[1stgenbird]

What year did Pontiac move from the Indian to the arrowhead as their emblem? Was it a gradual transition or was it done in one year? Were there any other emblems in between?

[cuz68]

IM not sure but i would around 54-55.

[Steve Barcak]

1st year for the arrowhead was 1959. Last useage of the indian head was 1970.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Steve Barcak

1st year for the arrowhead was 1959. Last useage of the indian head was 1970.

Didn't they keep the indian head bright headlight indicator light on the dash later than that? I had a '71 Catalina and I seem to remember it had one, but that was a long time ago so my memory may be bad.

[stevep]

No, 70 was the last year for the Indian high beam indicator. 71 just had a round red light.

[cuz68]

Originally Posted by cuz68

IM not sure but i would around 54-55.

I am sorry i thought he was asking about the hood, What year did they change them? TKS Randy.

[1960 shark]

I picked up an Indian head front fender piece from a Indian Motorcycle at a local swap meet. I havent used it on my ride, but i am gonna mount on the hood of my Pontiac for sure. It has an internal light.

just thought you might wanna know .its another option.

[Charlie Jones]

1955 was the last year of the " Indian Head " hood ornament. '56 was a simple delta wing design. In '57 the hood ornament was canned altogether.
I started a collection of them once opon a time . But then times got tough and storage space got short and I sold them.

[1stgenbird]

I was just curious as to the overall company using the Indian and the Arrowhead as their logo, not in relation to hood ornaments. From the 60's to the present, the arrowhead has been the symbol of Pontiac. (Some call it a Dart, but it's not.)
I know somewhere in the 50's the Indian as the symbol was phased out but was it a gradual phase out, meaning in a given year some models used the Indian and some the Arrowhead, or an abrupt one?

[Steve Barcak]

How does my reply to you not answer your question?

[1stgenbird]

It does in a general sense.
If I leafed through Pontiac catalogs at a dealer from 59 to 70, would I see both symbols used or was the phase-out after 59 so great that only something like a high-beam indicator light retained the Indian?

[Steve Barcak]

When Pontiac went with the Arrowhead, that was it. that was their new deal and what they pushed The Indian head became an afterthough and was barely used.
Myself, I always use the Indian Head and never the Arrowhead because i consider it more traditional. Even though the Arrowhead was prominent during the 60s and 70s ( my favoritve time frame ) , it was and is used during the corporate era and that is why I prefer not to use it.

[Poncho60]

Getting rid of the Indian symbol was high on Bunkey Knudsens list when he was given the task of saving Pontiac in 1957. I've got a 60 Ventura and the only connection back to Chief Pontiac is the hi-beam indicator.