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Home > Browse Cars > Pontiac

Browse Pontiac Cars

2009 Pontiac G8

Known essentially as General Motors’ athletic car brand, Pontiac is a popular name among mainstream performance vehicles. Derived from Chief Pontiac, a Native American leader who had led a revolt against the British, the name has been around since 1906 initially used by a company, Pontiac Spring and Wagon Works. They merged with Oakland Motor Works, but the union was later acquired by General Motors in 1909. Incidentally, this all happened in a place called Pontiac, Michigan, a fact that could have also inspired the naming of a five-passenger coach Pontiac in 1926. In the early decades, Pontiac became known for producing plain, but reliable cars, perfect for the practical middleclass family. However, the ‘50s saw the advent of a new Pontiac general manager who worked to reinvent the brand’s image. Pontiac soon became associated with youthful driving and aggressive styling.

Major Pontiac Milestones:

1953 – Pontiac was the first to introduce one-piece windshields in its models.

1961 – Pontiac produced America’s only front-engine/rear transmission car in the Pontiac Tempest.

1965 – Motor Trend devoted almost its entire February 1965 issue to Pontiac, the entire lineup of which was given the Car of the Year Award. It was the third time for Pontiac to be honored with this award.

Interesting Pontiac Facts:

During a time when General Motors prohibited divisions from participating in car racing, Pontiac had to find an alternative way to maintaining its performance image. It focused on the concept of fast cars and street performance, with drag racing enthusiasts in mind. This resulted in the birth of the muscle car. The original Pontiac GTO was actually a violation of the maximum engine displacement of 5.4 L limit on the A-body intermediate line GM had imposed. It somehow got approved and subsequently took its place in history as the first muscle car.