prix, Grand Am, Bonneville, and came in with the “G-series” they declared bankruptcy. I didn’t like the way they went out like that. Seems fitting that they get rid of good brands then declare bankruptcy so they can call a Buick Envoy something to behold, what a piece of crap that car is. I was given that as a rental while my 2008 Grand Prix GXP 5.3L V-8 was getting it’s struts replaced. Now that is a car I love. I will drive that until it cannot go anymore. Why would they get rid of something like that. I love the red dash and the heads up display you can’t get anymore.
Dave, let’s just keep hoping Pontiac might return. You never know.
Pontiac died in 1979.
When the last Pontiac V-8 powered Pontiac rolled off the assembly line.
Technically that would have been 1982 then……thats when the last Pontiac V8 was made.
As someone who owned both a brand new 1977 Trans Am and later a 1985 Trans Am I too mourn the loss of an iconic brand. Pontiac’s death was a combination of lack of decent product, lack of leadership and direction and total lack of promotion from GM. By the time Bob Lutz came along and tried to breathe some life into the division it was too late.
I have to disagree with you a bit there, having sold Pontiacs in the 1996-2001 era, before our savior Bob Lutz, Pontiac was doing fine and still selling at pace higher than Buick, Cadillac or Olds at the time, still sold better than Buick and Cadillac today, plus we had a bit of renaissance with the supercharged Grand Prix and Bonnevilles, both great cars, the Firebird was still a fairly strong seller especially with the WS6 packages, we sold tons of Grand Ams and even the Sunfire a was a fun little car with its mini-Trans Am GT model.
I thought, their fortune at mid 90s~early 00s were somewhat mixed bags. From whst I heard of, while ‘widetrack’ Grand Prix was such a big hit, selling well both quantity and quality terms, Grand Am was usually be purchased for their price, meaning low-grade base for rentals and fleets were best sellers. I agree that they tried to inject some “excitement”, of course and somehow worked as “affordable performance” division.
If you were worked for Pontiac once, can you tell more accurate, specific situations for us please? I am really wonder what kind of people usually bought Pontiacs at that time…
@Edward M Pate: Hey, we’ve had almost similar Pontiac experiences! I, too, once owned a ’77 Trans Am, and I now own an ’84 Trans Am! Pretty close!
They must be trying to kill Cadillac for the 10 year anniversary.
RIP nice US cars.
I’ve owned several Pontiacs, a 1967 GTO, a 1974 Catalina, a 1978 Bonniville and a 1976 Gran Prix. All great cars, I think GM should bring Pontiac back. I would love to see a modern GTO, Gran Prix and Bonniville. If GM built a car like the early Gran Pix (62, 63, 64 and even the 69 and 70) I would consider one of my Cadillacs with a Gran Prix. Pontiacs were always cooler than Chevys, Buicks and Oldsmobiles.
Made good on my word, defected to Mopar and very much enjoy my 300 hp pocket rocket with optional rear-bias AWD – and a lifetime extended warranty.
Seriously considering picking up a second one before the 48 month lifetime option window expires.
I’m guessing a Charger. A great car but you should have gone with the Hemi!
“I’m guessing a Charger”
Worse. A 2nd gen Chrysler 200.
All that HP, but it can’t outrun its deprecation.
To clear up the FUD, my car has actually slightly appreciated since I bought it at $15,500 – factoring in options, and factoring out miles I’ve put on it.
200S and 200C with V6 and/or AWD are rare breed cars. No car in its class has 300 horses, rear bias AWD, and can do 0 to 60 in 5.5 seconds with the manufacturer’s performance parts.
I’ve always encouraged buying the 200 after it already took the hit on depreciation. Charger and Challenger however are better buys as new cars, because they hold their value.
@Christopher Price: You were one of the original fierce Pontiac loyalists; you and I go way back on these Pontiac message-boards. I hope you haven’t lost your passion for Pontiac; I haven’t. I still own a Pontiac, a Trans Am.
I still have my 1973 TA after 40 years and a garage full of Pontiac V8s and parts that I accumulated back when they were plentiful and cheap. I hope they do revive Pontiac.
Pontiac brings back the memory of owning my first 1977 Grand Prix SJ , my 1994 Grand Prix with the B4U option in bright red and the first Grand Prix with a passenger air bag and also a Bonneville SSEi that for the day was hot.
My best friend owned a 1996 Trans AM that was hands down cooler than any Camaro .
But the sad fact is if the division was still around , just how would it survive in this market , an 8-passenger Montana !?!
“But the sad fact is if the division was still around , just how would it survive in this market ”
Everyone here is wishing for a new GTO, Firebird, or Grand Prix, but if Pontiac were to come back tomorrow, it’s first vehicle would be a new Torrent.
It’s no longer a performance sedan and coupe world anymore.
Still a lot of Grand Ams and Grand Prix on the road here in the rust capital of America, Chicagoland. Makes me wistful when I see one.
Pontiac died when the Pontiac Motor Division was shuttered in the late 70’s. A Trans Am with a Chevrolet Smallblock is just a Chevrolet with plastic cladding. It’s not a real Pontiac. Just because GM took Chevrolet’s engine and dubbed it ‘Corporate’ to try and make it acceptable doesn’t make it so.
I was never a Pontiac guy so it didn’t matter to me a single bit. I do have friends that were/are into Pontiac’s and they only touch the classic stuff with genuine Pontiac engines. Old GTO’s, the Real ones (not the rebadged Holden crap). Classic smokey & the bandit Trans Am’s. WIth Pontiac engines only, none of that Olds stuff. GM ruined Pontiac like they ruined everything else. By closing the Division down and going to corporate badge engineered everything. It wasn’t real anymore….
and of course KITT Pontiac firebird.
This “corporate engine” crybaby stuff is such old bs…….
I only drive Plymouths with Plymouth engines BTW……none of that corporate Chrysler motor stuff……same thing for my Mercury, only Mercury engines……no Ford engines…..
and if you can figure out why this sounds dumb, then you’ll understand why the “corporate engine” wah wah wah sounds just as stupid……..
You have a good point, Mr.R. Mercury shared engines with Ford, Plymouth shared engines with Dodge; no one whined about it. It doesn’t matter which division manufactures the corporate engine, a Pontiac is STILL officially a Pontiac.
GM made the right choice when they decided to go with the corporate engine! When GM picked what engine they were going to choose GM picked the best engines. And those were the chevy engines!
GM could of picked the Pontiac, Buick, oldsmobile, Cadillac engines if they were better then they would have. GM picked the best engines!
They sort of picked engines that each division had a good core competency in at first, Chevy for the small block V8, Buick for the 3.8 V6, Oldsmobile for its diesels, Pontiac got the Tech 4 and Cadillac still kept its own engines for the most part through the 80’s.
Brian, Chevy engines weren’t necessarily better than Pontiac engines. The only reason GM selected Chevy V8s over Pontiac V8s is that Chevy V8s ran hotter, which made it easier to comply with federal emissions standards.
Matt, it wasn’t Pontiac’s fault that GM went to corporate engines in the early-’80s. ALL the GM brands were sharing engines, not just Pontiac. Also, as the owner of an ’84 Trans Am, I can assure you that the car has a “Pontiac personality”, despite the Chevy 305-4V sitting under the hood. For one thing, the car has Ram Air, and I suspect that all of the air-induction hardware (including the solenoid-operated reverse-scoop), is Pontiac-designed, and not found on the ’84 Z28. (The Trans Am hood and the Z28 hood were totally different.) The car has hidden headlights and full-length smoke-tint taillights, which the Z28 doesn’t have. Sure, the basic F-body is almost the same as the Z28’s, but there are differences you can detect even from the side. For example, the front end’s profile is sleeker due to the slanted nose and hidden headlights. Also, the “same-engine” argument has holes. If you look back at the musclecar era, Ford and Mercury had the same corporate FoMoCo engines, and Plymouth and Dodge had the same corporate Mopar engines. So, would you say a ’70 Plymouth Road Runner is “the same car” as the ’70 Dodge Coronet Super Bee, just because they were sister cars (as were the Trans Am and Z28), and both had the same corporate 383-4V Mopar sitting under the hood? No way. Those two cars were very different.
PONTIAC SHOULD RETURN, even if it has to share engines with the other GM brands.
there were a LOT of great cars years ago, + they were distinctly different + beautiful. today we have a lot of cookie cutter cars that are very similar, even many performance are lack luster even they are fast + handle great!!! never again will there be cars of such beauty + personality + soooooo easy to DIY!!!!!!
I have owned multiple Pontiacs since 1968.My favorites were the 65 GTO,98 Grand Prix Daytona, and the sleeper looking 2004 GTO.I am sorry I had to sell the 2004.I am looking for one now.
@Don: Perhaps you might want to consider the ’05 or ’06? Those years had scoops on the hood (unless you prefer the non-scooped hood of the ’04).
When I was about 8, my parents bought a new 1964 Pontiac Catalina Safari wagon. It was our first air-conditioned car, and the AC always worked great. The car, however, was the worst POS that anyone in my family has ever owned. I can’t even count the number of times it left us stranded.
The Firebird, Bonneville, Grand Prix, Grand AM, G8 and Solstice and Bob Lutz himself was pretty much all Pontiac needed in their portfolio to sustain a stable platform….NO Aztek, Montana or G5 was necessary!!!!!
The Firebird, Bonneville, Grand Prix, Grand AM, G8 , Solstice and Bob Lutz himself was pretty much all Pontiac needed in their portfolio to sustain a stable platform….NO Aztek, Montana or G5 was necessary!!!!!
Fortunately, Thank God, I currently own a 1966 Bonneville convertible & A 1975 Pontiac Parisienne…Both are excellent cars !
Thanks for letting Me share. I wish that Pontiac were still in existence today, Perhaps just focusing on just certain high performance models.
We’ve all seen the aftermarket Firebird Bandit or Trans Am with the screaming eagle and hood scoop of yesteryear built from the chassis of the current Chevrolet Camaro which should tell of how there’s still an audience that misses the aggressive and sometimes garish styling of Pontiac cars.
although not a Pontiac buyer ,at the tine they were popular for their styling and performance and a good seller –and the same for Oldsmobile -nothing was a best seller as the Cutlass Supreme in the early 80’s . GM made a mistake keeping Buick which was no way the seller as Oldsmobile or Pontiac —