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The Pontiac brand has conquered millions of motorists (mainly in the USA) thanks to a series of models characterized by an excellent price / performance ratio. Let’s discover together the history of the glorious US manufacturer, which disappeared in 2010 (or rather, sacrificed by General Motors ) due to the economic crisis .
Pontiac Wave sedan, Montreal International Auto Show, Palais Des Congres De Montreal, January 8th, 2004.
The history of Pontiac officially begins in 1926 when the Oakland brand (created by GM to position itself between the economical Chevrolets and the most prized Oldsmobile) launched the Pontiac, a six-cylinder car distinguished by a competitive price.
In 1932 Oakland disappeared and Pontiac officially became one of the brands of General Motors.
A brand like many others
In the first thirty years of activity Pontiac is a brand like many others that shares GM ‘s technological innovations without too much freedom of action: in 1933 the in-line eight-cylinder engines arrive, in 1934 it is the turn of the front suspension with independent wheels while in 1935 it is the steel roof vault, hydraulic brakes and synchronized gearbox.
After the Second World War (a period spent producing weapons and military vehicles) Pontiac continues to build valid but too rational cars and exploited the belonging to the great General Motors family to introduce technical innovations: the one-piece windshield in 1953 and the air conditioning the following year.
Sporting breakthrough
In the 1960s, the top GMs transformed Pontiac into the sporting brand of the group: in 1962 the first (and only) NASCAR constructors’ title arrived and two years later the GTO launched the fashion of “muscle cars”. An immediate success that allowed the car’s designer – a certain John DeLorean , then chief engineer of the American company – to be promoted to head of the Pontiac brand at the age of 40.
Crisis and relaunch
The 1973 oil crisis downsizes Pontiac , forced to abandon its sportier models to focus on compact and efficient (but unexciting) cars.
In 1984 the Fiero coupé brought a little joy and optimism back to the brand but for the whole decade the list of the US manufacturer continued to be populated by models with high-sounding names but without identity like the sixth series.
The last years
In the 1990s and 2000s, Pontiac gradually abandoned the sports segment to focus on family cars: it is no coincidence that the two most significant models of the period were a minivan
Only in the last years of its life has the American brand returned to its focus on sportiness – the 2006 Solstice , the last notable Pontiac , is a fun rear – wheel drive spider equipped with a 2.0 turbo engine (the first petrol direct injection engine). produced by a US manufacturer) – but it is too late: in 2010 GM decided to suppress Pontiac following the economic crisis and to continue with only four brands on the North American marke
