The Pontiac brand was, at one time, one of the most well-known automotive brands in the world. Part of this was the success of the GTO and the Firebird in the 1960s and 70s. But despite that constant run of success, the brand steadily declined until it was ultimately discontinued in 2010. There was a special place in the hearts of automotive enthusiasts for the Pontiac brand. Pontiac was once known as the “excitement” division at GM. There were good reasons for that as their cars offered great performance and a unique sense of style.
But there have also been many blunders at the Pontiac division. Still, there have been far more successes for Pontiac than failures. The brand had endured decades of change at GM to ultimately become the victim of a poor management structure and a global recession. We looked at the best and worst cars Pontiac has ever made. Strap in, because some of these cars are as good or as bad as you remember.
1960 Pontiac Bonneville (Best)
The 1960 Pontiac Bonneville was a work of art when it hit the market. The styling of the car was all-American with big fins off the rear end and an adequately-appointed interior. Pontiac was doing things differently, and there was not another car on the road that looked as unique as the big and bold Bonneville did (via Fifties Web).
Under the hood of the Bonneville, the excellence in design continued as the car had a powerful 389 CI/303 HP V-8 engine. Motivating this car was the technologically advanced 4-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. The Bonneville’s design was groundbreaking at the time, and it ushered consumers into a new era of automotive design in the 1960s.