History Pontiac

1 history

1.1 1926–1942
1.2 1946–1954
1.3 1955–1960
1.4 1961–1970
1.5 1970–1982
1.6 1982–1988
1.7 1989–1997
1.8 1997–2004
1.9 2005–2010

history
1926–1942

1928 pontiac



1936 pontiac master 6 coupe

the pontiac brand introduced general motors in 1926 companion marque gm s oakland division, , shared gm platform. purchased general motors in 1909, oakland continued produce modestly priced automobiles until 1931 when renamed pontiac. named after famous ottawa chief had given name city of pontiac, michigan car produced. within months of introduction, pontiac outselling oakland, 1920s chevrolet six-cylinder engine installed. body styles offered included sedan both 2 , 4 doors, landau coupe, sport phaeton, sport landau sedan, sport cabriolet , sport roadster. result of pontiac s rising sales, versus oakland s declining sales, pontiac became companion marque survive parent, oakland ceasing production in 1932.

pontiacs manufactured knock-down kits @ gm s short-lived japanese factory @ osaka assembly in osaka, japan 1927-1941.

postcard showing pontiac dealer in oklahoma, ca 1930-1945

pontiac produced cars offering 40 hp (30 kw; 41 ps) 186.7 cu in (3.1 l) (3.25x3.75 in, 82.5x95mm) l-head straight 6-cylinder engines in pontiac chief of 1927; stroke shortest of american car in industry @ time. chief sold 39,000 units within 6 months of appearance @ 1926 new york auto salon, hitting 76,742 @ twelve months. next year, became top-selling 6 in u.s., ranking seventh in overall sales. 1933, had moved producing least expensive cars available straight 8 engines. done using many components 6-cylinder chevrolet master, such body, installing large chrome strip on top , center of front hood pontiac called silver streak . in late 1930s, pontiac used buick torpedo body 1 of models, prior being used chevrolet, earning media attention marque. unusual feature of torpedo -bodied exhibition car that, push of button, front half of body open showing engine , car s front seat interior. in 1937, eight-cylinder had 122-inch (3,099 mm) wheelbase, while six-cylinder had 117-inch (2,972 mm) wheelbase. in 1940, pontiac introduced torpedo production model. on 2 february 1942, pontiac last civilian automobile manufactured in united states during world war ii, automobile factories converted military production.

for extended period of time—prewar through 1950s—the pontiac quiet, solid car, not powerful. came flathead straight eight. straight 8s less expensive produce increasingly popular v8s, heavier , longer. additionally, long crankshaft suffered excessive flex, restricting straight 8s relatively low compression ratio modest redline. however, in application, inexpensive (yet quiet) flatheads not liability.

1946–1954

1948 pontiac silver streak convertible coupe

from 1946 1948, pontiac models 1942 models minor changes. hydra-matic automatic transmission introduced in 1948 , helped pontiac sales grow though cars, torpedoes , streamliners, becoming out of date.

the first all-new pontiac models appeared in 1949. incorporated styling cues such lower body lines , rear fenders integrated in rear-end styling of car.

along new styling came new model. continuing native american theme of pontiac, chieftain line introduced replace torpedo. these built on gm b-body platform , featured different styling more conservative streamliner. in 1950, catalina pillarless hardtop coupe introduced halo model, chevrolet bel air of same year.

in 1952, pontiac discontinued streamliner , replaced additional models in chieftain line built on gm a-body platform. single model line continued until 1954 when star chief added. star chief created adding 11-inch (280 mm) extension a-body platform creating 124-inch (3,100 mm) wheelbase.

the 1953 models first have one-piece windshields instead of normal two-piece units. while 1953 , 1954 models heavily re-worked versions of 1949-52 chieftain models, engineered v8 engine supposed introduced on 1953 models, buick division complained corporate introduction might take sales away because buick introducing new nailhead v-8 in 1953. corporation held pontiac until 1955.

1955–1960

pontiac star chief 1955



1956 canadian pontiac pathfinder sedan delivery. 1,383 built, not available in u.s.

completely new bodies , chassis introduced 1955. new 173 hp (129 kw; 175 ps) overhead valve v8 engine introduced. (see engines section below). sales increased. introduction of v8, six-cylinder engines discontinued; six-cylinder not return full-size pontiac line until gm corporate downsizing of 1977. four-cylinder engine introduced in tempest model line in 1961, followed overhead-cam six-cylinder starting in 1966, on firebird. first popular-priced, mass-produced engine in america utilizing overhead-camshaft configuration.

in 1956, when 42-year-old semon bunkie knudsen became general manager of pontiac, along new heads of engineering, e. m. estes , john delorean, knudsen began reworking brand s image. 1 of first steps involved removal of famous trademark silver streaks hood , deck lid of 1957 models weeks before 1957s introduced. step introducing first bonneville—a limited-edition star chief convertible showcased pontiac s first fuel-injected engine. approximately 630 bonnevilles built 1957, each retail price of $5,800. while new car buyers buy cadillac price, bonneville raised new interest in pontiac called america s no. 1 road car.

1959 bonneville rear, showing double rear fins

the following year bonneville became own line, built on 122-inch (3,100 mm) wheelbase of a-body platform. 1958 tri power bonneville pace car year s indianapolis 500. also, 1958 last year pontiac motor division bear indian motif throughout vehicle. exception indian head high beam indicator light in instrument cluster.

with 1959 model year, pontiac came out arrowhead emblem, star design in middle. arrowhead design ran way hood between split grille, , on starchief models, had 8 chrome stars emblem design bolted both sides of vehicle chrome trim. knudsen saw car received reworked chassis, body, , interior styling. quad headlamps, longer, lower body of styling changes.

the chieftain line renamed catalina; star chief downgraded replace discontinued super chief series , first time did not have two-door hardtop, two-door sedan along four-door hardtop , four-door sedan, in addition there no star chief wagon. bonneville top of line, coming in 3 body styles of two-door hardtop, four-door vista , four-door wagon. star chief s four-door vista hardtop shared bonneville. catalina models included two-door hardtop, two-door sedan, four-door sedan, four-door hardtop vista , 2 wagons, 1 six-passenger , 1 nine-passenger wagon. bonneville , star chief built on 124-inch (3,100 mm) wheelbase exception of bonneville wagon , catalina models , bonneville wagon rode on 122-inch wheelbase. catalina 7 inches shorter bonneville , star chief , weighed 1 hundred 2 hundred pounds less long-wheelbase counterparts. 1959 pontiac engines equipped 389-cubic-inch engine horsepower ratings 215hp economy engine conservative rated 345 hp tri power carbureted engine. automatics four-speed super-hydra-matics or, hydramatic division designed , built them called them, controlled coupling hydramatic . special note here oldsmobile used same transmission , called jetaway hydramatic , cadillac used transmission , cadillac called 315 or p 315 hydramatic. three-speed column-mounted stick shift standard on pontiacs. coincided major body styling changes across models introduced increased glass area, twin v-shaped fins , lower hood profiles. because of these changes, motor trend magazine picked entire pontiac line 1959 car of year. 59s have five-inch (127 mm) wider track, front @ 63 7/8 front track , 64.0 rear track because knudsen noticed new, wider bodies looked awkward on carried-over 1958 frames. new wide-track pontiacs not had improved styling, handled better—a bonus tied pontiac s resurgence in marketplace.

the 1960 models saw complete re-skinning exception of body s canopies remained identical 59 s, removed tail fins , distinctive split grille (which ford copied on final edsel models 1960). 1960 models standard engine had horsepower gain of 3 hp due compression bump of .25 1 on 59 engine. front track widened rear track @ 64 . ventura introduced, more luxurious hardtop coupe , vista 4-door hardtop being built on shorter 122-inch (3,100 mm) wheelbase platform, falling between catalina , star chief models. ventura featured luxury features of bonneville in shorter, lighter catalina body.

1961–1970

most of pontiac s models built during 1960s , 1970s either styled like, or siblings to, other gm makes (except cadillac). however, pontiac retained own front , rear end styling, interiors, , engines.

1964 pontiac bonneville brougham



full size pontiacs 1960 1968 featured these unique, finned, 8 bolt rims, aided in cooling of drum brakes

the 1961 models reworked. split grille returned, all-new bodies , new design of perimeter-frame chassis full-size models (something adopted of gm s intermediate-sized cars in 1964, , full-sized cars in 1965). these new chassis allowed reduced weight , smaller body sizes. interesting note styled chevrolet still used radically different x frame in 1960s.

but complete departure in 1961 new tempest, 1 of 3 bop (buick-olds-pontiac) compacts introduced year, others being buick special , skylark , oldsmobile f-85 , cutlass. toward end of 1961 model year upscale version of tempest called lemans introduced, named after famous 24 hours of le mans auto race in france.

all 3 uni-body cars, dubbed y-body platform, combining frame , body single construction, making them comparatively lighter , smaller. 3 put production new technology pushed john delorean gm had been working on several years prior, tempest far radical. flexible steel shaft rotating @ speed of engine delivered power front-mounted engine through torque tube rear-mounted trans-axle. innovation not delivered close 50/50 front-rear weight distribution drastically improved handling, enabled four-wheel independent suspension enhanced more. eliminated large floor hump common front-engined rear-drive cars.

though tempest s transaxle similar 1 in corvair, introduced year before, shared virtually no common parts. gm had planned launch pontiac version of corvair (dubbed polaris ), bunkie knudsen—whose niece had been injured in corvair crash—successfully argued against idea. polaris design apparently made full-scale clay before cancelled. instead, delorean s rope-shaft design green-lighted.

contemporary rumors of rope-shaft s demise due reliability problems unfounded; rope-shaft s durability , performance had been proven in tests in full-size pontiacs , cadillacs in 1959, , adapted smaller car in 1960. tempest won motor trend car of year award in 1961—for pontiac, second time in 3 years. delorean s vision has been further vindicated adoption of similar designs in slew of modern high-performance cars, including porsche 928, 924, , 944, corvette c5, , aston martin db9.

unless customers checked option, tempest s power-plant 194.5 ci inline-slant-four-cylinder motor, derived right bank of venerable pontiac 389 v8, enabling run down same production line 389, saving costs both car s customers , pontiac. pontiac engineers ran tests of motor literally cutting off left bank of pistons , adding counterweights crankshaft, , surprised find maintained heaviest pontiacs @ on 90 miles per hour (140 km/h). in production, engine received crankshaft designed 4 cylinders, didn t solve balance issues. engine gained nickname hay baler because of tendency kick violently, farm machine, when timing off.

the aforementioned buick 215 v8, ordered less 2 percent of customers in 2 years available, 1961 , 1962. today, 215 cars among sought-after of tempests. in 1963, pontiac replaced 215 new 326 336 bore of 3.78 , stroke of 3.75 ( same stroke 389 ), iron block mill had same external dimensions , shared parts 389, altered, reduced bore. car s body , suspension changed lower, longer , wider. response more half of 1963 tempests , lemans (separate lines 1 year only) ordered v8, trend did not go unnoticed management. next year, 326 become true 326 new bore size of 3.72. tempest s popularity helped move pontiac third place among american car brands in 1962, position pontiac hold through 1970. buick 215 v8 remain in production more thirty 5 years, being used britain s rover group after had bought rights it. gm attempted buy rights back, however, rover wished, instead, sell engines directly.

in november 1961, knudsen had moved chevrolet. pete estes became general manager of pontiac , delorean promoted pontiac chief engineer. both continued knudsen s work of making pontiac performance-car brand. pontiac capitalized on emerging trend toward sportier bucket-seat coupes in 1962 introducing grand prix, taking place of ventura became trim option on catalina. although gm officially ended factory support racing activities across of brands in january 1963, pontiac continued cater performance car enthusiasts making larger engines more power available across model lines. 1963, grand prix received same styling changes other full-sized pontiacs such vertical headlights , crisper body lines, received own squared-off roof-line concave rear window, along less chrome. concave rear window duplicated on tempest/lemans four-door intermediates in 1964-1965.

for 1964, tempest , lemans trans-axle design dropped , cars redesigned under gm s new body platform; frame cars conventional front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. important of these gto, short gran turismo omologato, italian grand touring, homologated used ferrari badge announce car s official qualification racing. in spite of gm unwritten edict against engines larger 330 ci in intermediate cars, delorean (with support jim wangers pontiac s ad agency), came idea offer gto option package included 389 ci engine rated @ 325 or 348 horsepower (260 kw).

the entire pontiac lineup honored motor trend s car of year 1965, third time pontiac receive such honors. february, 1965 issue of motor trend entirely devoted pontiac s car of year award , included feature stories on division s marketing, styling, engineering , performance efforts along road tests of several models.

1969 pontiac gto convertible

due popularity of gto option, split being option on tempest lemans series become separate gto series. on technology front, 1966 saw introduction of new overhead camshaft 6-cylinder engine in tempest, , in industry first, plastic grilles used on several models.

the 1967 model year saw introduction pontiac firebird pony car, variant of chevrolet camaro brand s answer hot-selling ford mustang. intermediate sized cars (tempest, lemans, gto) mildly face-lifted full size cars , gto lost tri-power engine option though did larger 400 cubic-inch v8 replaced previous 389. full-sized cars got major facelift rounder wasp-waisted body lines, name change mid-line series star chief executive , one-year-only grand prix convertible. 1968 introduced endura rubber front bumper on gto, precursor modern cars integrated bumpers, , first of series ram air engines, featured induction of cold air carburetor(s) more power, , took away of sting deleting famous tri-power multiple carburetion option engine line up. tri carburetor deletion came 14th floor of gm banning multiple carburetion , headed gm president ed cole. ram air v garnered auto press publicity, relative few made available sale. full-sized cars , intermediates reverted vertical horizontal headlights while sporty/performance 2+2 dropped lineup.

for 1969, pontiac moved grand prix full-sized lineup g-body model of own based on a-body intermediate four-door modified 116 inches 118 inches wheelbase chassis, distinctive styling , long hood/short deck proportions create yet niche product - intermediate-sized personal-luxury car offered luxury , styling of higher priced personal cars such buick riviera , ford thunderbird , old grand prix , olds starfire lower price tag. development of car has interesting twist. pete estes knudsen had moved gm of chevrolet in 1966 , delorean general manager of pontiac division needed car take place of sagging sales of full size grand prix, development cost of car of burden pontiac division alone, delorean went old boss @ chevrolet gather support development cost of new g body grand prix. estes agreed share in cost , allow pontiac have one-year exclusivity on new car, next year chevy follow version called chevrolet monte carlo. new grand prix such sales success in 1969 dealers moved 112,000 units - more 4 times number of grand prixs sold in 1968. full-sized pontiacs substantially restyled retained same basic under-body structure , chassis debuted 1965 model - in fact roof-lines four-door pillared sedans , safari wagons same 1965 models, while two-door semi-fastback design gave way squared-off notch-back style , four-door hardtop sedans more squared off 1967-68 models. gtos , firebirds received ram air options, gto saw addition of judge performance/appearance package, , firebird got trans package. although conceived 303 cubic inch model compete directly in trans racing series, in cost-saving move pontiac trans debuted standard 400-cubic-inch performance engines. year saw de lorean leaving post of general manager accept similar position @ gm s chevrolet division. replacement f. james mcdonald.

pontiacs built in late 1960s conformed new u.s. federal motor vehicle safety standards. these included energy-absorbing interior parts such steering columns, steering wheels, knobs , handles, dual-circuit hydraulic brake systems, shoulder belts, side marker lights, , headrests.

the 1969 firebirds. received heavy facelift otherwise continued same original 1967 model. final year overhead cam six-cylinder engine in firebirds , intermediates, , firebird convertible (until 1991). production of 1969 firebirds extended first 3 months of 1970 model year (all other 1970 pontiacs debuted sept. 18, 1969) due decision delay introduction of all-new 1970 firebird (and chevrolet camaro) until feb. 26, 1970.

in addition in late-1960s, gm directed gm , pontiac divisions develop concept mini-cars called commuter car urban drivers. gm developed gasoline-electric drive hybrid xp-833 , pontiac x-4 rear-wheel drive mid-engine car powered radical x-shaped aircraft type air-cooled two-stroke radial engine standard crankshaft replaced unit called scotch yoke. while gm car tested pontiac concept not. neither placed in production.

1970–1982

increasing insurance , fuel costs owners coupled looming federal emissions , safety regulations put end unrestricted, powerful engines of 1960s. safety, luxury , economy become new watch-words of decade. engine performance began declining in 1971 when gm issued corporate edict mandating engines capable of using lower-octane unleaded gasoline, led dramatic drops in compression ratios, along performance , fuel economy. this, coupled trying build cars plush gm s more luxurious buicks , oldsmobiles, contributed start of slow decline of pontiac in 1971.

in mid-1971 pontiac introduced compact, budget-priced ventura ii (based on third generation chevrolet nova). same year, pontiac restyled full-sized cars, moved bonneville, , replaced higher luxury model named grand ville, while safari wagons got new clamshell tailgate lowered body while rear window raised roof.

1971–1976 model full-size station wagons featured clamshell design rear power-operated glass slid roof tailgate (manually or power assist), dropped below load floor. power tailgate, first in station wagon history, supplanted manual tailgate, required marked effort lift storage.

the 1972 models saw first wave of emissions reduction , safety equipment , updates. gto sub-series of lemans series. tempest, dropped, after being renamed t-37 , gt-37 1971. base 1972 mid-sized pontiac called lemans.

james macdonald left post of general manager replaced martin j. caserio in late 1972. caserio first manager in on decade more focused on marketing , sales on performance.

1973 pontiac grand am, first model year of grand am



1975 pontiac astre

for 1973, pontiac restyled personal-luxury grand prix, mid-sized lemans , compact ventura models , introduced all-new grand part of lemans line. other models including big cars , firebirds received minor updates. again, power dropped across engines more emissions requirements came effect. 1973 firebird trans s factory applied hood decal, john schinella restylized interpretation of native american fire bird, took of available space on hood. in 1973, new super duty 455 engine ( super duty harkening pontiac s racing engines) introduced. although supposed available in gtos , firebirds, few sd 455 engines made firebird trans ams year. 1 equipped tested car , driver magazine, proclaimed last of fast cars. pendulum had swung, , sd 455 hung on 1 more year in trans am.

all federal emissions , safety regulations required in full effect 1974 causing demise of 2 of 3 iterations of big 455 cubic inch engines after year. last version of 455 hang on 2 more years before being discontinued.

the 1975 grand ville last full-size convertible built pontiac

for 1975, pontiac introduced new sub-compact astre, version of chevrolet vega. brand s entry fuel economy segment of market. astre had been sold exclusively in canada 1973. offered through 1977 model year. 1975 see end of pontiac convertibles next decade.

the 1976 models last of traditional american large cars powered big block v8 engines. after year, gm models go through downsizing , shrink in length, width, weight , available engine size. 1976 sunbird, based on chevrolet vega , monza s equivalent, joined line. first offered notchback, hatchback body style added in 1977. vega wagon body style added in 1978, sunbird safari wagon, replacing astre safari wagon. sunbird offered in rear-wheel-drive configuration through 1980 model year. (sunbird safari wagon through 1979.)

at mid-year 1977, pontiac introduced phoenix, upscale version of ventura replaced ventura entirely after end of 1977 model year. pontiac introduced 151 cubic inch iron duke 4-cylinder overhead valve engine. first used in 1977 astre, replacing astre s aluminum-block 140 cubic inch vega engine. iron duke engine later go many gm , non-gm automobiles 1990s. 151 cubic inch l4 , 301 cubic inch v8 last 2 engines designed solely pontiac. subsequent engine design accomplished 1 central office designs being shared each brand.

for model year 1977, full sized pontiacs received same downsizing gm s other b body cars. new bonnevilles , catalinas continued best-sellers, although styling similarity chevrolet caprice seen buyers cheapening of pontiac s image. in 1981, full-size bonneville discontinued, name reassigned body intermediate platform. left catalina big pontiac, further reducing sales buyers went more plushness.

the remainder of 1970s , 1980s saw continued rise of luxury, safety , economy key selling points in pontiac products. wire-spoked wheel covers returned first time since 1930s. more station wagons ever being offered. padded vinyl roofs options on every model. rear-wheel drive began slow demise introduction of first front-wheel drive pontiac, 1980 phoenix (a version of chevrolet citation). firebird continued fly high on success of smokey , bandit film, still offering formula , trans packages, plus pontiac first- turbocharged v8, 1980 , 1981 model years. in addition this, rockford files, lasted 6 years used esprit firebird. james garner given new model each year, resprayed , painted. disapproved of front facelift. turn performed throughout show own stunts , came known rockford turn or j turn.

1982–1988

1985 firebird trans-am

introduced in 1982, wedge shaped firebird first major redesign of venerable pony car since 1970. partly due hugely successful nbc television series knight rider, instant success , provided pontiac foundation on build successively more performance oriented models on next decade. trans set production aerodynamic mark of .32 cd.

the next step in pontiac s resurgence came in form of first convertible in 9 years. gm adapted j-body cars. all-new 1982 j2000 (later renamed sunbird) had convertible part of line.

1985 fiero sport coupe

next came 1984 fiero. major departure pontiac had produced in past. two-seat, mid-engined coupe, fiero targeted straight @ same market semon knudsen had been aiming in late 1950s: young, affluent buyer wanted sporting performance @ reasonable price. fiero instant success , partially responsible pontiac seeing first increase in sales in 4 years.

pontiac began focus on technology. in 1984, special touring edition (ste) added 6000 line competitor european road cars such mercedes 190. ste sported digital instruments , other electronics more powerful v-6 , retuned suspension. later iterations see of first introductions on pontiacs of anti-lock brakes, steering wheel mounted radio controls , other advanced features.

full size buyers, disappointed lack of available big bonneville, complained, resulting in pontiac s importing canadian-market pontiac parisienne, featured bonneville s deluxe trim. car, although pontiac in name, no more re-trimmed caprice. despite fact, parisienne sold in profitable numbers , car continued in production until 1986 sedan, , 1989 safari station wagon.

with exception of parisienne safari, firebird , fiero, beginning in 1988 pontiacs, exception of firebird, switched front-wheel drive platforms. first time since 1970, pontiac number 3 domestic car maker in america. pontiac s drive bring in more youthful buyers working median age of pontiac owners dropped 46 in 1981 38 in 1988.

1989–1997

a mid-90 s grand prix

although updating , revamping continued throughout 1990s, vast change seen during 1980s did not. period between 1989 , 1997 can best described 1 of continuous refinement. anti-lock brakes, gm s quad-4 engine, airbags , composite materials became standard on pontiacs during time.

all new models produced @ more lengthy intervals. 1990 model year saw launch of pontiac s first minivan , light truck, trans sport. sunbird replaced (still j-body) sunfire in 1995.

significantly, new firebird bowed in 1993. powered either 3.4l v6 160 hp (120 kw), or in transam guise 275 hp (205 kw) lt-1, 5.7l (350c.i.) v8, , backed t-56 six-speed manual (which similar transmission found in contemporary corvettes , vipers). new firebird outperformed main rival, ford mustang, did not in marketplace due mustang s superior image , refinement, particularly in interior.

1992 saw introduction of brand-new bonneville. full-size model featured aerodynamic styling, large expanses of curved glass, front-wheel drive, , v6 standard equipment. model proved popular , continued in production 21st century.

1997–2004

an early-2000s montana minivan



the new gto planned 3-year run fill gap left f-body (2006 ls2 v8 model shown)

beginning in 1996, pontiac began mining historic past. last year 5th-generation grand prix. 1997 led way all-new grand prix, debuted wide track chassis making return spearheaded wider better advertising campaign. in addition, gtp trim level added grand prix. featured supercharged 3.8l v6 putting out 240 hp (180 kw) , 280 lb·ft (380 n·m) of torque. pontiac days of fast cars. 1999 model year saw replacement of trans sport larger montana minivan. year 2000 marked first redesign of bonneville, since 1992. based on g-body, shared oldsmobile aurora , buick lesabre.

in 1998 firebird updated. featured sleeker styling , improved amenities. transam received ls-1 motor produced 305 hp (227 kw). ws6 option saw number increase 320 hp (240 kw) , addition of ram air , stiffer springs. though these ratings have been proven fall short. dyno tests on years since release have confirmed trim levels ls1 have closer 350 hp. however, despite handily outperforming redesigned 1999 mustang, firebird not large sales success. in 2002 both firebird/trans , camaro discontinued result of declining sales , saturated sport market. coupe version of grand prix discontinued.

the 2003 vibe arrived in spring 2002, toyota-based compact wagon built @ nummi joint-venture plant.

in 2003, announced grand prix in last year of generation, improved 7th generation on way 2004. pontiac s final year in nascar before leaving circuit good. pontiac s final victory in nascar achieved ricky craven in 1 of closest finishes in nascar history.

in 2004 re-introduction of pontiac gto (based on holden monaro australia) took place, replacing spot left firebird , camaro. gto powered 350 hp ls-1 v8 in 2004. had independent front , rear suspension , upscale full leather interior. clean lines , understated looks drew criticism. sales did not reach 18,000 units gm predicted. initial dealer mark ups, slow shipping transit australia, , lack of advertisement gm blame. due retirement of ls1 engine in 2004, pontiac added drive-by-wire 400 hp ls2 v8 2005–2006 model years @ no additional cost. additional upgrades consisted of stainless steel dual exhaust outlets, larger corvette sourced pbr brakes ebd, larger front vented rotors vented rear rotors, , functional heat extractor hood scoops. bonneville introduced gxp trim level replace ssei. bonneville gxp featured 4.6 northstar v8, borrowed cadillac, , replaced supercharged 3800 series ii. redesigned grand prix made appearance, , featured gt , gtp trim level. gtp s new 3.8l supercharged v6 made 260 horsepower (190 kw), 20 previous generation. tapshift introduced competition group package (comp g).

2005–2010

pontiac went through complete product revamping through period. grand replaced mid-size g6 in 2004. bonneville ended production in 2005 after 50 years of production. although not directly replaced, rwd g8 served initial replacement. solstice concept shown in 2002 approved production roadster (2006-2009) and, few months, hard-top coupe (2009), considered quite rare, total of 1,266 coupes made off assembly line in wilmington, de before shut down due demise of pontiac. in stark contrast on 64,000 solstice convertibles manufactured on same line. controversial , slow-selling aztek phased out , replaced torrent, identical chevrolet equinox. in 2005 sunfire discontinued , replaced new pontiac pursuit (later named g5).

the grand prix ended production in 2008 , launch of australian-built rwd g8 commenced. g8 gained positive reception high performance , low costs. many noted g8 poor man s bmw m5, due similar performance @ cheaper price. holden ute scheduled launched g8 st before cancelled in january 2009 due gm s financial situation. later announced g8 may not see second generation.

towards end of decade many rumors began spreading pontiac become reliant on rwd. reports ranged compact sedan based on alpha platform new rwd g6 2013 model year. many reports suggested trans am/firebird return after gm confirmed rebirth of camaro, however, no reports confirmed this.

on december 2, 2008, general motors announced considering eliminating numerous brands, including pontiac, in order appease congress in hope of receiving $25 billion loan. on february 17, 2009, gm proposed elimination of saturn division, sale of saab, , either sale or elimination of hummer, depending on whether buyer found quickly. gm clarified pontiac have begun focus on niche models aimed @ youthful , sporty segment, did not provide specifics. pontiac trim number of models four, although there talk of retaining 1 model. april 2009 several automotive websites , business publications reporting gm doing study suggesting might eliminate brand altogether, along sister truck brand gmc. on april 23 report published stating company dropping pontiac brand while preserving gmc truck line, , chevrolet, cadillac, , buick brands. decision eliminate pontiac made due increasing threat of bankruptcy filing if june 1 deadline not met. on april 27, 2009, gm announced pontiac dropped , of remaining models phased out end of 2010. though both production , franchise agreements ended in 2010, pontiac remains registered , active trademark of gm.

general motors eliminate additional 7,000 8,000 factory jobs in united states , shed 2,600 dealers 2010 under revised business plan. gm chief executive officer fritz henderson said pontiac brand closed 2010, calling “extremely personal decision”. in addition speeding decisions on saturn, saab , hummer, gm left 4 brands—chevrolet, buick, gmc , cadillac.

the g6 last pontiac manufactured general motors (2009.5 model shown)

in may 2009, jim waldron, davison, michigan, pontiac dealer, announced interested in purchasing pontiac brand , logos, , had found financing purchase them , soon-to-be shuttered gm plants in order build cars. however, gm had decided retire brand has begun sell off remaining inventory , said that, unlike saturn, hummer, , saab, pontiac not sale.

the pontiac brand pulled after 2009 model year in mexico , brand renamed matiz, selling 1 vehicle, matiz g2 (matiz s logo similar pontiac s).

the last pontiac, 2010 model year g6, built @ orion township assembly line in january, 2010.

pontiac became second brand general motors had eliminated in 6 years. oldsmobile met same fate in 2004 after being more phased out on 4 years. pontiac became ninth north american automobile brand since 1987 phased out, after merkur, mercury, passport, asüna, geo, plymouth, american motors (amc) (renamed eagle in 1988, , phased out in 1999), , oldsmobile.