Pontiac was an American automobile brand owned, manufactured, and commercialized by General Motors. Introduced as a companion make for GM's more expensive line of Oakland automobiles, Pontiac overtook Oakland in popularity and supplanted its parent brand entirely by 1933.

Sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico by GM, in the hierarchy of GM's five divisions, it was slotted above Chevrolet, but below Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac. Starting with the 1959 models, marketing was focused on selling the lifestyle that the car's ownership promised rather than the car itself. By emphasizing its "Wide Track" design, it billed itself as the "performance" division of General Motors, which "built excitement."

Facing financial problems and restructuring efforts, GM announced in 2008 that it would follow the same path with Pontiac as it had with Oldsmobile in 2004. It would discontinue manufacturing and marketing vehicles under the Pontiac brand by the end of 2010. The last Pontiac-badged cars were built in December 2009, with one final vehicle assembled in January 2010. Franchise agreements for Pontiac dealers expired on October 31, 2010, leaving GM to focus on its four remaining North American brands: Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC.

The Oakland Motor Car Company of Pontiac, Michigan, was an American automobile manufacturer and division of General Motors. Purchased by General Motors in 1909, the company continued to produce modestly priced automobiles until 1931 when the brand was dropped in favor of the division's Pontiac make.

1909 oakland four 

The Oakland Motor Car Company was founded in 1907 in Pontiac, Michigan, by Edward Murphy, a manufacturer of horse-drawn carriages. The following year, another former buggy company executive, William Durant, founded General Motors in Flint, Michigan, as a holding company for the Buick Motor Company. GM soon bought other automakers, including Oldsmobile and Cadillac. In 1909, Oakland became part of GM. The first Pontiac model made its debut as the Oakland Four from 1909 until it was replaced by the Oakland Six in 1916. In 1926 the Pontiac Series 6-27 was introduced as a junior brand to Oakland, which featured a six-cylinder engine. The Pontiac was more popular than the senior brand and became its own GM division when Oakland was canceled in 1931.

GM created Pontiac in 1926, naming it after a local Indian chief who led a failed rebellion against the British. The company’s first car was an inexpensive six-cylinder “companion” to GM’s more expensive Oakland brand. Ironically, Pontiac waxed while Oakland waned. The Depression undoubtedly played the role of killer, as it did to so many of the mid to expensive brands. Pontiac barely survived, and the fact that it did owes to the first use of cross-divisional sharing of manufacturing and bodies at GM. It was a prescient move that would eventually come to absorb all the GM divisions.

GM President Alfred P. Sloan, the “father of the modern corporation” spent his career shaping the delicate balance between once-independently run divisions into a coherent structure that still allowed creativity, initiative, and the divisions’ unique qualities to blossom. Pontiac was too close to Chevrolet and too small to survive the Depression, so for 1932, Pontiac’s manufacturing was combined with Chevrolet, saving enormous cost for tooling, engineering and production. It was the prototype for GM, and Pontiac spent the rest of its life trying to differentiate itself sufficiently from Chevrolet, despite their fundamental similarities.

torpedo

The Pontiac Torpedo was a full-sized car produced by Pontiac from the 1940 through the 1948 model year (war years excepted). When released, it was the biggest Pontiac, used an 8-cylinder engine, and it had more standard features than other Pontiacs. Although the Torpedo name was exclusive to the highest line of Pontiacs in 1940, in 1941 the name was applied to all Pontiacs in three separate lines. The Custom Torpedoes were now top of the line name, while the DeLuxe Torpedo became the base line, and the Streamline Torpedo became the middle line of Pontiacs. All Torpedo models could be had with either a 6-cylinder or 8-cylinder engine beginning in 1941. From 1942 to 1948 the Torpedo name designated only the base line of Pontiacs.^[1] The Torpedo was replaced by the Pontiac Chieftain in 1949. It was with this generation that all GM vehicles experienced increased width dimensions to accommodate three passengers on the front bench seat and an additional three passengers on rear bench seat installed vehicles. This was accomplished with the deletion of running board thereby adding additional room inside the passenger compartment.

1940-1941: In 1940, Pontiac introduced the Custom Torpedo on the General Motors C-body. Along with Oldsmobile, Pontiac had the distinction of having all three of GM's mainstream platforms this year, but this would last only one more year. The new C-body that the 1940 Pontiac Torpedo shared with Cadillac Series 62, Buick Roadmaster and Super, and the Oldsmobile Series 90 featured cutting-edge "torpedo" styling.

1942-1948: For 1942, the Torpedo KA Line name was assigned to the A-bodied Pontiac while the Streamliner KB Line became the B-bodied Pontiac. Most Torpedoes continued to have the notchback styling found on the Deluxe Torpedoes.

chieftain

The Pontiac Chieftain is an automobile which was produced by Pontiac from 1949 to 1958. The 1949 Chieftain and Streamliner models were the first all new car designs to come from Pontiac in the post World War II years. Previous cars had been 1942 models with minor revisions.

first generation (1949–1954)

In 1949 the A-body Chieftain replaced the Pontiac Torpedo as Pontiac's smaller and lower priced model. However, the newly redesigned B-bodied Pontiac Streamliner was now very similar (if not exact) in dimensions, engines, trim levels and options. This was the first time since 1934 that all Pontiacs had the same wheelbase. They had standard automatic interior lighting.

The Chieftain was initially introduced with four models: Sedan, Sedan Coupe, Business Coupe, and Deluxe Convertible Coupe. In 1950, a Catalina Coupe was added to the range while a station wagon was added in 1952, with the demise of the top of the line Streamliner wagon.

second generation (1955–1957)

The 1955 model Chieftains featured completely new chassis, body and engine. The engine was the biggest news as this was Pontiac's first V8 called the Strato Streak V8 previously introduced in the Pontiac Strato-Streak concept car. The last time Pontiac offered a V8 was in 1932 when the Oakland Model 301 with a flathead V8 was renamed Pontiac. The 4.7 L engine made 173 or 180 horsepower at 4400 rpm depending on which version was ordered.

third generation (1958)

Chieftains went through another major styling change in 1958. All models were given honeycomb grilles, quad head and tail lamps, concave rear fenders. The Super Chief sub-series was promoted to full model status leaving just the standard array of Chieftains as the entry level Pontiac. The "Sportable" transistor radio became an option (a portable, removable radio),^[13] along with air-suspension and a limited slip differential.

catalina

The Pontiac Catalina is a full-size automobile produced by Pontiac from 1950 to 1981. Initially, the name was a trim line on hardtop body styles, first appearing in the 1950 Chieftain Eight and DeLuxe Eight lines. In 1959, it became a separate model as the "entry-level" full-size Pontiac. The name "Catalina" was first used on the 1950 Chieftain Series 25/27 hardtop, Pontiac's top trim level package at the time, and later added to the Star Chief in 1954, Pontiac's equivalent of the Chevrolet Bel Air. Originally referred to as "hard-top convertibles", these vehicles offered pillarless design in the door and window areas, along with the top-grade convertible appointments. 

1959-1960

For 1959, Pontiac dropped the name "Chieftain" and "Super Chief" models for its entry level model and renamed it "Catalina", while demoting the former top-line Star Chief to mid-line status eliminating the two door StarChief Catalina, the only hardtop for the StarChief was the four door hardtop and expanding the Bonneville nameplate to a full flagship series that included sedans, coupes, convertibles and Safari station wagons.

In the lower-priced Catalina line, Pontiac division advertising placed higher emphasis on the top trimmed two- and four-door hardtops, convertible and Safari station wagons instead of the pillared two- and four-door sedan variants despite the fact that the four-door sedan was the best seller in this line.

1961-1964

The 1961 full-sized Pontiacs were completely restyled with more squared-off bodylines, the reintroduction of the split grille first seen in 1959 and dropped for 1960 and an all-new Torque-Box perimeter frame with side rails replacing the "X" frame chassis used since 1958. The new frame not only provides greater side-impact protection than the "X" design but also improves interior roominess.

1965-1970

The 1965 full-sized Pontiacs were completely restyled with more flowing sheetmetal featuring "Coke-bottle" profiles and fastback rooflines on two-door hardtops. Wheelbases increased to 121 inches (3,100 mm) on all models.

Pontiacs for the 1965 were now available with GM's new-for-1964 three-speed Turbo Hydramatic 400 transmission, often abbreviated as THM-400

1971-1976

For 1971, Catalina and other full-sized Pontiacs were completely redesigned and restyled from the wheels up with long hood/short deck proportions and fuselage styling somewhat similar to Chrysler Corporation's 1969 full-sized cars, along with a double shell roof for improved roll-over protection and flush pull-up exterior door handles - the latter two features first seen on the 1970+1⁄2 Firebird.

1977-1981

In 1977, Pontiac and other GM divisions downsized their full-sized cars in an effort to lighten weight and improve gas mileage. The Catalina continued as Pontiac's entry-level full-size automobile with a Buick-built 231 cubic-inch V6 now standard in sedans and coupes (Safari wagons came standard with V8 power) and optional V8s of 301 CID, 350 CID and 400 CID displacements, each Pontiac-built engines and offered in all states except California.

bonneville

The Pontiac Bonneville is an automobile built by Pontiac from 1957 to 2005. Bonnevilles were full-sized, with the exception of a brief period of mid-size between 1982–1986. The brand was introduced as a limited production performance convertible during the 1957 model year. The Bonneville (known as the Parisienne in Canada until 1981), and its platform partner, the Grand Ville, are some of the largest Pontiacs ever built; in station wagon body styles they reached just over 5.8 m long, and at 2,300 kg and more were also some of the heaviest cars produced at the time. They were also used as a basis for various specialty cars such as hearses.

first generation (1958)

Bonneville became a separate model in 1958, available as a two-door hardtop or a convertible. It paced the Indianapolis 500 in its first year. As a separate model Bonneville had a significantly lower price tag of around $3,000 thanks to the demotion of most of the luxury items found on the 1957 Star Chief bodystyle from standard equipment to the option list. Also a 255 hp  6,053 cc V8, marketed as a "370", with four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts was now standard equipment.

second generation (1959–1960)

In its third year, the 1959 Bonneville became a full top-line series with the addition of the four-door hardtop sedan and Safari station wagon body styles. The Bonneville played an important part that year in the introduction of two of Pontiac's greatest marketing inspirations — the split grille and the Wide Track slogan. The latter was not just ad copy, either, as Pontiac pushed its wheels further out toward the fenders than anyone else and created what were considered to be the best-cornering full-size cars in the industry.

third generation (1961–1964)

The Bonneville remained Pontiac's costliest and most luxurious model throughout the 1960s and was instrumental in pushing Pontiac to third place in sales from 1962 to 1970.

The distinctive protruding grille made its appearance on all Pontiac products during the early 1960s, and was a modern revival of a similar appearance on Pontiac products during the 1930s and early 1940s, as demonstrated on the Pontiac Torpedo.

fourth generation (1965–1970)

In 1965 B-Body Pontiacs received a dramatic restyle, featuring fastback rooflines on coupes, rakish fender lines and even more pronounced "Coke Body" styling. Bonnevilles followed largely the same styling cues as on other 1965 Pontiacs, but was 8 inches longer thanks to its new 124-inch wheelbase chassis. The interior featured new instrumentation and dashboard styling as well as new upholstery.

fifth generation (1971–1976)

For 1971, the Bonneville was downgraded in the model hierarchy, as a new top line Grand Ville series was introduced. In effect, it replaced the discontinued Executive above the lower-priced Catalina. The Bonneville had new "Monocoque" styling and was offered in three body styles, a pillared four-door sedan, four-door hardtop sedan and two-door hardtop coupe.

sixth generation (1977–1981)

Bonneville would continue its flagship duties on the downsized big car line that was introduced for 1977. Bonnevilles (and Catalinas) were 14 inches (360 mm) shorter in length, over four inches (102 mm) narrower and 800 pounds lighter compared to their 1976 counterparts, but had increased headroom, rear seat legroom and trunk space, and much-improved fuel economy – a major selling point in the years following the 1973-74 energy crisis.

seventh generation (1982–1986)

The Bonneville nameplate didn't go anywhere following the discontinuation of full-sized Pontiacs and instead was simply swapped onto the midsized LeMans, which also suffered from poor sales, thus GM planners reasoned that attaching a more well-known model name to it would spark demand. 

eighth generation (1987–1991)

For 1987, Pontiac decided to change the car from the rear wheel drive G-body with the V8 to the more economical front wheel drive one-year-old H Body platform with the Buick LeSabre and Oldsmobile 88. Initially, a 150 hp (112 kW) 3.8 L V6 was the sole engine.

ninth generation (1992–1999)

Unveiled on February 8, 1991  for the 1992 model year, the interior and exterior of the car were completely redesigned. The base and midlevel models were provided with GM's naturally-aspirated 3.8-liter V6, while the SSEi received the supercharged version. All engines came paired with a 4-speed overdrive automatic transmission.

tenth generation (2000–2005)

The 2000 Bonneville was redesigned from the ground up with significant advancements in design, engineering and technology which Pontiac dubbed "luxury with attitude." The Bonneville regained a V8 option on the GXP trim for 2004, its first since 1986, as a result of the discontinuation of the Oldsmobile Aurora. This opened up a "hole" in the GM lineup between Pontiac and Buick, allowing Pontiac to expand upmarket somewhat.

2+2

The Pontiac 2+2 is a full size automobile that was manufactured by Pontiac, built on the B-body chassis. It debuted for the 1964 model year as a trim-only option for the Pontiac Catalina, with special door panels, bucket seats with a center console, and exterior badging. Pontiac marketed the 2+2 as the "big brother" to the popular Pontiac GTO.

Beginning in 1965 the name Catalina was no longer found on the car, although it was still an option on the Catalina. The 2+2 was equipped with a 421 cu in (6.9 L) V8 engine, dual exhaust, heavy-duty front springs as well as unique exterior body trim. It continued on the same platform, but became a separate Pontiac series for the 1966 model year. The 2+2 reverted to an option on the Catalina for 1967 and was discontinued in the United States the same year due to poor sales.

It continued as a series in Canada until 1970. All Canadian-built 2+2's were equipped with a Pontiac body on a Chevrolet chassis, with the full range of Chevrolet engines available from inline 6-cylinder to big-block V8. The name 2+2 reappeared briefly in 1986 on the Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2 G-body "aerobody" coupe, of which 1,225 were built.

The designation 2+2 was borrowed from European sports car terminology, for a seating arrangement of two in front plus two in the rear. It was designated officially at Pontiac as a "regular performance" model.

executive

The Pontiac Executive is an automobile model that was produced by Pontiac from 1967 to 1970.

The Executive name replaced Pontiac's long running mid-range Star Chief, beginning for 1966 when all Pontiacs in this range were named Star Chief Executive for this one year only, before the series became simply the Executive for 1967. Executives featured more deluxe trim, more standard amenities and a longer wheelbase and overall length than the lower-priced Catalina models, but were not quite as luxurious as the top-line Bonneville, whose wheelbase and other dimensions the Executive shared.

Mechanically, the Executive was virtually identical to the Catalina, sharing similar standard and optional V8 engines starting with the base 400 CID V8 with two-barrel carburetor rated at 265 hp, and ending with a 390 hp 428 CID HO V8 through 1969 and a larger 455 CID V8 rated at 370 hp in 1970. The standard transmission each year was a three-speed manual with column shift, with a floor-mounted four-speed with Hurst shifter optional in 1967 and 1968. However, 98 percent of Executives were equipped with the three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic during the model's four-year run.

Executives were available as a four-door pillared sedan, two-door hardtop coupe, four-door hardtop sedan, and Safari station wagons in two and three-seat versions. The Executive Safari wagons differed from the Catalina and Bonneville Safari wagons by featuring simulated wood paneling. No Executive convertibles were offered.

Total output of the Executive was:

• 1967: 35,491 units
• 1968: 32,597 units
• 1969: 25,845 units
• 1970: 21,936 units

Through its four years, the Executive was the lowest-volume full-size Pontiac. It was replaced for 1971 by the newly downgraded Bonneville.

grand prix

The Grand Prix is a line of automobiles produced by the Pontiac Division of General Motors from 1962 to 2002 for coupes and 1989–2008 for sedans. First introduced as part of Pontiac's full-size car model offering for the 1962 model year, the marque varied repeatedly in size, luxury, and performance during its production. Among the changes were positioning in the personal luxury car market segment and mid-size car offering from the second generation to the fifth generation for the sedan and from the second generation to the sixth generation from the coupe. The Grand Prix returned to a full-size car from the sixth generation to the seventh generation for the sedan, positioned below the larger Bonneville in Pontiac's model lineup.

first generation (1962–1968)

The Grand Prix first appeared in the Pontiac line for the 1962 model year, as a performance-oriented replacement for the Ventura, which became a luxury trim level of the full-size Catalina It was essentially a standard Catalina coupe with minimal outside chrome trim and a sportier interior (bucket seats and a center console). The performance-minded John DeLorean, head of Advanced Engineering at Pontiac, contributed to the development of both the Grand Prix and the GTO.

second generation (1969–1972)

DeLorean and other Pontiac planners saw a way to reverse the declining sales of the full-sized Grand Prix by creating a new niche in the burgeoning personal luxury car market. Smaller than the Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Toronado, but positioned with the Ford Thunderbird and Buick Riviera, the new Grand Prix also competed with the Mercury Cougar XR-7 Pony car and the B-bodied Dodge Charger intermediate.

third generation (1973–1977)

All A-bodies, including the Grand Prix, were redesigned for 1973. This generation was larger and heavier, due partly to the federally mandated 8.0 km/h crash bumpers. Although large V8s were still available, the performance was on the decline due to new emissions control systems. 

fourth generation (1978–1987)

1978 brought a downsizing of the Grand Prix and the other A-bodies. The 1978 GP was shorter and  lighter than the 1977 model with an overall length of 5,100 mm and a 2,700 mm wheelbase. For the first time in Grand Prix history, a V8 engine was not standard equipment. In order to meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) mandates set after 1973-74 energy crisis, a Buick-built 231 cu in (3.8 L) V6 was standard 

fifth generation (1988–1996)

The first front-wheel drive W-body Grand Prix coupes were built in October 1987, and released on January 12, 1988, for the 1988 model year. This generation Grand Prix was built in Kansas City, Kansas. The Grand Prix was introduced as base, LE and SE coupes. All featured GM's MPFI 2.8 L V6 that made 130 hp.

sixth generation (1997–2003)

The first 1997 Grand Prix was built on August 12, 1996. There were two trim levels available from 1996; the SE and GT. Coupes and sedans shared similar styling, except for rear doors and quarter panels. The base 3.1L v6 engine on the SE was the only engine carried over from the previous generation.

seventh generation (2004–2008)

The Grand Prix came in four different option groups; GT1, GT2, GTP, and GTP Comp-G ("Competition Group").

The GT1 and fancier GT2 have the Series III 3800 V6 engine, rated at 200 hp  and 310 Nm of torque, while both GTPs have the supercharged (Eaton Gen 5 Supercharger) 3800 Series III V6 engine with 260 hp and 380 Nm of torque.

canadian version

In 1965, GM of Canada offered a de luxe version of the popular Pontiac Parisienne with the 1965 U.S. Grand Prix grille, the Parisienne Custom Sport. It was available as a hardtop coupe or convertible, and was basically equivalent to the Chevrolet Impala Super Sport. This was followed in 1966 with the Grande Parisienne, which featured the unique American Grand Prix front

gto

The Pontiac GTO is an automobile that was manufactured by American automaker Pontiac from 1963 to 1974 for the 1964 to 1974 model years, and by GM's subsidiary Holden in Australia for the 2004 to 2006 model years.

The first generation of the GTO is credited as popularizing the muscle car market segment in the 1960s. The Pontiac GTO is considered by some to have started the trend with all four domestic automakers offering a variety of competing models.

For the 1964 and 1965 model years, the GTO was an optional package on the intermediate-sized Pontiac LeMans. The 1964 GTO vehicle identification number (VIN) started with 82, while the 1965 GTO VIN started with 237. The GTO became a separate model from 1966 to 1971 (VIN 242...). It became an optional package again for the 1972 and 1973 intermediate LeMans. For 1974, the GTO was an optional trim package on the compact-sized Ventura.

The GTO was selected as the Motor Trend Car of the Year in 1968. The GTO model was revived from 2004 to 2006 model years as a captive import for Pontiac, a left-hand drive version of the Holden Monaro, itself a coupé variant of the Holden Commodore.

The name, which was DeLorean's idea, was inspired by the Ferrari 250 GTO, the successful race car. It is an Italian abbreviation for Gran Turismo Omologato ("grand tourer homologated"). The Pontiac GTO was never certified as a Grand Tourer race car.

fifth generation  2004-2006

firebird

The Pontiac Firebird is an American automobile that was built and produced by Pontiac from the 1967 to 2002 model years. Designed as a pony car to compete with the Ford Mustang, it was introduced on February 23, 1967, five months after GM's Chevrolet division's platform-sharing Camaro. This also coincided with the release of the 1967 Mercury Cougar, Ford's upscale, platform-sharing version of the Mustang.

The name "Firebird" was also previously used by GM for the General Motors Firebird in the 1950s and early 1960s concept cars.

first generation (1967–1969)

The first generation Firebird had characteristic Coke bottle styling shared with its cousin, the Chevrolet Camaro. Announcing a Pontiac styling trend, the Firebird's bumpers were integrated into the design of the front end, giving it a more streamlined look than the Camaro. The Firebird's rear "slit" taillights were inspired by the 1966–1967 Pontiac GTO.

second generation (1970–1981)

The second-generation debut for the 1970 model year was delayed until February 26, 1970, because of tooling and engineering problems; thus, its popular designation as a 1970½ model, while leftover 1969s were listed in early Pontiac literature without a model-year identification. This generation of Firebirds were available in coupe form only; after the 1969 model year, convertibles were not available until 1989.

third generation (1982–1992)

The availability and cost of gasoline (two fuel crises had occurred by this time) meant the weight and the fuel consumption of the third generation had to be considered in the design. In F-body development, both the third generation Firebird and Camaro were proposed as possible front-wheel-drive platforms, but the idea was scrapped. Computerized engine management was in its infancy, and with fuel efficiency being the primary objective, it was not possible to have high horsepower and torque numbers.

fourth generation (1993–2002)

The fourth-generation Firebird amplified the aerodynamic styling initiated by the previous generation. While the live rear axle and floorpan aft of the front seats remained largely the same, ninety percent of the Firebird's parts were all-new. Overall, the styling of the Firebird more strongly reflected the Banshee IV concept car than the 1991 "facelift" did. As with the Camaro, major improvements were implemented.

firebird trans am

The Trans Am was a specialty package for the Firebird, typically upgrading handling, suspension, and horsepower, as well as minor appearance modifications such as exclusive hoods, spoilers, fog lights and wheels. Four distinct generations were produced between 1969 and 2002. These cars were built on the F-body platform, which was also shared by the Chevrolet Camaro.

trans sport

The Pontiac Trans Sport is a minivan marketed by the Pontiac division of General Motors over two generations for model years 1990-1999 along with GM badge engineered variants, the Chevrolet Lumina APV and Oldsmobile Silhouette.

Introduced a year before the second-generation Chrysler minivans, the Pontiac Trans Sport and its counterparts marked an industry shift in the minivan segment towards adopting the form factor used by Chrysler. While the APV vans had a unique front-wheel drive, transverse-engine chassis, they did share mechanical commonality with the W platform sedans.

The Trans Sport was assembled at North Tarrytown Assembly (Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow, New York), shifting production to Doraville Assembly (Doraville, Georgia) for its second generation. For the 1998 model year, Pontiac renamed the Trans Sport the Pontiac Montana, after an exterior trim package introduced in 1997.

The Trans Sport and its siblings were created by General Motors to compete with the Chrysler minivans and followed the Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari, which had used a body-on-frame, rear wheel drive truck platform. Chevrolet and Oldsmobile's badge engineered variants of the U-body minivans, with the Lumina APV and Silhouette. In accordance with those brands' images, the Trans Sport was targeted at sport- and style-oriented buyers, while the Lumina and Silhouette targeted the value and premium markets respectively.

At launch, the Trans Sport's 3.1-liter V6 was received as underpowered for the relatively large vehicle. This was rectified in the 1992 model year, with a 3.8-litre V6 offering improved torque and acceleration becoming optional. In 1995, a 1.9-liter turbodiesel by PSA became an option in the European market.

g8

The Pontiac G8 is a rear-wheel drive sedan that was produced by Holden in Australia, and then exported to the United States, where it was sold by Pontiac. The G8, a rebadged Holden Commodore, was released in early 2008 for the 2008 model year in the United States, and in 2008 for the 2009 model year in Canada. Production stopped in mid-2009, following the GM decision to suspend the Pontiac brand. While available, the G8 took the place in the Pontiac lineup of both the Pontiac Bonneville, which ceased production after the 2005 model year, and the Pontiac Grand Prix, which ceased production after the 2008 model year. The G8 was Pontiac's first full-size car since the Bonneville. The G8 had a choice of two engines, a 3.6 V6 and a 6.0 V8, which could produce a maximum power of 261 and 370 hp respectively. In addition, the G8 is equipped with a rear-wheel drive system, a 6-speed automatic transmission and ventilated discs on both the front and the rear.

concept cars

challenger I

The Challenger 1 was a land-speed-record car built in 1959, powered by four supercharged Pontiac engines. On the morning of September 9th 1960, Mickey Thomson, at the wheel of the Challenger 1 broke the world land speed record, reaching a speed of 654.4kmp/h. Today, the car is displayed at the NHRA Museum in Los Angeles, California.

Mickey Thompson was one of racing’s greatest innovators, the daredevil driver who created a revolution in the production of the racing car. He was a genius/madman engineer that tested the boundaries of automotive innovation and logic. His newest challenge in 1959, was to break John Cobb’s long-standing Bonneville record of 634 km/h as well as to break the 644 km/h barrier. In order to break this record in early 1959, Mickey began construction of his Streamliner which he nicknamed Challenger I.

The last Pontiac was a white 2010 G6 Sedan built in the Orion Township assembly line in January 2010 and that is the end of Pontiac. A historic brand that no doubt is embedded in American culture and will be missed by car fans from all walks of life.