Posts from ‘Pontiac’
1971 Imperial LeBaron
If you trust Wikipedia, the Cord 810 was among the first automobiles to sport hidden headlamps. As far as design trends go, that’s a pretty auspicious starting point. For the purposes of this gallery, we are making a clear distinction between hidden headlamps—those found in or near a traditional grille–and pop-up headlamps along the lines of those found on the early-generation Mazda Miata or RX-7.
1975 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon
After a year of cancelled car shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s lots of pent-up energy and interest around the 2021 car-event season—car lovers are anxious to get out of the garage and back to their favorite shows and cruise nights. One of our favorite summer “super shows” is the Goodguys Heartland Nationals at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, IA. One of the longest-running events on the Goodguys schedule (this year’s edition was the 30th annual), the Heartland Nats always takes place on the weekend closest to the 4th of July, and regularly draws more than 4000 vehicles. This year’s show enjoyed record-breaking participation: almost 5000 registered vehicles filled the spacious fairgrounds facility.
I can’t track down the first person to predict that only cockroaches would survive the next world war, but the would-be truism is well known at this point. Kudos to the comedian who would later add Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards to the short list of life forms expected to live through a nuclear apocalypse; his continued existence remains an inspiration to those of us who have only occasionally drank to excess and have largely passed on injected opioids. Though not a life form, I would like to add another icon of longevity and fortitude to the nukeproof list: the Pontiac Vibe.
1970 Buick GSX
Per Wikipedia, “Muscle car is a term for high-performance American coupes, usually but not limited to rear-wheel drive and fitted with a large displacement V8 engine. General Motors introduced the first proper muscle car in 1949. The term originated for 1960s and early 1970s special editions of mass-production cars which were designed for drag racing.”
2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer
I joined the Consumer Guide team the summer of 2002. That means that, in just a few months, I will have been writing about cars full-time for 20 years. I mention this because I have only recently begun to consider just how much the automotive landscape has changed in the past two decades.
Pontiac Grand Prix STE Turbo
by Don Sikora II
Note: The following story was excerpted from the Februry 2020 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
From the Pontiac Grand Prix’s 1962 introduction through 1989 it was exclusively a two-door car. That changed with the addition of four-door sedans for 1990. More-door GPs continued through 2008, but perhaps the most interesting one of them all came from that inaugural season: the little-remembered STE Turbo.
1957 Pontiac Star Chief Hardtop Coupe
Note: The following story was excerpted from the June 2017 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine
The 1957 Pontiac was the first Pontiac since 1934 without “Silver Streaks” on the hood. Before Cadillac had tailfins and Buick had portholes, Pontiac had its signature chrome band (or bands) adorning the hood. However, Semon E. “Bunkie” Knudsen arrived as Pontiac’s new general manager just as the ’57 models were ready for production, and he was determined to change that.
1932 Rockne
Instead of fumbling with task of explaining the concept of aerodynamics myself, I will simply lift some copy from the Porsche 924 ad seen below. Per Porsche:
1989 Ford Thunderbird SC Ad
We don’t normally ask readers to work too hard when they’re checking out classic car ads, but we do have an observation to share: The sporty Fords of the late Eighties were available with a fascinating array of engines.
1986 Chevrolet Corvette
In terms of general statistical sexiness, brake performance has long taken a backseat to acceleration. Horsepower numbers are fun, 0-60-mph and quarter-mile times are fun. But braking? Most car guys know that reaching 60 mph from a stop in less than 6 seconds is an impressive feat. How many folks, I wonder, know what a decent time would be for coming to a complete stop from 60 mph?
