Official: Pontiac brand is dead
By Andrew, 03 Nov, 2010. 0 Comments
2010 Pontiac Vibe GT
After 84 years of existence and having sold 40 million vehicles, Pontiac is officially dead. We have Pontiac’s engineer John Z. DeLorean to thank for the muscle car that has made generations of consumers addicted to more horsepower. Many fans believe that Pontiac’s demise was self-inflicted; however, General Motors puts the blame on last year’s bankruptcy. The last car that Pontiac built was almost a year ago but the official expiration date is set for Oct. 31, which is when GM’s agreements with Pontiac dealers end.
“Driving excitement” is what had attracted hordes of consumers to Pontiac’s vehicles. Among the nameplates that Pontiac delivered are the Bonneville, GTO, Firebird and other venerable nameplates.
The best Pontiacs are said to be sportier than a Chevrolet but less uppity than an Oldsmobile or Buick. They are identifiable by their split grille and red arrowhead emblem in the middle. These cars were stylish and had big engines and yet they were affordable. The GTO was the biggest success, marking the start of the muscle car. Ironically, DeLorean developed the GTO in violation of a GM policy on the maximum size of a car’s engine. [via nytimes]
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